Fire Shuts Down Channel Tunnel

The Channel Tunnel connecting Britain and France was closed Thursday after a fire broke out in a truck loaded on a train.

Officials said rail service through the undersea link was not expected to resume until at noon Friday, The Daily Telegraph reported.

EuroStar, which operates the trains, estimated that 15,000 passengers were stranded by the closing. Those who could were advised to turn their tickets in for a refund.

“People are starting to freak out because it’s the 9/11 anniversary but it’s probably nothing,” said Camille Lamalle, a French citizen who lives in a London suburb. “It’s not too bad for me. I’m lucky but it’s going to be very bad for some people.”

The fire spread from the truck where it began in a bad brake to at least two vehicles. Rescue workers evacuated 32 people, many of them truck drivers.

Authorities said that the fire could have been much worse since a truck on the same shuttle was carrying carbolic acid. A 1996 fire closed the tunnel for weeks.

The tunnel has three passages, two used for normal train traffic and the third for emergencies and service.