Austria: Train evacuated as fire broke out in Tyrol tunnel

Following a fire that started Wednesday evening, Austrian authorities rescued hundreds of passengers from a train that was in a tunnel. According to local police, the night train with up to 370 travellers on board was passing through the tunnel at Fritzens, east of Innsbruck in the Tyrol area, when the fire erupted, according to a report by the Austria Press Agency. According to the police, 50 people had minor injuries or were possibly experiencing the effects of smoke inhalation.

The state administration of Tyrol issued a press release just after midnight local time on Thursday stating that “some evidence indicates there are an aggregate of 50 people with minor injuries who have been transported to nearby hospitals for further examination.” “Around 700 rescue workers arrived and are on duty on site in total.”

Bernd Noggler, a spokesman for the police, also informed the German news agency DPA that, to his knowledge, no one was thought to have been gravely harmed.

According to train operator OeBB, damage to the overhead wires was noticed at around 8:40 p.m. It appears that a car in a cargo carriage on the “Nightjet” train from Innsbruck to Amsterdam caught fire. According to a statement from the organisation, the fire was extinguished by 10:20 p.m. The officials report that the evacuation was completed shortly after 11 p.m.

Occasionally, during OeBB’s nighttime trips to a number of sites in Europe, cars are hauled in separate trailers. OeBB reports that tents have been erected to house the rescued passengers. Those who didn’t need medical attention were taken to Innsbruck, where organisers were putting together places for them to stay in case they were needed.

Following the raising of the alarm on Wednesday evening, almost 20 local fire services were dispatched to the area.