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Tunnel ablaze for 17 hours as travel plans of 15,000 wrecked
Jonathan Prynn and Peter Allen12.09.08
Almost a half-mile stretch of the Channel Tunnel has been severely damaged by a fire which raged for 17 hours.
The blaze, which was finally put out today, left all Shuttle and Eurostar train services suspended until further notice. At least 15,000 people have been affected while the cost is likely to run to hundreds of millions of pounds.
A spokesman for the Pas de Calais fire brigade today gave the first indications of the full extent of the blaze, finally extinguished at 9.30am. "There's serious damage in the north tunnel. Around 700 metres are affected," said the spokesman, adding that at one stage 26 carriages on a single freight train had gone up in flames.
About 300 French and British firefighters were engaged in tackling the blaze, which at times reached 1,000-degree heat, at first light this morning, by which time French authorities had declared it "under control".
It was the worst fire on the 31-mile rail link since 1996 and only the third in its history. The blaze, thought to have been started by an overheating brake, caused 14 minor injuries.
All Shuttle and Eurostar train services through the tunnel have been suspended since 3pm yesterday. There is no indication when they will resume but Eurotunnel, the French company that owns the tunnel, said it hoped to start running a limited service later today. A spokesman said that once Eurotunnel was allowed back in it would attempt to start services in the unaffected south tunnel "within hours".
This will allow about half the normal timetable to be operated. Trains can also be run through intact sections of the damaged north tunnel, switching over to the south tunnel to bypass the site of the fire.
He said this arrangement would allow a near normal service, although it would add five to 10 minutes to journey times. It is likely to be weeks before the north tunnel is fully reopened.
Eurostar confirmed there would be no highspeed trains to or from the Continent today.
The French authorities pledged "there will be no escape" for those responsible and said they would bring criminal charges. New details of the fire emerged, including lorry drivers having to smash their way out of glass windows to escape the blaze before they were overcome with toxic fumes.
French interior minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, who visited the drivers in Calais, said that death and serious injuries were only averted because the blast was in a "lorry cut off " from the others, and not a nearby one carrying highly flammable carbolic acid. Early reports from the evacuated suggest that a faulty brake on a lorry overheated, causing a tyre to explode, which in turn set light to the cab.
Ms Alliot-Marie indicated she was angry that the circumstances of the blaze, which started seven miles from the French side, were almost identical to the fire that engulfed the tunnel in November 1996, causing £200 million worth of damage.
This time, 32 people, many of them British lorry drivers, were evacuated from the train via a service tunnel as the fire spread to two other vehicles. Six had to be treated for smoke inhalation and eight more suffered minor injuries.
More than 100 people camped out at St Pancras station overnight, waiting for refunds or killing time before their first train to the fer ry terminal at Dover. Michael Ludon, 30, from east London, said: "I'm supposed to be getting married in Paris tomorrow but it doesn't look like I will be now. I've got all my family with me and we're trying to book a flight to France."
Janey Armstrong, 20, from Edinburgh, said: "I'm supposed to be registering for the university in Paris tomorrow but I don't know how I'm going to get there."
Reader views (27)
If, as is possible, the blaze was caused by an overheatered lorry tractor or trailor brake(s) would it not be possible for lorries to pass over a high pressure high pressure spray (perhaps 10 meters long)which doused their undersides just as they load onto the train, thereby cooling every thing down and reducuing the risk of fire? Or is this too much like common sense?
- Simon Jefferson, Oxford
Tony Muncaster - you state that you are an 'aviation safety manager' but that does not make you an expert on railway safety.
Having said that - the rail industry is full of people who claim they know more than even the most experienced staff, so you would probably fit in quite well.
- James, Brighton, UK
Lets abandon airport expansion and build more tunnels instead. We could then even have a tunnel for passenger trains only withexpanded services to other parts of europe via the high speed rail network which is expanding throughout mainland europe.
As for us we need to follow France and could start by extending HS1 from Stratford through east london to welwyn where it could remove the two track bottleneck on the east coast mainline and allow through services to Leeds and further north.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
I would have thought that allowing highly inflammable carbolic acid to be in a tunnel such as this, or any tunnel come to that, would be contrary to health and safety legislation.
- C Murdoch, essex
I was stuck in Paris from Thursday through to Saturday. i understand the reason to close the tunnel but Eurostars handling of the situation was awful. not only did they refuse to except responsibility for their passengers plight, they didnt even offer an apology. as soon as it was announced the trains would not be running all Eurostar staff conveniently disappeared and they called in the Gendarmerie to clear the Eurostar terminal. No compensation and no refund have been offered, even a budget airline would put you up or give you food vouchers, hell even SouthEastern organise replacement buses. As it was hundreds of passengers were sleeping rough outside Gare du Nord.
- Sean Kirwin, London
Hello London,
You would of thought that a spinkler system or a foam spinkler system would be inplace for such events. It seems you take "pot luck" if your deep under the channel?
Thanks to the many of the emergency services both sides and lets hope it never happens again, we were lucky there was no loss of life.
Finally,
All loads must be checked, you cannot afford to turn a blind eye?
- J.L., Scarborough. N. Yks.
Close the tunnel before loss of life?! Do you people drive or fly, walk or cycle? Each of the previously mentioned have claimed more lives and/or injuries due to accidents. Ban moving?! Give up will you.
- Richard, Gloucestershire, england
If it is true that there are only a few non-fatal casualties as a result of this shambles, the Eurotunnel operators can count their lucky stars. The next avoidable incident like this one will almost certainly be a lot worse,involving big fatalities, and it will surely happen unless transport operators stop behaving like adolescents and start taking time out to listen to people like me. I once got stuck in that tunnel in 2000 and I tackled the strip of a girl who was in charge of the train over her (lack of) contingency planning for evacuation. It was immediately obvious that she had no clue what I was talking about.
Tony Muncaster, Aviation Safety Manager
- Tony Muncaster, Doha, State of Qatar
A bit strange that, in the week that Air France effectively admits that planes can't compete with the tunnel by talking of running faster trains, the Tunnel goes up in smoke. Whose interests might that serve, I wonder?
- Mdj, Leyton, e10 london
Following the 200 million pounds damage to the tunnel due to a lorry fire on an open type train carriage some years ago,I would have thought that better brains than mine would have come up with my Idea,each HGV should be driven into a closed container(like the ones HGVS carry) the rear doors to be closed,and each of these containers fitted with smoke,and heat detectors,and an automatic C02 discharge system.
- Colin, Bristol
Just managed to get back from Disneyland Paris, with children in tow, nightmare
Thanks to the helpful French Eurostar staff ( NOT !!!)
- Had to book our own hotel room last night, with a little bit of help from a DISNEY member of staff
- Arrange a transfer to Calais (car hire, thankyou mr. Hertz)
- Ferry !!
- Transfer to train station (Dover Priory)
- Train fare to Ashford International
Note :- first sign of Eurostar staff was at Dover Priory station, the simple leg of the trip !!!
When I asked about claim forms etc. was told 'the fire was an act of god !!!' and to write a letter or email eurostar. 'Act of god !!!!' ermmm let me think !!!
Spent a fortune today, but at least were home !!!!
- Paul Newman, hailsham
Once again a major fire in the tunnel and once again nobody was seriously hurt. Well done the tunnel for it's safety system. Having used the tunnel over a thousand times, including one evacuation into the safety tunnel, I know how safe it is IF PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED!!. What's all this about breaking windows to get out? The club car is the safest place to be until the train stops alongside an exit door into the safety tunnel, there's also a smoke hood for every passenger. Once again nobody died so well done the tunnel, I'd use it again without any qualms.
- Percyqted, Gloucester
Why can't such fires be isolated by inflating plugs at each end of the train and then pumping Halon gas into the stricken section? It seems unecessary to have so much damage caused by such a long lived fire.
- Norman Stechman, Colchester UK
Referring to the fire in the Channel Tunnel all freight traffic should be scrutinized for inflammable freight, which would be better transported by ferry! As for the fire in the tunnel, this is the second time it has happend, one must also refer to the fire in a tunnel in in Switzerland, which was caused by one or more freight vehicles and that was closed for months. I believe it was the Mont Blanc Tunnel? As for the safety of the Channel Tunnel I do not believe anyone should worry too much after all in London we saw by means of television the aftermath of fires at Kings Cross and Oxford Circus underground stations! And millions of people use the London Underground.
- Arthur Lincoln, arthur.lincoln@skynet.be
Shut down the tunnel, do away with flights and ferries, why not add business's and homes to the list they can all catch fire too.....Duh.. get a life you lot.
Accidents happen every so often, tragic as some may be you have to live with it, and life must go on.
Now don't forget to wrap yourselfves up in cotton wool before you go home tonight.
Malc
- Malc, London,England
Vince and Phil
So do we close all tunnels, the Blackwall, Rotherhithe etc etc - 3 accidents in 18 years is amazing, and a credit to the builders/operators.
In case you didn't know life involves risk - I feel safer on the Tunnel than I do driving up the M1.
Please people - if Life was risk free - we wouldn't exist.
- Jc, SE1
The Channel Tunnel is an excellent way to get to Europe. We should be proud of it instead of knocking it. It is very efficient and far better than flying if you are talking about carbon footprints. Travelling on a ferry is much slower, too.
The safety of lorries needs to be investigated, as many lorries have been proved to be totally illegal when they enter the UK.
There appears to have been excellent co-operation between British and French firefighters. Bravo and long live Franco-British projects!
- Tom, Brixham UK
Why do people when something like this happen expect Eurostar to sort out all there problems?
Yes hotels are expensive and yes it is a pain, but it is part of the fabric of life - deal with it?
Oh and just to add to the others that have replied to Vince, we should close all public roads and ban all cars as you are far more likely to be killed by an accident on the road than on a Eurostar train
- Stuart, Luton, UK
Nonsense MH, there are plenty of hotels in London where one can stay for a night for less money than the cost of getting the train back to Edinburgh, have done it plenty of times (and costs would be refunded BTW)...but congratulations to you for missing the point completely.
Point is, so there was a fire. Things get held up for a bit, but hey, no-one died, which is the only important thing, so no whining about "I don't know what to do" when you are on the verge of a life changing, and enhancing hopefully, move is necessary, just get on with it. But hey, it wouldn't be a news story without a dash of mild panic and hysteria.
- Md, London, UK
Vince & Phil, do not get out of bed tomorrow, the sky may fall on you chicken littles.
No wonder our lives are now so restricted and so organised by those that know best when there are pessimists like you around.
- Ayliff Mcnab, Spain
Can someone please explain to me how the brakes can overheat in a stationary lorry, which is being carried on the lattice-car?
- Mariusz, London
As far as I know, cars that have LPG tanks are not allowed to use the tunnel, so what the hell is "a nearby one carrying highly flammable carbolic acid, or phenol" doing in there?.
If I were a ferry company, I would bank-roll an action/ disister film based on this type of scenario- that would sort out the tunnel's competition in a mo.
- Fresh, london
Very sympathetic there Md. Hotels in London arent exactly cheap, especially last minute. A student may well not be able to afford the crazy prices there.
- Mh, Oxford
I agree with Vince that the Eurotunnel should be permanently closed. Fire is always the major hazard with long underground tunnels. A great many people died about a decade ago in a fire in the long road tunnel between France and Italy. The potential for disaster on the Eurotunnel is much worse, given packed trains that carry 750 persons each. I give credit to those who built the tunnel, but now it's time to close it -- permanently.
- Phil Jones, London UK
Well said Vince, and let's shut down the ferries (remember the Herald of Free Enterprise?) and the airlines (too many plane crashes to list) as well while we're at it!
- Roy, England
"Janey Armstrong, 20, from Edinburgh...I don't know anybody in London and I don't know what to do."
Advice to the adult moving to Paris to study...check into a hotel maybe, until the situation is clear. Hope you're not studying rocket science.
- Md, London, UK
Now will be a good time to close the tunnel forever before the is a major disaster and loss of life.
- Vince London, West London
