Five people, including two boys, have been killed in a crash on the M6, after reports of a car travelling the wrong way down the motorway.
The two-car collision involved a Toyota and a Skoda and happened on the northbound motorway, past Tebay services in Cumbria, at 4.04pm on Tuesday.
Cumbria Constabulary said officers received a report of a Skoda travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway.
Emergency crews were en route when the force received further calls it had been involved in a head-on collision with a Toyota.
Four people – a 42-year-old man, a 33-year-old woman and two boys aged 15 and seven from Glasgow – who were travelling in the Toyota, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Skoda driver, a 40-year-old man from Cambridgeshire, also died in the crash.
Police said a third boy in the Toyota, aged seven and also from Glasgow, was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he remains in a serious condition.
The force said formal identification of those involved is yet to take place.
Four fire engines from nearby Penrith, Kendal and Shap were mobilised after the alarm was raised, and fire crews remained at the scene for several hours.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:43
Fatal crash on M6
Driver Chris Isles, 58, captured a picture near to the scene after getting held up in the traffic tailback and at first thought it was a vehicle fire.
Mr Isles, from Kirkoswald, said: “It’s terrible. It never crossed my mind that there would have been five people killed. It’s awful.”
A stretch of the M6 northbound between J36 and J39 was closed following the crash but reopened fully in the early hours of Wednesday.
A Cumbria Constabulary spokesperson said: “The families of those involved are being supported by specially trained officers.
“Officers would like to thank members of the public that assisted at the scene and those affected by the collision for their patience.
“We would also like to thank those that have already been in touch who witnessed or have dashcam of the incident. We continue the appeal to anyone with information or with dashcam to contact us.”
Fifteen UK aid charities are launching a humanitarian appeal to address the “overwhelming” need in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider Middle East.
The charities make up the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is raising urgent funds for the millions in the region requiring food, water, shelter and medical care after fleeing their homes in search of safety.
The government has said it will match the first £10m of donations from the public.
Appeals to support the DEC’s work will be broadcast on Sky, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 on Thursday evening, while BBC radio appeals will be broadcast throughout the day.
The DEC is “monitoring the evolving situation” in Israel and several charities in the organisation are “ready to expand their response to include Israel if significant unmet humanitarian needs are identified”.
DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: “Millions of people, including many thousands of children, are dealing with almost unimaginable trauma.
“Many have been displaced multiple times and have no homes to return to. Now food and medical care is scarce and families face devastating choices to survive.
“DEC member charities are responding right now in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank, providing lifesaving food, water, shelter and medicine – this humanitarian support is a vital lifeline for millions of people in overwhelming need of assistance.
“But our member charities urgently need more funds to meet the huge levels of need. We are asking people to please donate now to save lives.”
Meanwhile, development minister Anneliese Dodds said the suffering of civilians affected by the conflict is “intolerable”.
She said: “Humanitarian support is urgently needed for the most vulnerable people. Charities play a crucial role in providing help to those most affected, and need your support.
“That is why we are matching public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to provide urgent humanitarian assistance up to £10m.
“This will be used to provide life-saving aid including medical supplies, shelter and clean water to those who need it most.”
If you want to support people in the region, there are further details of how you can do so at dec.org.uk
Local police said Payne had fallen from the third floor of a hotel in the capital Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening.
He is said to have suffered “extremely serious injuries”.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentinian television that Payne fell into a courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood.
He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.
Pablo Policicchio, a spokesperson for the security ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said police were called to the hotel in response to an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:21
Fans gather outside the hotel where Liam Payne died
Payne’s social media post hours before death
Payne had posted on Snapchat in the last few hours, and in one video he said it was a “lovely day here in Argentina”.
“Just enjoying coffee and breakfast, even though it’s like 1pm,” he said. “Literally sleep in every day until like 12. We’re such losers.”
The star spoke about “going to ride some horses” and said: “Think I’m going to play polo again which is going to put me out of action for about six weeks.”
“It’s going to be a nice day,” he added.
It was not clear when the videos were filmed, but were posted hours before his death.
Why was Payne in Argentina?
Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan.
He was seen dancing at his show two weeks ago at the Movistar Arena alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
On Snapchat, he spoke to his followers about his plans for one of his days on holiday, saying it was a “lovely day in Argentina” and he planned to play polo.
The videos appear to be posted days after they were filmed, as they feature Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who uploaded videos of her return to Florida on social media earlier in the week.
“Today, we ride. We’re going to ride some horses,” he said, in one of the videos.
“Think I’m going to play polo again, which is going to put me out of action for about six weeks.
“It’s so hard to do, number one, my back and my neck from swinging that hammer around… or mallet, I think it’s called if you’re in the know.
“Haha, loser, weirdo,” he joked with her about the fact she was leaving Argentina.
“Obviously, we’re going to go home and see our dog,” he said.
The pair recently fostered a dog called Nala who they’ve nicknamed Noonie, Chooch, Narls and Choochie, according to the videos.
Payne and Cassidy said they’d been having lie-ins every morning, and the singer told his followers they were enjoying coffee and breakfast, “even though it’s like 1pm”.
“We literally sleep in every day until like 12,” Cassidy said in the background.
“We’re such losers,” she said.
The singer finished his update on Snapchat by sharing some of the “amazing” art in their room.
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
“On occasion I do paint and I like doing art,” he said, but admitted he’d not found more art he was “in love with” except for a picture hanging on the wall.
“They’ve got the most amazing art in this house,” he said.