Minibus hits stationary train

A minibus carrying truck drivers veered off course and struck a stationary shuttle freight train at Eurotunnel's loading platform in Coquelles near Calais at nineteen twenty-seven on Thursday.

Nineteen people injured

Two people, including the bus driver, were hospitalised with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Seventeen others sustained minor injuries. All injured were aboard the bus.

Emergency response mobilised

Around two hundred emergency responders and other personnel rushed to the scene. Vehicle shuttle service through the tunnel was suspended for ninety minutes before gradually resuming by late evening.

Other services unaffected

Eurostar passenger trains and freight services were unaffected by the collision. The last two Eurostar trains of the day between Paris and London were cancelled due to engineering works, not the crash.

Victims from multiple countries

The injured victims were of various nationalities. Local sub-prefect Agathe Cury said relevant consulates have been notified, without specifying which countries they were from.

Cause remains unknown

Sub-prefect Agathe Cury said the reason for the collision currently remains unknown. The bus did not overturn but remained upright after the impact.

“For a reason that currently remains unknown, the minibus collided with the departing train.”

Investigation launched

An investigation was under way into the incident. Sub-prefect Cury said the shock and collision caused injuries to those involved.

“The shock and the collision caused injuries to the people involved.”

First incident of its type

Sub-prefect Agathe Cury said it was the first time an incident of this type has occurred on a Eurotunnel loading platform.

“The first time an incident of this type has occurred”

About the Channel Tunnel

The fifty kilometre Channel Tunnel is the longest infrastructure of its kind in the world. It has linked Coquelles in northern France and Folkestone in England since nineteen ninety-four.

Tunnel traffic volume

Operated by Getlink, the tunnel is used by several hundred trains every day. Last year it carried three point four million vehicles, along with millions of Eurostar passengers.