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Firefighters put out Channel Tunnel blaze, 14 injured

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LONDON, September 12 (RIA Novosti) - French and British firefighters put out a fire in the Channel Tunnel on Friday, that had broken out on a freight train the previous afternoon and left 14 people injured.

The blaze started on a train carrying trucks from France to Britain, around 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of Calais. Firefighting teams took turns throughout the night to battle the flames.

The fire is believed to have caused major damage to the northbound tunnel, with temperatures rising to 1,000 degrees C (1,832 Fahrenheit).

However, the head of the tunnel's operator, Eurotunnel, said the southbound tunnel was undamaged. CEO Jacques Gounon also said there was no evidence the fire was started deliberately.

Truck drivers travelling in the train said that after one of the 27 vehicles caught fire, a series of explosions followed as fuel tanks ignited. The drivers smashed windows to escape the train, and entered the service tunnel that links the two rail tunnels.

Six people were hospitalized in Calais after inhaling fumes, and another eight suffered minor injuries.

Eurotunnel said on its website that the tunnel will be closed to passengers at least until Saturday.

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