In brief
A minibus transporting truck drivers collided with a stationary freight train at the Coquelles loading platform on the French side of the Channel Tunnel, injuring the driver and 18 passengers. Two people suffered severe injuries and were air‑lifted, but none were life‑threatened. The incident briefly halted freight and Eurostar traffic, but normal operations resumed after evacuations. Eurostar confirmed the crash did not affect its passenger services. Officials called it the first such accident on a Eurotunnel platform, and an investigation has been launched.
A minibus carrying truck drivers collided with a heavy freight train on the loading platform at Coquelles, the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel, on Thursday evening. The vehicle struck the stationary train at 19:27 BST, injuring the driver and 18 passengers. Two people were taken by helicopter to hospital; none were in life‑threatening condition.
Sub‑prefect Agathe Cury said the crash caused a brief pause in freight and Eurostar traffic but that all trains eventually resumed. An investigation into the cause has begun.
The minibus was en route to board Le Shuttle, Eurotunnel’s vehicle shuttle service, when it struck a departing freight train that had been loaded with heavy goods vehicles. The bus remained upright, and chaos was limited to the immediate platform area.
Eurostar issued a reassurance that passenger services were unaffected: “The incident occurred several kilometres away from the Channel Tunnel. All Eurostar trains will run as expected.”
Cury called the event “the first time an incident of this type has occurred on an Eurotunnel loading platform.” The crash involved a small, upright minibus and raised questions about platform safety procedures.
Emergency crews worked quickly to evacuate the injured and secure the site. A helicopter lifted the most seriously hurt individuals to the nearest medical centre. All transportation services were restored within half an hour.
The accident also sparked a review of safety protocols for vehicles and trains sharing the limited space of the loading platforms. Eurotunnel officials said they will investigate how a bus could collide with a still‑moving freight train.
Source: BBC News
