Channel Tunnel fire extinguished, but thousands still stranded

THE fire in the Channel Tunnel has been put out after burning for more than 16 hours, French police said today.

A spokesman for the Calais force said the main seat of the fire was extinguished at 7am today UK time.

Firefighters then spent two hours smothering minor fires nearby, he said.

Three hundred firefighters – 100 British and 200 French – fought the fire overnight and brought it under control early this morning.

Eurostar said it did not expect services to resume today. Around 30,000 passengers were due to travel on 50 Eurostar services going through the tunnel today.

They will be offered a full refund, a spokeswoman said.

The blaze began on a freight train carrying lorries from Folkestone to Calais.

Thirty-two lorry drivers, including seven British nationals, and train staff fled from the blaze down the safety and maintenance tunnel when it broke out just before 3pm yesterday.

Six people suffered smoke inhalation injuries but did not need hospital treatment.

Some lorry drivers were forced to smash windows in the train to escape after doors became jammed shut, reports said.

Patrick Lejein, 50, from Bruges in Belgium, gave a dramatic account of their desperate escape after smashing a window.

He told Le Parisien newspaper: "There was a burning lorry and a series of explosions – about 20 of them.

"Everything was exploding around us – tyres, fuel tanks, and then there was this smoke which prevented us from seeing and breathing properly."

Mr Lejein added: "The door of our carriage was locked, impossible to open. We had to save ourselves by smashing a window with a hammer.

"We escaped from the train through this window. It was at that moment that we panicked the most. We imagined ourselves trapped there. We really were very lucky."

France's transport minister Dominique Bussereau told French radio station Europe-1 the cause "likely resembles something accidental".

French authorities confirmed that there was a vehicle containing around 100kg (220lb) of a chemical known as phenol – also known as carbolic acid – close to the site on fire.

But a spokesman for local police said that it did not make the situation any more dangerous and the source of the blaze has not been identified.

The closure caused huge tailbacks on roads near the tunnel entrance as dozens of lorries were forced to park on the M20 and other surrounding roads.

Kent Police said Operation Stack, in which police park freight traffic on the roads, was still in force this morning.

"There is some freight traffic parked on the motorway but not much," a spokesman said.

"Motorists are advised to avoid the area."

Kent Fire and Rescue service chief fire officer Bill Feeley described the difficulties his team faced as they tackled the blaze in temperatures of around 1000C.

Firefighters using breathing apparatus faced thick black smoke in the tight tunnel space, he said.

They were rotating crews regularly so they could get refreshment, he said.

Some 40 or 50 firefighters will remain in the tunnel until they are sure every last bit of the blaze is extinguished, he said.

"Our most important priority is to make the fire completely extinguished the length of the tunnel," he said.

He said: "Even one burning tyre... if you imagine the smoke that emits... if you multiply that several times, that's the kind of conditions our people have been facing.

"That's obviously the reason why we've used a number of firefighters.
They take a fair bit of punishment down there as part of their job so we've got to make sure they're refreshed regularly and they're not fatigued.

"That's why we've still got 50 or 60 people on scene until they're satisfied the fire has been completely extinguished.

"It's a serious fire and a serious incident but I'm pleased to say we've made positive progress this morning."

An investigation of the cause of the fire would follow once the all-clear is given, he said.