Final report available Lötschberg tunnel chemical accident due to lack of ventilation

SDA

1.10.2024 - 19:52

As it turned out, acetic acid and hydrogen had leaked from a truck transported by the transit train.
Picture: Gaetan Bally/KEYSTONE

The chemical accident last May in the Lötschberg summit tunnel was caused by a packaging error and a resulting leak from a container that was traveling through the tunnel with the transit train.

Keystone-SDA

01.10.2024, 19:52

No time? blue News summarizes for you

At the end of May, a chemical accident occurred in the Lötschberg summit tunnel. Acetic acid and hydrogen had leaked from a truck transported by the transit train.
The emergency services discovered a leak in a container.
The Sust's final report now shows that no venting device was fitted to the container in question during packing.
As a result, the resulting gases could not escape, overpressure developed, the container burst and the liquid leaked out.

The chemical accident in the Lötschberg summit tunnel at the end of May was caused by a missing venting device. This is according to the final report of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust).

At the time, workers noticed a strong pungent smell and a wet roadway, whereupon they informed the operations center and left the tunnel. As it turned out, acetic acid and hydrogen had leaked from a truck being transported by the transit train. The emergency services discovered a leak in a container.

The Sust's final report now shows that no venting device was fitted to the container in question during packing. This prevented the resulting gases from escaping, which is why the so-called large packaging burst and the liquid leaked out. Measures to prevent overpressure would have been necessary for transportation.

Installed concrete is crumblingRenovated roadway in the Lötschberg summit tunnel is already showing cracks

According to the report, the incident occurred near Hohtenn in the canton of Valais. The train was stopped for inspection in Kandersteg in the canton of Bern. Kandersteg station and the surrounding area as well as passenger and freight traffic had to be closed for several hours. Five tunnel workers suffered breathing difficulties and eye irritation. They were examined on site but did not need to be hospitalized.