A fire on the metro's overhead line forces the evacuation of Glòries and El Clot stations
More than a hundred people attended, none seriously, for the incident
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BarcelonaA fire in the catenary of line L1 of Barcelona metro has forced the evacuation this Monday afternoon of the Clot and Glòries stations. In addition, a train had to be evacuated at Clot —there is also a Rodalies station— and currently the metro is not stopping at this station where L1 and L2 converge.
Service could be restored on Tuesday, according to the forecast given by the CEO of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Xavier Flores. Regarding the cause of the fire, Flores explained that they currently believe it is due to a tunnel lining that has fallen and burned.
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The Emergency Medical Services System (SEM) has sent 19 ambulances and paramedics have assessed about 120 people. Some are being treated with oxygen masks for smoke inhalation. Others, however, have been able to go home.
Among the people paramedics have already assessed, there are 110 with minor injuries and 5 in a less serious condition. In total, they have transferred about twenty people to different hospitals and CUAP centers in the city.
This incident was reported around 5:45 PM and generated more than a hundred calls to the 112 emergency number from citizens reporting the fire. The Barcelona Firefighters responded with 22 units, confronting the fire from both metro entrances, explained Sebastià Massaguer, head technician of the corps. The fire has now been extinguished and the tunnel has been ventilated. They are now working to remove the affected carriage, Massaguer added.
Altered mobility
The frequency of passage is altered in both L1 and L2. In fact, L1 does not run between the stations of Universitat and La Sagrera, the most central section of the route. Due to this incident, TMB has activated alternative buses to cover the affected section.
There are also several affected bus lines, such as the H12, V25, 62, and 192, which are modifying their route on Independència street with Meridiana avenue, near Glòries. Several stops in the area have also been cancelled.