Channel Tunnel closed after lorry fire

The Channel Tunnel operator evacuated a shuttle train and closed the subsea crossing on Saturday due to a lorry fire, British police said, adding that there were no reported injuries.

Kent Police said there were no trains in the tunnels and French authorities were dealing with the incident that occurred at the Calais end.

“Rail passengers are advised to expect significant delays whilst the vehicle is being recovered and fumes are cleared from the tunnels,” the police said in an emailed statement.

Eurotunnel, the operator of the crossing, had earlier on Saturday suspended services because of smoke which it said was detected from an unknown source.

It evacuated a Calais-Dover shuttle train without incident due to the smoke.

Eurostar, which operates train services through the tunnel between Paris, London and Brussels, said on Twitter that no trains would be running on Saturday following the closure and that all trains en route would return to their original stations.

It advised passengers to postpone journeys and not come to stations.

France has been on high alert since Islamist militants killed 17 people in three days of violence in Paris that began on Jan. 7 with an attack on the offices of a satirical newspaper.