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Weekend hit by tunnel disruption Weekend hit by tunnel disruption
(about 1 hour later)
Thousands of passengers hoping to travel through the Channel Tunnel face further disruption after a fire.Thousands of passengers hoping to travel through the Channel Tunnel face further disruption after a fire.
Both Eurotunnel and Eurostar have said passengers with travel plans for Friday night and the weekend should find alternative routes. Both the tunnel operator Eurotunnel and Eurostar have said passengers with travel plans for Friday night and the weekend should find alternative routes.
The tunnel was closed after fire broke out on a freight train about seven miles from Calais on Thursday.The tunnel was closed after fire broke out on a freight train about seven miles from Calais on Thursday.
Thirty-two people on board were led to safety. Fourteen had suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.Thirty-two people on board were led to safety. Fourteen had suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.
Firefighters say the 16-hour blaze has now been put out, but Eurotunnel said services remained suspended for Saturday and Sunday. The 16-hour blaze was put out on Friday morning.
name="goback"> class="bodl" href="#map">See graphic of Channel Tunnel Passengers were still arriving at St Pancras International in London on Friday hoping services to the Continent would resume.
class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7611302.stm">Groom among stranded passengers class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk/04/channel_tunnel/html/triumph.stm">Guide to Channel Tunnel class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7612119.stm">In pictures: Channel Tunnel fire But later on Friday Eurotunnel said services remained suspended for Saturday and Sunday.
The French Interior Ministry said the UK-bound lorry that caught fire was understood to have overturned on the shuttle train. It was carrying the chemical phenol, a toxic product used by the pharmaceutical industry. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CHANNEL TUNNEL - 11 SEPTEMBER 2008 Fire started on lorry (1) just before 1500 BST on train from Folkestone to Calais. Lorry drivers heard series of explosions. They broke windows (2) to get out of amenity car. Altogether 32 people, including seven Britons, were evacuated into service tunnel (3).
Chief Fire Officer Bill Feeley of Kent Fire and Rescue Service said on Thursday that about 100 of his firefighters tackled the blaze. The operator said passengers due to make return journeys on Saturday or Sunday were advised to arrive at the Port of Calais or Port of Dover where their return travel would be honoured by other cross-channel operators.
"The fire itself, because it's in a tunnel, it's in a confined space, produces a lot of smoke and a lot of heat for our firefighters to contend with." The firm said while it wanted rail services to resume as quickly as possible it could happen only once approval had been given by the authorities at the French end.
He said British teams worked from one end while the French fire service worked from the other and that the British and French were able to hear each other. Rail company Eurostar said about 30,000 passengers had been due to travel on 50 services on Friday, and would be offered a full refund or exchange.
A train was sent to collect the evacuated passengers from a service tunnel and take them back to France. Speaking from St Pancras International finance manager Kirsty McIntyre said she had planned to spend the weekend in the Champagne region.
The Foreign Office said seven of those evacuated from the tunnel were British. She said they checked Eurostar's website on Thursday evening: "It just said delays are expected but it didn't say anything about cancelled services, so we came today and it's not happening. We are going to see if we can get a bus to Dover and a ferry to Calais."
The French state train company, SNCF, said its services would not resume until Friday. Others who had planned to take the Eurostar on Thursday and were unable to get hotel accommodation were forced to sleep in the station.
See layout of Channel Tunnel
Focus turns to cause of fireGroom among stranded passengersGuide to Channel TunnelIn pictures: Channel Tunnel fire
The tunnel carries Eurostar express trains between London, Paris and Brussels, as well as freight and passenger shuttles between Folkestone and Calais.The tunnel carries Eurostar express trains between London, Paris and Brussels, as well as freight and passenger shuttles between Folkestone and Calais.
Travel chaos The source of the blaze has not yet been identified but French officials say a lorry carrying chemicals, which is understood to have overturned on the freight train, was close to the seat of the fire.
Traffic built up at the British end of the tunnel, with queues of lorries and cars tailing from the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone. It was carrying the chemical phenol, a toxic product used by the pharmaceutical industry.
Kent police have closed junctions eight to nine of the coastbound section of the M20 and sections of the motorway have been used to queue lorries as part of Operation Stack. Eurotunnel chairman Jacque Gounon - who earlier said they hoped to return to half capacity during Friday - said the north tunnel, where the fire took place, would be closed for several weeks.
The Highways Agency has told motorists to expect delays of up to an hour on the M20. The BBC's Europe editor, Mark Mardell, said Mr Gounon would not speculate on the cause of the fire, saying only that nothing had been ruled out or in.
Motorists at the Channel Tunnel entrance were being given vouchers by staff to board ferries at Dover. He added an investigation could only begin once the affected area had cooled down enough to enable the removal of the train.
Channel Tunnel passengers on 'nightmare' journey France's transport minister Dominique Bussereau told French radio station Europe-1 the cause appeared to be "something accidental".
Some of the stranded passengers said Eurostar had agreed to reimburse them for their stays overnight in London on Thursday. Exhausting conditions
A spokesman said anyone who had been unable to use the tickets because of the fire would be given as much help as possible with continuing their journey. The blaze broke out yesterday just before 1500 BST on a train carrying lorries from Folkestone to Calais.
Eurolines, which is part of National Express, said it had capacity to take Eurostar passengers to Paris and Brussels by coach, via cross-Channel ferry services. Thirty-two people, including seven Britons, were evacuated to the service tunnel and a train ferried them to France. More than 300 French and British firefighters tackled the blaze overnight and some 27 vehicles were affected.
Chief Fire Officer Bill Feeley, of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said a large crew had been needed because of the difficult and tiring conditions and would remain in place until the emergency services were satisfied the fire was completely extinguished.
A French police spokesman said the main seat of the fire was extinguished at 0700 BST after burning for more than 16 hours.
Travellers on the disruption they have faced
Firefighters then spent two hours smothering minor fires nearby, he said.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service has now said they were "scaling down" their efforts. Two fire engines were still at the scene with 12 firefighters and specialist crews, a spokeswoman said.
"The bi-national status of the operation was lifted at midday so it is now a French incident," she said.
"Eurotunnel has retaken control of the infrastructure and its technicians have started to carry out a physical inspection so operations can resume in the south tunnel."
John Keefe, a Eurotunnel spokesman, said much of the tunnel was unaffected by the blaze.
"Two thirds of the tunnel are still open," he said. "So we believe we should be able to get services back into operation very quickly."
Transport chaos
The closure has caused huge tailbacks on roads near the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone as dozens of lorries have been forced to park on the M20 and other surrounding roads.
Kent Police say sections of the motorway - between junctions eight and nine - are still being used to queue lorries as part of Operation Stack and are advising motorists to avoid the area.
Sections of the M20 remain closed
An estimated 2,000 lorries are delayed by between six to eight hours.
Superintendent Peter Wedlake said: "We anticipate there will be some congestion.
"People heading coastbound from Maidstone down towards Folkestone and Dover won't be able to use the M20."
Eurolines, which is part of National Express, says it has increased the number of coaches on its services to Paris and Brussels to help passengers stranded on both sides of the Channel Tunnel.
The Channel Tunnel has suffered several incidents since it opened to traffic in 1994 although only one - a fire in 1996 - caused serious injuries.The Channel Tunnel has suffered several incidents since it opened to traffic in 1994 although only one - a fire in 1996 - caused serious injuries.
In August 2006, 34 people had to be led to safety after a fire broke out on a lorry being carried on a freight train.In August 2006, 34 people had to be led to safety after a fire broke out on a lorry being carried on a freight train.
The fire caused £200m worth of damage burned for over five hours, wrecking the concrete lining and facilities over about half a mile of tunnel. The fire caused £200m worth of damage and burned for more than five hours, wrecking the concrete lining and facilities over about half a mile of tunnel.
Security exercises are staged in the Channel Tunnel by police, fire and ambulance services from both England and France to ensure preparedness for such incidents.Security exercises are staged in the Channel Tunnel by police, fire and ambulance services from both England and France to ensure preparedness for such incidents.
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