Fire in the Channel Tunnel Shuts Down France-England Transport

The tunnel underneath the English Channel has been closed “until further notice,” after a truck fire Saturday.

The 31.4-mile-long train and automobile conveyance that runs between England and France, also known as the “Chunnel,” was closed due to a fire at the French end of the tunnel, the BBC reports.

Eurostar, the train service that operates in the tunnel, announced in a statement, “We are sorry but we are unable to run any further trains today because Eurotunnel has been closed due to smoke detected in the north tunnel.” Passengers planning Saturday travel were advised not to come to the station.

A spokesman for the police said there were no injuries. “Rail passengers are advised to expect significant delays whilst the vehicle is being recovered and fumes are cleared from the tunnels,” he added.

Eurotunnel, which manages the Chunnel, said in 2012 that nearly 50,000 people use the tunnel each day.

The Chunnel spans the stretch of the English Channel from the area near Folkstone, near Dover in the United Kingdom, to Coquelles near Calais in France. It is used by passenger and freight trains, and has a special shuttle for automobiles and trucks.

[BBC]