Firefighters rescue a person following three-car pile-up near Portsmouth's Eastern Road

The smash took place on the Farlington roundabout, at the northern end of the Eastern Road at 10.47am.

One car was flipped onto its side and crashed into the central reservation of the roundabout.

While a second white vehicle was crumpled near the Walton Road junction.

A third vehicle needed to have its roof cut off to free a casualty trapped inside.

All in all, about 20 firefighters, from across Cosham, Southsea and Havant, were involved in the rescue operation.

Firefighter Alex Valentine, from Cosham fire station, said that when crews arrived they were met with a scene of confusion, with debris scattered all across the highway.

He said: ‘It’s hard to say what happened. It’s still under investigation. But there were three vehicles involved.

‘It was unclear at first which vehicle the person was trapped in because there was a a car on its side, one that had been spun off and car that had been rear-ended.’

He added: ‘We had to cut the roof off the vehicle of the person trapped.’

One person was taken to hospital for ‘precautionary checks’, Hampshire police said, with a spokesman adding that no arrests had been made.

SEE ALSO: Fareham man dies in crash

Emergency teams – which included police and paramedics – left the scene shortly after midday.

AA Traffic said the crash has ‘damaged sensors’ on the traffic lights at the northern side of the roundabout.

Diversions were put in place.

However, the crash led gridlock in Portsmouth, with heavy queues on the M275.

Delays blighted roads across much of Buckland, Landport and North End.

It came as the city continues to deal with the aftermath of Storm Eunice, which has added to the island’s traffic woes.

In Fratton, Fratton Road, between Newcome Road and Clive Road, is closed due to unsafe building, which had part of its roof ripped off.

Nobody was hurt when the building was damaged. However, residents were last night evacuated to a hotel to stay amid fears the building could crumble.

Elsewhere, a tree has collapsed in Furze Lane, Milton. The road is blocked Locksway Road and Broom Square.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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