At least nine people were killed Wednesday when two trucks crashed head on in the Gotthard Tunnel, a 10-mile-long auto tube that links Germany and Italy through the Alps. People were trapped in their cars when the trucks -- one of them carrying tires -- caught fire and exploded about a mile from the southern portal. Intense heat and burning rubber, which reduced visibility to zero at the crash scene, hampered rescue efforts for over an hour, authorities said.
Alps Tunnel Crash
At least nine people were killed Wednesday when two trucks crashed head on in the Gotthard Tunnel, a 10-mile-long auto tube that links Germany and Italy through the Alps. People were trapped in their cars when the trucks -- one of them carrying tires -- caught fire and exploded about a mile from the southern portal. Intense heat and burning rubber, which reduced visibility to zero at the crash scene, hampered rescue efforts for over an hour, authorities said.
