Tunnel blaze finally out but chaos continues

(AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

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.

Gerard Gavory, the sub-prefect of Calais, said: "We had 200 firemen involved in the operation from our side and maybe 100 from the English side."

The fire broke out yesterday afternoon on board a freight train, leaving six people slightly injured and forcing the tunnel's closure.

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.

"At the moment we do not expect to operate a service today," she said. "Travellers booked for today can refund or exchange their tickets."

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

The blaze broke out yesterday just before 3pm on a train carrying lorries from Folkestone to Calais.

Thirty-two people were evacuated, including seven British nationals. They were led to safety through a service tunnel and picked up by another train. All those injured were treated for smoke inhalation.

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.

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."

The train was in the northbound tunnel, seven miles (11km) from the French side when the blaze broke out.

There are three tunnels making up the cross channel link, two for trains and one for maintenance and evacuation. The south bound tunnel was not affected by the fire.

A spokeswoman for Eurotunnel said the blaze was detected "immediately" by security systems on the train and in the tunnel.

She said: "The fire service based close to the French portal was quickly able to take control of the situation and take the necessary action to get the fire under control.

"Thirty-two people who were on board were quickly evacuated into the Eurotunnel's Service Tunnel. Three other trains using the Tunnel at the time were immediately redirected back to England.

She said an inspection of the tunnel would happen "as soon as possible" once the fire was put out.