Pollution incident causes brief shutdown of Alpine tunnel

LYON, France (AFP) Sep 26, 2003
The Mont Blanc road tunnel that links France and Italy under the Alps was closed for two hours due to a pollution incident that affected firefighters on duty inside the structure, local officials said on the French side of the tunnel.

Three firefighters posted in the middle of the tunnel under safety measures brought in after a disastrous fire in 1999 were evacuated after carbon dioxide fumes seeped into their duty premises late on Thursday, police and fire services said.

Their condition was not serious, although they were hospitalized, they added.

Officials said the incident did not appear to have been caused by traffic in the tunnel, and experts were investigating.

The tunnel was closed between 9:30 and 10:30 pm (1930 and 2030 GMT), causing major traffic tailbacks.

On March 24, 1999, a fire caused by a truck in the tunnel killed 39 people.

Under safety measures brought in because of the disaster, teams of firefighters are permanently posted both at each end of the 12-kilometre (seven-mile) structure, and in the middle.

TERRA.WIRE