Expert reaches scene of fire in Gotthard tunnel
Recovery workers moved a step closer to finally being able to clear the Gotthard tunnel on Monday, as an expert reached the scene of the inferno, which claimed 11 lives.
Jean-Claude Martin, a Lausanne-based professor of criminology and an internationally renowned expert on enclosed fires, is the first person to enter the area, which has been dubbed “Zone Red.”
Martin will examine the extent of the damage over the next few days and will produce a report on his findings.
Martin’s survey will then be handed over to officials investigating the Gotthard tragedy who will use them to plan the clearing of the area.
Clearing efforts
Marco Ritter, a spokesman for the Ticinese police, said that teams of six to eight workers would work together to clear the affected areas. However, he could not say how long the clearing efforts would take.
Meanwhile, recovery workers pulled the burnt out shells of more than ten cars and a handful of trucks from the areas bordering “Zone Red”.
Later this week, the insurance companies, representing the hauliers, whose two trucks collided in the tunnel sparking the blaze, will meet representatives from the cantons of Uri and Ticino along with members of the federal government.
The truck’s insurers are expected to cover all personal injury claims as well as SFr 10 million ($6.09million) of material damage. The remainder of the damage costs will be met by the Swiss government, which is not insured for such events.
swissinfo with agencies
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.