Fire in Frejus tunnel, what will be the impact on the Chamonix Valley ?
A fire has occurred in the Fréjus tunnel running under the Alps, approximately 100 miles south of Mont Blanc tunnel, where a similar incident occurred six years ago killing 39 people.
The incident occurred late Saturday evening when the engine of a truck carrying tyres, burst into flames in the 13km (8 mile) long tunnel. Fire fighters from Fréjus took up to seven hours to extinguish the blaze as they dealt with searing temperatures of up to 600 degree Celsius (1100 degrees Fahrenheit). The Fréjus Tunnel which connects France (Lyon) and Italy (Turin), carries up to two million vehicles annually, will now be closed until structural engineers have confirmed there is no risk of the walls or ceiling collapsing as a result of the intense heat.
Survivors told Italian newspapers on Sunday the fire in one truck quickly spread down the tunnel, engulfing as many as four other lorries and several cars. Andrea Fabi, a senior police official on the Italian side of the tunnel confirmed that there were two victims, both men, from Slovakia and Slovenia.
For the residents of the Chamonix valley, the nightmare of 1999 begins again. The Association for the Respect of the Mont Blanc Site (ARSMB), have campaigned tirelessly since the early 1990s to educate people about the ecological impact these international heavy goods vehicles have on the valley. In commenting on this latest incident, the ARSMB have said that the return of heavy traffic to the Chamonix valley could be an "ecological catastrophe". The ARSMB encourage haulage companies to instead use rail transportation for the transport of merchandise. Their website reports that critical levels of pollution had already been reached in the valley before this incident occurred. The foreseeable increase in traffic through the Mont Blanc valley will have devastating effects on the beautiful and unique surrounding environment.
(Source : Reuters)
