Repairs continue on Channel tunnel between France and England as cause of fire remains a mystery
December 16, 2008
Tunnel repairs costing $88 million in round the clock effort to reopen in February 2009
In France near Calais, workers toil 24/7 to repair the Channel Tunnel. The Tunnel was scorched by a raging inferno three months ago when a freight train travelling through the tunnel caught fire. All the passengers and crew escaped the disaster because of ingenious safety measures already in place, such as the system that blasts fresh air through the tunnel to clear smoke, and a parallel escape tunnel where people can run to safety. However, 21 of the train’s cars were completely destroyed, along with the damage to the tunnel. Traffic is not expected to return to normal before February, when the tunnel reopens after $88 million in repairs and safety improvements.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but investigators are forming theories. Some think the fire originated in the cargo travelling in one of the train’s cars. Foul play has not been ruled out but is not being pushed as a factor in this case, despite the date of the disaster: September 11.
While several investigations continue to look into the cause of the blaze, the lessons learned from it are not being lost. New practices are being put in place to help streamline the evacuation process should such an event happen in the future. Special attention is being paid to communication, which is expected to help with controlling passnegers’ panic. In the case of the September fire, panicking aopssngers broke the windows of the train with hammers, which let smoke into the car instead of waiting for the oxygen system to clear the tunnel’s air supply. An improved fire-extinguishing system is also under consideration.
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