After a long chat over Skype on technical topics, I asked whether he could confirm Tinazzis actions. The Mont Blanc Tunnel | SeeChamonix.com Extract of sample "Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire". However, most studies of fire toxicity have been regarding lethality, for . It was immediately obvious, as I began to read, that Spadino couldnt have saved anyone. Over the years, there have been a few occasions when complete strangers thanked me for writing. On 24 March 1999, a transport truck caught fire while driving through the Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy. 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. A year after the fire, thousands of bikers gathered at the Italian portal to commemorate him. like barriers for tunnel closure), problems of communication between the different stakeholders involved, which may be caused by various reasons, are a key issue in incident management, the systematic evaluation of individual incidents often contributes to the optimisation of emergency response procedures and cooperation and training of all organisations involved in incident management. 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. Other motorists were overcome by fumes as they tried to run to safety. But Id taken pride in this story for so long. 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. Local motorcyclists still gather once a year, meeting on the Italian side, to pay tribute to the biker known as Spadino. This motorcycle, scooter or moped-related article is a stub. + Follow. In the days after the fire, regional newspapers credited Tinazzi with rescuing ten people. Tunnel du Mont-Blanc Traforo del Monte Bianco . 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. The agreement between France and Italy on building a tunnel was signed in 1949. The memorial on the French side honoring the 39 people who died in the tunnel blaze. The blaze was traumatic for the close-knit Alpine communities of the French Haute-Savoie region and Val dAosta in Italy. 35 die in `world's worst tunnel fire' - The Independent Its citation, like those early newspaper reports, credited Mr. Tinazzi with saving several people, even though the legend of the biker-hero had been woven by the Italian media before anyone knew exactly what had really happened, said Antoine Chandellier, a French journalist who has reported on the region for decades. 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. There were no casualties. 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. 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. 120 Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 120 MONT BLANC TUNNEL FIRE Premium High Res Photos Browse 120 MONT BLANC TUNNEL FIRE photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. Opening ceremony at Chamonix, France, of the seven mile tunnel under Mont Blanc on July 16, 1965 . He was Italian, but as it happened, he entered the tunnel from the French side. YouTube isn't a fan of videos regarding "graphic" content. The Italians were assisted by a French motorcycle security guard named Patrick Devouassoux, who happened to be on the Italian side when the fire broke out. [9], This led to a three-year tunnel closure until 9 March 2002. BBC NEWS | Europe | Tunnel fire trial opens in France Over the years, there have been a few occasions when complete strangers thanked me for writing, Searching for Spadino. That always made my day. 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. 40 deaths A cargo truck carrying flour and margarine caught fire while passing through the tunnel and when the driver stopped . Similar information is given in Routes/Roads 324 "A comparative analysis of the Mont-Blanc, Tauern and Gotthard tunnel fires" (Oct. 2004) onp 24. by red crosses) or closing of the tunnel (by traffic lights), are often neglected if not enforced by additional means (eg. [7], The tunnel underwent extensive modernisation works in 1990, including the addition of safety features such new video surveillance cameras, 8 pressurized emergency shelters, a sprinkler system and other safety maintenance. In 2011, there were an average of 5,113 vehicles per day (about 1.87 million vehicles per year). . The likelihood of escalation of incidents into major events is low, however the consequences of such incidents can be severe in terms of victims, damage to the structure and impact on the transport economy. Since then, Mr. Berthier has become a global evangelist for tunnel fire safety. The sentence was upheld on appeal. [4] Renovations include computerized detection equipment, extra security bays, a parallel escape shaft and a fire station in the middle of the tunnel complete with double-cabbed fire trucks. Mont Blanc Tunnel, major Alpine automotive tunnel connecting France and Italy. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. March 20, 2023 by archyde. The lessons learnt are summarised in Table 3.5 of this report. I traveled to Val dAosta on my own dime to write a story that I eventually came to call Searching for Spadino.. For what its worth, Im glad it fell to others to break the truth to bikers in Val dAosta. 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.. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. When the Mont Blanc tunnel was built in 1965, the transalpine crossing was considered . Of course my readers are almost all English-speaking motorcyclists who would prefer to believe my original version, anyway.

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