France and Italy between the Frejus road tunnel on June 4 at a fire, causing two choked to death, many cars were burned. Tragic incident once again warned people of the tunnel in case of fire, very difficult to fight the blaze, easily result in serious losses. In this accident, the safety design of the tunnel again cause for concern.
Frejus tunnel in 1980 and put into use, is about 13 km through the Alps linking Italy and France, Mo Dana, the Palestinian multi-Nokia, followed respectively to Lyon, France and Turin, Italy. Each year about 2 million vehicles through all kinds of this tunnel.
In 1999, France, Italy, the Mont Blanc tunnel between the two countries had killed 39 people and a major fire. After the accident, near the Frejus tunnel safety facilities have been renovated, the installation of the warning lights and improved evacuation systems. The Mont Blanc accident and the previous incidents have many similarities, such as a car carrying flammable items on fire, the fire spread rapidly, but the incident to the loss of much smaller, can not but said that all types of safety equipment Played a certain role. However, the Frejus tunnel safety design, including the smoke extraction equipment, facilities and escape security checks, and so there are still insufficient.
Responsible for the accident investigation of the City Prosecutor in Turin, Italy on the 6th Guariniello said that according to preliminary information at his disposal, the Frejus tunnel when the fire broke out, the tunnel's ventilation and smoke extraction facilities there are problems. Tunnel fire smoke is the biggest characteristic of large, high temperature. Tunnel small space, in case of fire, smoke extraction of natural difficulties, smoke more, the heat produced by burning easily disseminated. Frejus tunnel fire was found when the six-lift "smoking trap" immediately launch, and the rate of 240 cubic meters per second from the tunnel of smoke, but this rate still lags behind the speed of smoke generated. Tunnel operators said Barry, general manager, did not expect that such a toxic smoke. It is this design flaw, leading to massive flooding of the entire tunnel of smoke, fire and the high temperature reached 10 degrees Celsius, near the lighting system will be destroyed, firefighters entered the tunnel to the evacuation and create difficulties. The fire took six hours were not completely under control.
In addition, the Frejus tunnel facilities established by the apparent lack of escape. According to firefighters on the scene, nearly 13 km long tunnel, but only 11 temporary shelters, some anti-smoke is not the hermetic-haven. Two drivers killed in the run for nearly one kilometer have not found refuge after the end of the tunnel fell on the road.
In this fire, the tunnel safety inspection facilities are not normally play a role. Crossing the Italian management of the view that the tunnel entrance to the thermal sensors can detect vehicles abnormal body temperature, thus the early detection of hidden causes of accidents, however the French tunnel entrance to the thermal sensors before the accident did not seem to play a role.
Since the fire destroyed some facilities inside the tunnel, Frejus road tunnel has been closed. According to Italian media reports, restoration work may take a few months. Tunnel closure caused huge economic losses, it was estimated that the Italian tunnel operating company will be a monthly loss of about 5 million euros.
Tunnel fire may not be careless, from the Mont Blanc Tunnel major fire broke out in 2000 to train Austria tunnel fire incidents, the European tunnels in recent years for a major fire disasters, and many major losses because of inadequate safety design. Frejus tunnel incident once again reminded the world of the tunnel management, improve tunnel safety design standards, improve safety facilities is imperative
