Minibus carrying lorry drivers hits train at Eurotunnel platform near Calais, 19 injured

Nineteen people were injured on Thursday evening when a minibus carrying lorry drivers collided with a train at the Eurotunnel loading platform in Coquelles, near Calais, according to French authorities. The injured were the minibus driver and 18 passengers. No deaths were reported. Authorities said none of the injuries were life-threatening.

The collision happened on the French side of the Channel Tunnel. The drivers were preparing to board a LeShuttle train through the tunnel. The injured were men of various nationalities, according to Pas-de-Calais sub-prefect Agathe Cury.

Two of the injured, including the minibus driver, were airlifted by helicopter to hospital. The Guardian and DW name the hospital's location as Lille. According to The Guardian, the other 17 were taken to hospitals in Helfaut, Calais, Boulogne, Montreuil-sur-Mer and Dunkirk.

About 200 emergency responders and other personnel were deployed. Vehicle shuttle services were suspended for about 90 minutes and gradually resumed by late evening, according to authorities. The Pas-de-Calais prefecture said Eurotunnel immediately deployed significant resources, which were then placed under the prefect's authority. Authorities have opened an investigation. Cury said the cause was currently unknown.

According to the BBC, the collision occurred at 19:27 local time. France 24 reported that, according to the prefecture, the minibus veered off course while heading towards the tunnel entrance and struck the side of the shuttle train. The BBC quoted Cury as saying: "The bus did not overturn, it is still upright – but the shock and the collision caused injuries to the people involved." According to France 24, Cury said the relevant consulates had been notified. She did not specify which countries. The BBC reported it was not clear whether any British nationals were among the injured.

What is disputed

• Serious injuries: The BBC, The Guardian and DW report two people seriously injured, including the driver; France 24 also reports two seriously injured. Daily Sabah and the SCMP reported five earlier in the evening. DW says the prefect revised the earlier figure down.
• The train: The BBC, The Guardian, DW and the SCMP describe a stationary train. The BBC and The Guardian call it a freight train. However, the BBC quoted Cury as saying the minibus "collided with the departing train." France 24 describes it as a vehicle shuttle train.
• Location: A Eurostar status update said the incident occurred "several kilometres away from the Channel tunnel." Other accounts place it at the Coquelles platform. The reports do not explain the difference.
• Eurostar cancellations: Daily Sabah linked two cancelled Eurostar trains to the incident. DW reports that Eurostar attributed the cancellation of the last two Paris–London trains to engineering work.

What each side says

• Agathe Cury: "This is the first time an incident of this type has occurred," DW quoted her as saying. The Guardian quoted her as saying: "There is no risk to anyone’s life."
• Pas-de-Calais prefecture: A statement quoted by The Guardian said early reports suggested 19 people were involved and that there were no fatalities.
• Eurostar: It said the incident "does not involve or impact Eurostar trains running from and to London."
• The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any statement from Getlink/Eurotunnel.

Analysis

The investigation's findings will likely shape how this incident is understood. Key open questions include why the minibus left its path and who operated the vehicle; the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not answer them. Whether the train was moving is also unsettled: Cury said it was departing, while several outlets describe it as stationary. Cury described the incident as the first of its type at a Eurotunnel loading platform. That could lead operators and authorities to review how vehicles move near trains on the platforms, though no such review has been announced. The early variation in injury figures and train descriptions shows how first accounts can shift. Readers may wish to treat details beyond the core facts as provisional until authorities publish their findings.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.