TUNNEL FIRE MAY HAVE KILLED 40; DAMAGE EXTENT STILL UNKNOWN

A March 24, 1999, blaze in the 11.6-km Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy killed at least 40 people. Thus far, the French Ministry of Transport has been unable to gauge damage to the granite tunnel lined with 30-cm-thick concrete caused by fire that started in a flour and margarine-filled truck. One concern likely to be probed is traffic density in the 33-year-old single-bore, two-lane, horseshoe-shaped tunnel. The link was designed for 350,000 vehicles per year, but now carries 2 million--half of them trucks. The fire has generated questions about tunnel ventilation and safety.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08919526
• Corporate Authors:

  McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

  330 West 42nd Street
  New York, NY  United States  10036
• Publication Date: 1999-4-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 26
• Serial:
  • ENR
  • Volume: 242
  • Issue Number: 13
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0891-9526

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash investigation; Crashes; Fatalities; Fires; Safety; Truck crashes; Tunnels; Vehicular tunnels; Ventilation systems
• Identifier Terms: Mont Blanc Tunnel
• Geographic Terms: France; Italy
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I25: Design of Tunnels; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00763580
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 19 1999 12:00AM