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Bus Hits Train In Channel Tunnel, Injuring 19 In France

By Marlo Higgins
Bus hits train stopped on French side of Channel Tunnel, with 19 injured.

A bus carrying lorry drivers has collided with a stationary freight train near the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel.

Injuring 19 people, including the driver, French authorities say.

The crash happened at 19:27 on Thursday at a loading platform in Coquelles, near Calais.

As the workers prepared to board Le Shuttle for a cross-Channel journey.

The bus driver and one passenger suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to hospital.

Officials said none of the injuries was life-threatening.

But how did the collision happen? Local sub-prefect Agathe Cury said the minibus struck a departing train for reasons that remain unknown.

The vehicle stayed upright, although the impact injured people on board.

Emergency teams briefly stopped operations to evacuate the injured, but freight services and Eurostar passenger trains were not significantly disrupted.

Investigation Under Way

Eurostar confirmed the incident would not affect its services to or from London, with trains expected to run as scheduled.

The minibus was transporting male workers of different nationalities.

Authorities have not confirmed whether any British nationals were among those injured.

Cury described it as the first incident of its kind on a Eurotunnel loading platform.

An investigation is now under way to establish what went wrong.

The Channel Tunnel carries passengers, vehicles and freight between Britain and France.

While services continued after the brief interruption, investigators must now determine how a routine transfer operation ended in a collision.

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