Mont Blanc Tunnel
Introduction
The Mont Blanc tunnel is a tunnel in the Alps, which connects France with Italy by road, under Mont Blanc.
The two most famous cities near the tunnel are Chamonix (Haute Savoie, France) and Courmayeur (Aosta Valley, Italy). Started in 1957 and completed in 1965, the 11.6 km long and 8.6 m wide tunnel runs under the mountain between these two cities. It is one of the main transalpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which uses it to transport up to a third of its goods to northern Europe.
1999 tragedy
On March 24, 1999, a Belgian truck caught fire in the tunnel caused one of the largest automobile tragedies in Europe. The fire spread very quickly inside the tunnel and burned all the fuel in its path. A huge fire broke out that lasted 53 hours. 39 people died,[1] the vast majority charred in their cars, others trying to escape on foot.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Mont Blanc Tunnel.
• - official website.
• - Video with the complete tour of the tunnel by car, in winter, from the Italian side to the French side.
References
- [1] ↑ El País (24 de marzo de 2001). «El incendio del túnel del Montblanc que causó 39 muertos empezó por una colilla encendida». Consultado el 22 de diciembre de 2015.: http://elpais.com/diario/2001/03/24/internacional/985388417_850215.html