He was asked about the security measures that he ordered, or did not order, to be carried out. The tunnel diverts traffic that used to crawl through downtown. The lessons of the tragedy have guided tunnel design and engineering ever since, including recent American projects like the Port of Miami Tunnel and Seattles new S.R. The Fdration Internationale de Motocyclisme the worldwide governing body for motorcycle sport posthumously awarded him a specially cast solid gold medal for motorcycle merit. The ventilation system in the tunnel drove toxic smoke back down the tunnel faster than anyone could run to safety. Devouassoux was not riding a motorcycle that day. It would have been the story that led my obituary. Over the years, there have been a few occasions when complete strangers thanked me for writing, Searching for Spadino. That always made my day. And my curiosity finally got the better of me. a more efficient organisation of operational and emergency services (harmonised, safer and more efficient emergency procedures, specifically for cross-border operation). Some victims escaped to the fire . For what its worth, Im glad it fell to others to break the truth to bikers in Val dAosta. Many difficulties, including an avalanche that swept the Italian camp in which three workers were killed and more than 30 injured, were overcome during its construction, and, when the tunnel opened in 1965, it was the longest vehicular tunnel in the world. Further, well-structured and reliable information on tunnel incidents is of great importance as input data for quantitative risk assessment as well as to motivate improvements in safety systems and procedures. . Then on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, this year, I was commissioned to write a feature for The New York Times, looking back on the fire as the worlds most closely examined road disaster. The tunnel underwent major changes in the three years it remained closed after the fire. I started looking into it online. Mont Blanc Tunnel re -opens 3 years after tragic fire in Chamonix, France on March 09, 2002. Thats the one magazine every other motorcycle editor reads, and so several more ran it in translation. [11] On 24th March, 1999, a Volvo lorry travelling from France to Italy stopped and burst into flames midway through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Pierlucio Tinazzi was employed as a security guard to patrol the tunnel by motorcycle to ensure a steady flow of traffic. The Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy experienced a widely publicized fire disaster in March 1999, when a truck traveling through the 11,6 km long tunnel burst into flames 6 km into the structure. Twenty-seven people were asphyxiated in cars and trucks. Other vehicles traveling through the tunnel quickly became trapped and they also caught fire as firefighters were unable to reach the transport truck. In fact, hed been offered a job in the tunnel control room, but had declined because he preferred to ride. The tunnel, opened with great fanfare in 1965, is seven miles long. 39 people were killed. In most of these, human negligence is somehow involved. French highway network. Cycle Canada was the first magazine to print it, in 2003. Of course my readers are almost all English-speaking motorcyclists who would prefer to believe my original version, anyway. An honor guard filled the tiny cemetery where he was buried. This was not yet considered a fire emergency. The US magazine Rider ran an abridged version the next year. 99 Tunnel carries two stacked roadbeds, in an immense single-bore tunnel under downtown, running for nearly two miles. Other vehicles travelling through the tunnel became . The fire burned for 50 hours. Corrections? ICYMI:A reporter asked for 20 years of lottery winner data. It measures 11.6 kilometers (7.2miles) in length, two-thirds of which lies in France. Closed-circuit television cameras were installed every few metres in 1995. The interviews I conducted with his sister and a few close friends were heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. By. Gilbert Degrave, the driver of the truck, received a four-month suspended sentence. The tunnel is a single bore two-lane tunnel with the shape of a horseshoe with a 7m wide roadway and two 0.8 walkways on either side. By 11:11, more Italian firefighters had come to tackle the fire. In the aftermath, major changes were made to the tunnel to improve its safety. Around 11 a.m., a Volvo FH12 tractor-trailer, registered in Belgium, stopped to pay the toll. A year after the fire, thousands of bikers gathered at the Italian portal to commemorate him. The region needed a hero, and soon after the fire, the government of Italy honored Mr. Tinazzi with a gold medal for civilian bravery. I had seen so much to relate to in Spadino who was, like me, a biker and (at that point in my life) very lonely. The truck came through the tollbooth at 10:46 CET. The next morning, digging deeper, I uncovered a 97-page, minute-by-minute account of the fire, produced by, Le Service Rgional de Police Judiciaire de Lyon. It has cross-passages every 450 feet so that, in a fire, people can escape through the other tunnel. The magnitude of death and destruction reverberated widely. On the morning of 24 March 1999, 39 people died when a Belgian transport truck carrying flour and margarine, which had entered the French-side portal, caught fire in the tunnel. Moreover, this report presents updated statistical data on tunnel collisions (Chapter 3) and fires (Chapter 4) for many countries. The police deposed hundreds of witnesses and experts, studied all the security logs and video, and analyzed thousands of photos and other pieces of forensic evidence. The regional newspapers that reported on him in 1999 didnt have online editions; my story, posted a few years later, was the first on the web. 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. the legal notices related to the use of my personal data. Following a fire in 1999 in which 39 people died, which showed how lack of coordination could hamper the safety of the tunnel, all the operations are managed by a single entity: MBT-EEIG, controlled by both ATMB and SITMB together, through a 50-50 shares distribution. A group of French firefighters took refuge in one of the new safety zones but one of them died of a heart attack. For what its worth, Im glad it fell to others to break the truth to bikers in Val dAosta. Eight drivers, including the driver of the Belgian truck thought to have caused the accident, are known to have escaped before the fire reached its height. March 27, 1999 5:00am. They listened as a river of incandescent margarine ignited fuel tanks and burst the tires of abandoned vehicles. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Get up to 10% off using the Booking.com app, 50 off over 650 using this Expedia discount code, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected product with this eBay voucher code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK May 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this May, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. 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. [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. Tunnel du Mont-Blanc Traforo del Monte Bianco . Four years later, in 2003, I was living in France. Here all trucks are inspected well before the tunnel entrance. Halifax explosion, also called Halifax explosion of 1917 or the Great Halifax Explosion, devastating explosion on December 6, 1917, that occurred when a munitions ship blew up in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Compounding the emotional toll, a lengthy renovation closed the tunnel and hurt tourist traffic. Tunnel du Mont Blanc - Tempratures atteintes dans la chausse et comportement au feu de la chausse, Document Two decades ago, 39 people died inside the Mont Blanc Tunnel in a fire so horrific it changed safety standards forever. 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. The fire spread to other cargo vehicles nearby that also carried combustible loads. Finding any mistake in a published story is deflating. Extract of sample "Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire". The Italian company [that administered that end of the tunnel] also wanted an Italian hero, because they knew that as legal responsibility for the disaster was assigned, they were in opposition to the French company.. At 11:10 six Chamonix firefighters entered the tunnel, but were blocked at the garage 17, 2700 meters from the truck. A French engineer, Jean-Marc Berthier, led development of a unified safety protocol for the Franco-Italian venture, and served as the tunnels administrator for the next few years. Built in 1980, the Gotthard has had increased traffic since a 1999 fire forced the closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy. The Fire in the Mont-Blanc Tunnel on 24th March, 1999 The Mont Blanc tunnel was opened on 16th July, 1965. Mont Blanc Tunnel is a tunnel and road tunnel that was built from 1957 until 1965. A control room on the French side of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. 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 Mont Blanc Tunnel was originally managed by the two building companies. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. When it stopped halfway through the tunnel, it violently combusted. On that day, atmospheric conditions in the Alps created a fairly strong breeze in the tunnel. 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. 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. Chapter 3 "Lessons learned from recent fires". The last few drivers who made it into France said the motorcyclist had appeared to be trying to catch up to the burning truck. 40 deaths William Connell, a tunnel systems engineer, was working on the enormous tunnel project known as the Big Dig in Boston at the time of the fire. He was, unromantically, driving a Renault Express minivan. A Belgian lorry carrying margarine and flour skidded into the tunnel side. The data base used for the calculations are enclosed in Appendix 3 (collisions) and Appendix 4 (fires) respectively. . 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. 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. But I never really dug back into it. As part of my Times research, I spoke to Jean-Marc Berthier, the engineer who reopened the Mont Blanc Tunnel after extensive renovations and safety improvements. For each and every one, a non-profit association or event is established. The truth eventually caught up to the legend of a man who rushed in. 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. For the first time, I began to worry. Appendix 5 of the technical report 2016 R35 Experience with Significant Incidents in Road Tunnels provides a survey of 32 randomly selected real tunnel incidents, including a short description as well as important conclusions and improvements that could be identified for specific types of incidents or tunnel systems. We learned from Mont Blanc that people dont die from the fire they die from the fumes and smoke, Mr. Hodgkins said. People think of tunnels as a hole through the ground, he said, but thats not the case anymore. ChamonixCourmayeur11.68.6 Over the next 35 years of uneventful service, those superlatives were taken for granted. . But in recent weeks I have realized, with a creeping feeling of unease, that it was wrong. Many drivers near the blaze who attempted to leave their cars and seek refuge points were quickly overcome due to toxic components of the smoke, mainly hydrogen cyanide. 10-trip package: 163.30; Valid for 2 years in addition to the validation month. Their commanding officer died at a nearby hospital. A MANSLAUGHTER investigation has been launched by French authorities into the horrific blaze in the Mont Blanc tunnel in which 35 died. Emergency shelter No. A year after the fire, thousands of bikers gathered at the Italian portal to commemorate him. In March 1999 a two-day fire killed 39 people and caused extensive damage to the tunnel, forcing it to close. The larger trucks were stranded, as they did not have the space to turn around, and reversing out was not an option. Before Mont Blanc, tunnel engineers were divided on the benefit of sprinkler systems. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay, Learn how and when to remove this template message, French Land Transport Accident Investigation Bureau, "The Fire of 1999 - Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc", "Case Studies: Historical Fires: Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire, Italy/France", "Infrastructural Fires: Mont Blanc Tunnel, Italy", "Land transport accident investigation bureau (BEA-TT)", "Guilty Verdicts in Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire Trial", "Procs du Mont-Blanc: Grard Roncoli condamn en appel 6 mois de prison ferme", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mont_Blanc_Tunnel_fire&oldid=1150665494, Gilbert Degrave, the Belgian driver of the truck that caught fire in the tunnel, The French and Italian managers of the tunnel, A senior official of the French Ministry of Public Works. 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. Of course now, Im embarrassed that it took me 14 years to correct the record. Thirty-nine people were killed. Please join the Patreon to keep the channel. But interest in the story really took off in April 2006 when it appeared in the UK monthly. French police announced last night that as many as 40 trucks . It was more than five days before the tunnel cooled sufficiently to start repairs. Unfortunately, he failed to return from his final visit into the tunnel and himself became a victim of the tragic inferno. Three companies were fined up to US$180,000 each. Both French and Italian firefighters criticised the ventilation system, unchanged since the tunnel was built and attacked in an official report last year. [1] The event expanded into a catastrophe which cost the lives of 39 people. It was a week before the tunnel cooled enough for forensic investigators to recover bodies. The refuge had a fire door rated to a four-hour standard. Searching for Spadino wrong, but lacking real evidence. We shall answer you as soon as possible. The driver escaped unhurt; the deluge system kept the fire under control until a Miami-Dade fire crew arrived. The safe havens were designed to protect motorists from a fire for only two hours. Le tunnel des Tauern a t ouvert en 1975, celui du St. Gothard en 1980. an Italian security guard who perished while rescuing survivors of the 1999 Mont Blanc tunnel fire. While the legend of the biker was exaggerated, the horror of the fire there 20 years ago and its impact on tunnel safety cannot be overstated.CreditSamuel Zeller for The New York Times. 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. Their bodies were found several hundred metres from the site of the crash, just beyond the halfway point between the French and Italian tunnel mouths. I was not alone in making Spadino a hero. The lessons learnt are summarised in Table 3.5 of this report. Having died trying to save another man, Tinazzi was lauded as a hero, buried with honors, and posthumously awarded Italy's Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Civile. The Mont Blanc Tunnel opened to traffic in 1965. I fell asleep that night increasingly certain that I had gotten. In the aftermath, major changes were made to the tunnel to improve its safety. Not your archetypal biker. The heat was so intense and the fumes so thick that the first group of Italian firefighters who tried to approach the inferno were forced to retreat through the ventilation shafts. [1] [2] The truck came through the tollbooth at 10:46 CET. In the tunnel, the margarine had melted and then turned into a highly flammable vapor. The Italian side of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. [5] This was preceded by the signing of a national charter for the tunnel construction, ratified by the parliaments of France (1957) and Italy (1954). 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 less than two hours, the tunnel was reopened to traffic. At the time of its construction, it was three times longer than any existing highway tunnel.[2]. In 2003, with what felt like an angel on my shoulder, I wrote a story that became a myth.
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