Limited passenger and freight train service through the undersea tunnel linking Britain and the Continent resumed Saturday after a roaring blaze left thousands of travelers stranded and delayed on both sides.
The closure threatens to disrupt services for several weeks and raises new questions about how such incidents could occur after previous fires in the tunnel, which is relied upon by truckers as well as tens of thousands of tourists and business people shuttling between London, Paris and Brussels each day.
Six people were taken to a hospital in Calais suffering from smoke inhalation. There were no reports of more serious injuries, but a truck driver talking to French media suggested that he and others had narrowly escaped.
The tunnel beneath the Channel consists of two tubes that ordinarily carry passenger trains and freight in opposite directions, and a third tube used for maintenance and evacuations. The fire broke out on a freight shuttle train traveling in the tube heading toward France. Eurostar said Saturday that it had begun running a limited service in the tube that was not affected by the fire.
Eurostar canceled all its trains in both directions Friday. Gareth Headon, a spokesman for Eurostar, said those customers could either seek refunds or reschedule their trips for other dates. On Saturday, Eurostar said there would be further alterations to the limited timetable, without being more specific.
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