Channel tunnel partly reopens after smoke alert

Channel tunnel partly reopens after smoke alert
Sat May 15, 2010 3:17pm IST

PARIS (Reuters) - The Eurostar rail service was hit by severe delays on Saturday after a fire alert briefly forced the closure of the two tunnels that connect Britain and continental Europe, the company said.

The alarm was raised when smoke was seen as a train shuttle carrying lorries travelled through the south tunnel early on Saturday morning.

Both passenger and freight services were immediately suspended, but tunnel operator Eurotunnel swiftly gave the green light for the north tunnel to reopen while carrying out further checks in the south tunnel.

"There was an issue on a freight shuttle, a problem with the shuttle. Our services have now resumed albeit with significant delays," a spokesman for Eurostar in Britain said.

A Eurotunnel spokeswoman said the lorry shuttle was still blocked in the tunnel but some 30 drivers had been safely evacuated.

"There was some light smoke. We hope that we can shortly remove this shuttle and resume service in the south tunnel," she said.