Längle: “Routine was life-saving” – vorarlberg.ORF.at

Exercises take place regularly in the Pfändetunnel, says Längle. “The results and experiences from these exercises have been of great use,” the district captain is certain. The Red Cross and the police were immediately on site and the fire department immediately cordoned off the tunnel. The cooperation between the emergency organizations worked very well, says Längle.

Fire departments are rehearsing different scenarios

In an emergency, every move must be perfect. The fire departments in Vorarlberg therefore rehearse different scenarios every week. Just last November, 250 emergency services from the fire brigade, rescue, police and ASFINAG ran through an accident scenario in the Pfändentunnel on the A14 – more on this in Pfändetunnel: Large-scale operational exercise with 250 emergency services.

“Routine was sometimes life-saving”

During the vehicle fire in the Pfändetunnel, the routine was sometimes life-saving, says Längle, who, as district captain, is responsible for disaster control in his district. “This operation confirmed that the extraction system and the lighting technology were very good,” said Längle in an interview with ORF Vorarlberg. The information in front of and in the tunnel also worked very well, said the district captain.

200 people had to be evacuated from the tunnel after the car fire. All those involved remained uninjured. Around 46,000 cars drive through the Pfändetunnel every day. It is considered one of the safest tunnels in Europe. The technology in the tunnel is state-of-the-art and can alert the tunnel attendant directly in the event of accidents, fires or breakdowns.

Fire in the engine compartment

According to the police report, a 62-year-old German man was driving with his wife in the eastern tube of the Pfändetunnel towards Germany when fire suddenly broke out in the engine compartment of the car around 9:50 a.m. The driver and his wife escaped to safety in a cross passage in the tunnel.

The tunnel was immediately closed in both directions after the alarm was raised. By the time the fire department and rescue arrived, the vehicle was completely burned out and there was heavy smoke in the tunnel. The cause of the vehicle fire is still unclear. Long traffic jams formed on the alternative route through the city of Bregenz – more on this in A Pfändennel tube is further closed.

Since work has to be carried out in the Pfändetunnel after the vehicle fire, only the fast lane is currently free.