After a nearly 22 hour fire, the Channel Tunnel that connects England and France is set to resume services Saturday morning.
The fire broke out about seven miles from the French entrance, on a train carrying trucks and passengers.‚ When the blaze was located, the 32 people on board were evacuated onto another passage in the tunnel, causing three other trains to be re-routed back to England.
After the fire broke, traffic in both directions was stopped leaving the thousands of people who use the tunnel on a regular basis, stranded.
Six people were hospitalized and are said to be in good condition.
When the fire was at its strongest, firemen could only spend 15 minutes at a time inside the tunnel fighting the blaze.‚ The fire itself damaged trucks and cars, as well as some signaling equipment.‚ No time frame has been set for repair, however it has been said that it would take quite long.
The tunnel’s closure affected many of those who make a living transporting goods between England and France, as well as those who make their living off the goods being transported.‚ Many workers started looking for alternate routes that will inevitably take much longer than the tunnel, which runs directly beneath the English Channel.
Twelve years ago a fire broke out in the very same tunnel, causing some damage but no injuries.‚ A truck aboard one of the shuttles caught fire before entering the tunnel and then spread once inside.
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