The major tunnel in southeastern Switzerland was closed on Friday afternoon after a German coach caught fire, causing record traffic jams in the region. The tunnel is an alternative route to the Gotthard artery connecting northern and southern Switzerland, and a popular route for European holidaymakers heading south.
As a result of the closure, queues of up to 28 kilometres were reported at the northern entrance to the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. The disruptions were exacerbated by the long Pentecost weekend.
The Swiss traffic service ViasuisseExternal link expects further travel disruptions and queues following the closure of the San Bernardino.
The bus was carrying 22 passengers and caught fire some 500 metres before the end of the tunnel. All passengers were able to leave safely and there were no serious casualties, reported the local police. Two people are currently being treated for smoke inhalation.
More
More
Gotthard rail tunnel boosts north-south traffic by a third
This content was published on
About 2.3 million passengers have travelled through the new transalpine tunnel in Switzerland over the past eight months.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
This content was published on
Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
This content was published on
Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
This content was published on
The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
This content was published on
Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
This content was published on
Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
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.
Read more
More
Could the Gotthard tunnel project help revive a Swiss village?
This content was published on
170 workers are being drafted in to Göschenen to build the new Gotthard road tunnel, but there's controversy over where they should stay.
This content was published on
Final results show a 57% majority of voters coming out in favour. A broad coalition of environmental groups and mainly leftwing parties challenged a decision by parliament last year for a second 17km tube through the Gotthard in the heart of Switzerland. Transport Minister Doris Leuthard said the broad support by voters from around the…
This content was published on
You could build a small, two-storey house in here. With a garden. Even though there is 2,500 metres of solid rock between me and ground level, I don’t feel claustrophobic. Inch by inch, man has dug a hole into the bowels of the mountain and theoretically, could live in here. It’s an underworld created by…
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.