Lack of ventilation led to chemical accident in the Lötschberg tunnel
Published: Tuesday, Oct 1st 2024, 12:40
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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 published on Tuesday by 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 packaging. 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.
According to the report, the incident happened before 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.
©Keystone/SDA
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