ICYMI:Newspaper upgrades CEOs housing stipend to $35K a month amid buyouts. There were 29 deaths of people trapped inside of vehicles, and nine more died trying to escape on foot. [Read the original Times coverage of the 1999 fire at the Mont Blanc Tunnel.]. He closed the fire door and waited. But interest in the story really took off in April 2006 when it appeared in the UK monthly. The following week, something new and bad is on again and the wheel restarts its circle. When it was realized that the cubicles were offering little protection from the smoke, they began searching for the doors that led to the ventilation duct. Melted wiring had eliminated any possible light sources in the tunnel; in the smoke and with abandoned and wrecked vehicles blocking their path, both fire engines were unable to proceed, and were blocked at garage 17, 1200 metres from the burning truck. The Mont Blanc Tunnel opened to traffic in 1965. Of course now, Im embarrassed that it took me 14 years to correct the record. All the deceased were on the French side, and were ultimately reduced to bones and ash by the intense heat. The association writes standards, not laws; its up to the local authorities to adopt them. I got caught on the phrase entered the smoke-filled tunnel from the Italian side, because I knew Tinazzi wasnt on the Italian side. The judicial inquiry is expected to concentrate on the safety standards of the 34-year- old single-bore tunnel - especially the absence of an escape tunnel and the adequacy of the ventilation system. The last people to safely escape the tunnel in the direction of France told the investigators they thought he was trying to catch up to the burning truck. On 24 March 1999, a transport truck caught fire while driving through the Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy. Do not hesitate to send us your comments, questions and suggestions. That tunnel blaze killed 39 people. We have recently seen the 18th anniversary of one of the most serious road tunnel incidents in Europe, when on 24 March 1999, in the Mont Blanc tunnel, a vehicle carrying flour and margarine was involved in a deadly fire which claimed so many lives. It held that title. Northeast of Mont Blanc's summit, the tunnel is about 15km (10mi) southwest of the tripoint with Switzerland, near Mont Dolent. what is a normal blood pressure during sleep; kim kyle richards palm desert house; who uses communication boards; what happens if you snitch on the cartel. In 2016, we had Jean-Marc perform a safety review of the Port of Miami Tunnel, Mr. Hodgkins recalls. Pierlucio had turned down a promotion to. Mont Blanc Tunnel Tolls on the Italian side from 1 January 2022 (22% VAT included), Mont Blanc Tunnel Tolls on the French side from 1 January 2022 (20% VAT included), Agreement between France and Italy and start of construction by 1959, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "World's longest auto tunnel to pierce the Alps", "A French-Italian Operator - Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc", "Our work on the Mont Blanc Tunnel - ATMB", "The Fire of 1999 - Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc", "The security features of the Mont Blanc Tunnel | DW | 17 July 2015", "A5 Mont Blanc-Aosta Motorway - Courmayeur- Morgex Section Lot No 2 - Salini Impregilo", "Mont Blanc Tunnel Toll Prices - Get from France to Italy", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mont_Blanc_Tunnel&oldid=1149625412, Workforce: five engineers and 350 workmen worked an estimated grand total of 4.6 million man-hours to complete the project, Explosives: 711 tonnes (700 long tons; 784 short tons) of explosives were used to blast 555,000m, Other facts: 771,240 bolts, 6,900 drill rods, and 300 tonnes (300 long tons; 330 short tons) of iron were used to support the, This page was last edited on 13 April 2023, at 11:48. In 1997, a fire detection system was installed along with centralized safety equipment management, and new variable message signs. Omissions? The blaze was traumatic for the close-knit Alpine communities of the French Haute-Savoie region and Val dAosta in Italy. The original fire doors on the cubicles were rated to survive for two hours. Most drivers rolled up their windows and waited for rescue. In the aftermath, major changes were made to the tunnel to improve its safety. But interest in the story really took off in April 2006 when it appeared in the UK monthly Bike. Except for his uniform and motorcycle, he was entirely inconspicuous. Local motorcyclists still gather once a year, meeting on the Italian side, to pay tribute to the biker known as Spadino. Unfortunately, he failed to return from his final visit into the tunnel and himself became a victim of the tragic inferno. [5] In 1908, a first design was presented by French engineer Arnold Monod, to much interest from Italian and French politicians. 28/04/2023 07:47 Traffic will be totally stopped from 02/05/2023 19:30 to 03/05/2023 06:00 due to extraordinary maintenance works. The tunnel, opened with great fanfare in 1965, is seven miles long. All of them survived but their commanding officer, who died in a hospital. Abstract and Figures. But he never reached it; he stopped when the smoke became too thick. was the first magazine to print it, in 2003. When built, it was the world's longest road tunnel, linking the French and Italian highway systems and shortening truck routes between. When I pressed him, he fell silent for a moment before saying, My advice is, dont become preoccupied with some accounting of lives saved versus lives lost.. The Mont Blanc Tunnel is not like any other road tunnel: at 11.6 kilometers long, it was the world's longest road tunnel when it opened for traffic on July 19, 1965. Refuges equipped with telephones, and capable of sheltering up to 40 people were excavated every 600 metres in 1991. Within the tunnel, a minimum speed of 50km/h and a maximum speed of 70km/h applies, while the prescribed distance between vehicles is 150 m; trucks are allowed to enter in groups of five. But the one thing everyone agreed on was that Spadino loved motorcycles. Devouassoux was not riding a motorcycle that day. I should have questioned how Tinazzi managed to operate in the French zone, when fully kitted firemen could not. THE 2001 GOTTHARD ROAD TUNNEL FIRE With its single tube of 17 km in length, roughly 7 million vehicles per year and an average of 4,000 trucks each working day, the Gotthard road tunnel is undoubtedly overstressed. Broadcast on March 20 at 11:15 p.m. on France 3. The Mont Blanc Tunnel finally reopened in 2002. 40 deaths A Belgian lorry carrying margarine and flour skidded into the tunnel side. The Mont Blanc Tunnel was originally managed by the two building companies. The fire trapped around 40 vehicles in dense and poisonous smoke containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. 99 Tunnel. Witnesses reported that the fire had very quickly become too intense to drive past. In the chaos just after the blaze, local French and Italian newspapers reported that the biker had raced in and out of the burning tunnel, saving as many as 10 people before dying in one last rescue attempt. The region needed a hero, and soon after the fire, the government of Italy honored Mr. Tinazzi with a gold medal for civilian bravery. After analyzing the records, he noticed something unusual. The passageway is not horizontal, but in a slightly inverted "V", which assists ventilation. In 2003, with what felt like an angel on my shoulder, I wrote a story that became a myth. The memorial on the French side honoring the 39 people who died in the tunnel blaze. I tell people, This is like a building for cars.. He was, unromantically, driving a Renault Express minivan. At least 35 people died in the 1,800-degree inferno that erupted in the Mont Blanc tunnel linking France and Italy . The tunnel is notable for its solution of a difficult ventilation problem and for being the first large rock tunnel to be excavated full-facei.e., with the entire diameter of the tunnel bore drilled and blasted. Around 11 a.m., a Volvo FH12 tractor-trailer, registered in Belgium, stopped to pay the toll. (It changed tunnel engineering and safety standards around the world, and is still top of mind for civil engineers working on huge tunnel infrastructure projects like the recently opened SR 99 tunnel in Seattle.). 10-trip package: 163.30; Valid for 2 years in addition to the validation month. A detailed description of the Mont Blanc, Tauern and St. Gotthard fires including the original configuration of the tunnels, and a step-by-step guide to the incident, fire progression, and the behaviour of operators, emergency services and users, as well as the lessons to be drawn can be foundinthe technical report 05.16B Systems and equipment for fire and smoke control in road tunnels. a more efficient organisation of operational and emergency services (harmonised, safer and more efficient emergency procedures, specifically for cross-border operation). The Italian company responsible for operating the tunnel, SITMB, paid 13.5 million ($17.5 million US) to a fund for the families of the victims. Save almost 80%: 10.65 instead of 48.80 one way. This can be achieved by the provision of safe design criteria for new tunnels, as well as effective management and possible upgrading of in-service tunnels, and through improved information and better communications with tunnel users. Part of his job involved riding back and forth through the tunnel on his motorcycle to keep traffic flowing, dispatching tow trucks and providing motorist assistance as needed. Earlier reports also present a statistical census of breakdowns, collisions and fires in selected tunnels, as well as the lessons to be drawn from such events for the geometric design of the tunnel, the design of the safety equipment and the operating guidelines: Send a review,a comment or a suggestionto the manual authors! The tunnel consists of a single gallery with a two-lane dual direction road. but more importantly the blaze made operators and designers of other tunnels re-examine fire risks. He was just a quiet man who had tried to do the right thing in the face of an inferno. The middle of the tunnel today looking toward Italy. Save almost 70%: 15.21 instead of 48.80 one way. Initially, there was a lot of conjecture, and uneasiness, about how a fire of that size could become so deadly and produce so much damage, Mr. Connell said. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Mr. Connell served as chairman of the associations technical committee on tunnel safety from 2005 until 2015. He tells me, That legend had been woven by the Italian media before anyone knew exactly what had really happened. Only five United States road tunnels had been equipped with sprinklers. [1] However, in 2019, a writer researching the story found the full description of the events in French police reports: A motorcycle security guard, Patrick Devouassoux, who survived the fire, did indeed save several people while driving a Renault Express minivan. A sprawling courtroom drama which will apportion blame for the 39 deaths in the Mont Blanc tunnel fire in March 1999, began yesterday in a converted theatre in the Alps. The Mont-Blanc Tunnel, promoter of safety at international level Mont Blanc and its valleys Territory and open air A cultural crossroads Partnerships History Unitary tunnel management Corporate structure Women and men Important projects and works Details (suppliers, calls for bids, tenders and contracts) Traffic statistics Financial data News By then tales of Tinazzis bravery had already spread far and wide. Anyone can read what you share. Le tunnel des Tauern a t ouvert en 1975, celui du St. Gothard en 1980. To this day, no one can say with certainty why the rig caught fire. [1] Tinazzi was in radio contact with the Italian side for over an hour before succumbing to the intense heat, which caused his motorcycle to melt into the pavement. I contacted Paolo Sormani, an experienced Italian motorcycle writer, and asked him to help with that accounting. Paolo wrote back, rather brusquely I thought, saying that he had no interest in reopening the Spadino story. Some had been upgraded in the thirty-four years since construction of the Mont Blanc Tunnel to survive for four hours. I went to the tunnel control center, and to the local Carabinieri post, where I spoke to managers and cops who must have known that the accounts published in 1999 were exaggerated. This had forced Italian firefighters to retreat, and they rescued 12 people from Italian side. But all the witnesses and officials were under gag orders, and records including security video and recordings of radio traffic were sealed due to ongoing criminal and civil investigations. When built, it was the worlds longest road tunnel, linking the French and Italian highway systems and shortening truck routes between Italys industrial north and other parts of Europe. Some of the cars from the French side managed to turn around in the narrow two-lane tunnel to retreat back to France, but navigating the road in the dense smoke that had rapidly filled the tunnel quickly made this impossible. Both French and Italian firefighters criticised the ventilation system, unchanged since the tunnel was built and attacked in an official report last year. It includes heat detectors that can locate a fire to within 10 feet, and, as in Miami, a deluge system can dump several tropical rainstorms worth of water into a fire zone, while leaving the rest of the tunnel dry. I suppose I would sympathize with a local reporter who on deadline, in the chaos of those first days conflated events from both ends of the tunnel. This was not yet considered a fire emergency. Mont Blanc looming over Lake Leman, in the Swiss Alps. That same year, the STMB (Socit du tunnel du Mont Blanc) was formed, which became ATMB (Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc) in 1996. After the Mont Blanc report highlighted the French and Italian operators lack of preparedness, the committee made formal emergency response plans and regular training exercises part of the standard. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. 99 Tunnel carries two stacked roadbeds, in an immense single-bore tunnel under downtown, running for nearly two miles. Shortly before 9:00 am . Moments later, the fire melted the wiring for the lights, plunging the tunnel into darkness. Hence a systematic analysis of less severe, but more frequent incidents (collisions and fires) may provide a more representative picutre of real tunnel incidents. Introduction. This is exactly what happened almost at the mid- point of the tunnel - underneath western Europe's highest mountain, three and a half miles from the open air - on Wednesday morning. Mont Blanc Tunnel traffic. On March 24, 1999, the fire began close to the center of the 7.2-mile tunnel. The seven-mile-long bore, linking France and Italy, carries up to 4,000 trucks a day, many times the level of traffic for which it was designed in the early 1960s. It had been open nearly 35 years without a single fatal incident until the morning of March 24, 1999. He was Italian, but as it happened, he entered the tunnel from the French side. It fulfilled a 150-year-old dream and is of great economic importance, providing a significantly shortened year-round automotive route between the two countries. The ventilation system in the tunnel drove toxic smoke back down the tunnel faster than anyone could run to safety. Temperatures soared to 1,000C. Table 2.1 "Serious fires accidents in road tunnels, Chapter 3 "Lessons learned from recent fires", Routes/Roads 324 "A comparative analysis of the Mont-Blanc, Tauern and Gotthard tunnel fires". Its not clear whether he suspected trouble or thought he was making a routine trip back to the Italian portal. Four years later, in 2003, I was living in France. The US magazine Rider ran an abridged version the next year. Some victims escaped to the fire . They saved several people, ferrying them out to the Italian portal. The Italian side of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. At 10:54, one of the drivers called from refuge 22 to raise the alarm. One account reported it to be a cigarette stub carelessly thrown at the truck, which supposedly entered the engine induction snorkel above the cabin, setting the paper air filter on fire. In the tunnel, the margarine had melted and then turned into a highly flammable vapor. When the Mont Blanc tunnel was built in 1965, the transalpine crossing was considered . At each 300 m, there are rest areas for vehicles with 3.15m width by 30m long located on the alternative side of the roadways . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The devastating fire led many countries to issue revised safety standards for tunnel design and engineering, including sprinkler systems, emergency response plans, and two-way ventilation systems that can quickly withdraw suffocating smoke. An honor guard filled the tiny cemetery where he was buried. Spadino might have seen something, or heard something from one of the drivers exiting the tunnel, that made him suspect that a truck was in trouble. [7], The tunnel underwent extensive modernisation works in 1990, including the addition of safety features such new video surveillance cameras, 8 pressurized emergency shelters, a sprinkler system and other safety maintenance. The data base used for the calculations are enclosed in Appendix 3 (collisions) and Appendix 4 (fires) respectively. Seven other people, including the tunnel's Italian security chief, received suspended terms and fines. [7] The closest smoke detector was out of order, and French emergency services did not use the same radio frequency as those inside the tunnel. Moreover, this report presents updated statistical data on tunnel collisions (Chapter 3) and fires (Chapter 4) for many countries. Their trucks stuck now, the firefighters retreated into two refuges. an Italian security guard who perished while rescuing survivors of the 1999 Mont Blanc tunnel fire. The Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror Fascinating Horror 1.02M subscribers Subscribe 511K views 7 months ago #Documentary #TrueStories #History "On the 24th. [6], Three years later the tunnel was inaugurated by the French president, Charles de Gaulle, and the Italian President, Giuseppe Saragat on 16 July 1965. An investigation found no evidence of a design fault with the truck. These catastrophes demonstrated the need for improving preparation for, as well as preventing and mitigating, tunnel incidents. Italian highway network. . It so shocked civil engineers who specialize in tunnel construction that many remember where they were when they learned the news. Published Nov 24, 2019. French police announced last night that as many as 40 trucks and cars may have been engulfed by the fire, making it probably the worst road tunnel accident in history. We have 44 jet fans that can operate in either direction, so we can suck air away from the fire, so toxins dont affect people in the tunnel.. Tinazzi was lauded as a hero for his actions on that day. . It is 11.7 km (7.3 miles) long and crosses under the highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc. Some lessons learned can be given as examples, such as: However, it is not possible to give generally applicable recommendations on the basis of these findings because these may be different in dependence of the specific conditions of an individual country and an individual tunnel. Searching for Spadino wrong, but lacking real evidence. The tunnel, opened with great fanfare in 1965, is seven miles long. Unlike long- distance road and rail tunnels built more recently, it has just one bore and two lanes, one each for northbound and southbound traffic. Pierlucio Tinazzi was employed as a security guard to patrol the tunnel by motorcycle to ensure a steady flow of traffic. Members of a direct response crew in the firefighter hangar on the French side. It was some time before investigators released a final, accurate account of the disaster at the Mont Blanc Tunnel: The biker, who was known by his nickname, Spadino, an Italian riff on his skinny frame, had not saved anyone. Its citation, like those early newspaper reports, credited Mr. Tinazzi with saving several people, even though the legend of the biker-hero had been woven by the Italian media before anyone knew exactly what had really happened, said Antoine Chandellier, a French journalist who has reported on the region for decades.
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