Yverdon-Payerne tunnel to remain closed for weeks
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A Thursday morning fire under a bus with 40 passengers, in a tunnel on the A1 autoroute near Payerne, ended with only damage to the bus and Arrissoules tunnel, but the highway remains closed in both directions.
The Jura side of the road will probably be opened later this afternoon, say canton Vaud police.
The apparent cause of the fire was a technical problem according to police, but the vehicle has been taken in to be checked further.
The tunnel on the Alps side of the road will be closed for several weeks to allow repairs to be carried out. Traffic in both directions will resume, but using only the Jura side of the tunnel.
The passengers were able to leave the vehicle safely after the chauffeur pulled over at 07:40 Thursday morning. They left the tunnel through a cross-section safety escape, with four people treated for asthma and exertion at the scene.
The 3km tunnel opened in 2001.