Europeupdated 47m ago2 min read
Minibus Collides With Stationary Freight Train Near Channel Tunnel In Coquelles, Injuring 19
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Minibus collided with stationary freight train at the Channel Tunnel entry in Coquelles, France. Nineteen people were injured: the bus driver and 18 passengers.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Says Student Protests Became Urban Violence →
Channel Tunnel collision
A minibus collided with a stationary freight train near the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, injuring the driver and 18 passengers, French authorities said. Agathe Cury said the collision happened at the loading platform of the tunnel at 19:27 on Thursday, and she said freight and Eurostar passenger traffic through the tunnel had not been disrupted after a brief stoppage to evacuate injured people. Evan Davis witnessed blue light vehicles concentrated on one of the platforms as he entered France, and he said there were plenty of cars queueing up at check-in when he drove past just now.
Eurostar said an incident occurred several kilometers away from the Channel Tunnel and that it did not involve or impact Eurostar trains running from and to London, adding that all Eurostar trains would run as expected. The BBC reported that the bus driver and one passenger were severely injured and evacuated by helicopter, and it said none of the injuries were life threatening.
Injuries, investigation, and disruption
French authorities said two people, including the bus driver, were seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital in Lille, while the local prefect said none of the injuries were life-threatening. Agathe Cury said freight and Eurostar passenger traffic through the tunnel had not been disrupted after a brief stoppage to evacuate injured people, and she said it was the first time an incident of this type had occurred on an Eurotunnel loading platform. Eurostar said the collision would not impact its services and stated that the incident did not involve Eurostar trains running from and to London, while the BBC said Eurostar released an update with the same assurance.
The BBC said an investigation has begun, and it quoted Cury saying, "For a reason that currently remains unknown, the minibus collided with the departing train." DW said the last two trains between Paris and London were canceled, and it said Eurostar said this was due to engineering work, not the accident.
What the tunnel links
The Channel Tunnel runs under the sea between England and France, from Folkestone in Kent to Coquelles on the French side, and the BBC said three different rail services operate through the tunnel. DW said the 50-kilometer (31-mile) Channel Tunnel has linked Coquelles in northern France and Folkestone in England since 1994, and it said the tunnel is operated by Getlink. DW said Eurostar is a separate entity and that it has held a monopoly on cross-Channel passenger rail services for decades, while it said Eurostar carried 11.8 million passengers in 2025.
“The 50-kilometer (31-mile) Channel Tunnel is the longest infrastructure of its kind in the world.”
The BBC said the incident involved a minibus transporting workers who were about to board Le Shuttle, and it said it was not clear whether any British nationals are among the injured. The Straits Times said the minibus was carrying truck drivers of various nationalities heading to travel on a LeShuttle train, and it said the area around the tunnel entrance was sealed off with a helicopter and several emergency vehicles present.