Injuries in English Channel tunnel train fire

On Thursday, a fire broke out in the English Channel tunnel, on a train that was carrying trucks from England to France, suspending tunnel traffic and causing injuries to six people, according to officials.

The blaze was quickly extinguished by fire fighters who rushed to the scene, which was approximately seven miles from the French end of the tunnel, said a spokesperson for the company responsible for tunnel operations, Eurotunnel.

Thirty-two people were on board the shuttle train when the fire was detected shortly before 1400 GMT, the spokesperson added. Most of the people on board were the drivers of the trucks, who were accompanying their vehicles. All were safely evacuated from the tunnel, the Eurotunnel spokesperson emphasized.

The fire was actually confined to one truck that was being carried on the train, but the 30-mile tunnel will be closed to traffic until Friday, according to SNCF, the French rail operator. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Eurostar reported that it had no trains in the tunnel at the time and that it would be cancelling services on the route for the remainder of Thursday.

The Calais regional administration office, which handled the response at the scene, reported six injuries due to the fire.

www.eurotunnel.com