LONDON - Bangaphezu kuka-2,000 16 abantu abavaleleke ngaphansi kwe-English Channel isikhathi esingafika emahoreni ayi-XNUMX lapho izitimela zabo ze-Eurostar zima emhubheni, zishiya abaningi babo bengenakudla, amanzi - noma yimuphi umqondo walokho okwenzekayo.
Ekugcineni, bonke baphume bephephile ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku, kodwa abanye bahlaselwe yi-claustrophobia noma ukuhlaselwa ukwethuka, futhi abagibeli abaningi bakhala ngokuthi abasebenzi base-Eurostar benze okuncane ukubasiza kulobu bunzima, obuphoqe abanye ukuthi bahambe ingxenye yomhubhe omnyama, 24 amamayela (amakhilomitha angama-38) awo angaphansi kwamanzi.
Abaphathi be-Eurostar banikeze ukuxolisa, ukubuyiselwa kwemali, ukuhamba kwamahhala nokunye, kodwa inkampani ikhansele zonke izinsizakalo zabagibeli nge-Channel Tunnel kuze kube uMsombuluko ngomzamo wokuthola ukuthi kwenzekeni.
"Kwakuyi-pandemonium nje," kusho u-Lee Godfrey, owayebuyela eLondon esuka eDisneyland Paris nomndeni wakhe ngesikhathi ebanjwa emhubheni. Uthe abantu bahlaselwe yisifuba somoya baquleka emuva kokuthi ugesi wesitimela ucishiwe, kwanqamuka amalambu namapayipi omoya.
"Abantu bebethukile kakhulu," etshela umsakazo we-BBC, ekhala ngokungaxhumani kahle wathi abanye abagibeli kumele bazivulele iminyango yezimo eziphuthumayo.
I-Godfrey's ingesinye sezitimela ezine ebezibhajwe emhubheni ngoLwesihlanu kusihlwa ngezizathu ezingakacaci.
Izikhulu ze-Eurostar zicabange ukuthi uguquko olusheshayo olusuka emakhazeni aneqhwa eFrance, elibhekene nesimo sezulu esibi kakhulu sasebusika eminyakeni edlule, kuya ekufudumaleni okulinganiselwe komhubhe bekungase kuphazamise izinhlelo zikagesi zezitimela. Kodwa isikhulu esiphezulu sale nkampani, uNicolas Petrovic, sithe i-Eurostar kuzomele iphenye ukuthi kungani izitimela zaphuka.
“Asikaze sikubone okufana nalokhu kwa-Eurostar,” kusho uPetrovic emsakazweni iFrance-Info ngoMgqibelo.
Inkampani ikhansele izinsiza ezihleliwe njalo kuze kube uMsombuluko ukuze kuqhutshwe izivivinyo.
"Asifuni impinda yayizolo ebusuku," kusho okhulumela i-Eurostar uPaul Gorman.
Abanye abagibeli bakhishwe ngokuthathwa emhubheni wesitimela obumnyama bawafaka emathaleni. Abanye bashiywa ezitimeleni ezimbili ezazixhunywe ndawonye futhi zadudulelwa eLondon izitimela ezincane zikadizili.
U-Parisian Gregoire Sentilhes uchaze ukudideka njengoba iziphathimandla zidonsa kanzima ukukhipha abagibeli.
“Sachitha ubusuku bonke ngaphakathi emhubheni,” esho. “Ngo-6 ekuseni sikhishwe izicishamlilo. Sahamba ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-1.6 nemithwalo yethu. Singene kwesinye isitimela se-Eurostar savaleleka kuso, sibuyela emuva naphambili ngaphakathi emhubheni.”
Uthe abagibeli bebeshaywa wuvalo, beswele okuphuzwayo abazi ukuthi kwenzakalani. Abanye baphinde bakhala ngezinxushunxushu nemizamo engahlelekile yokubabuyisela emakhaya.
Lokho kudideka kuqhubeke kwaze kwaba ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa.
Ekuseni ngoMgqibelo i-Eurostar imemezele ukuthi izothumela abagibeli abavaleleke ekhaya besuka eLondon ngezitimela ezintathu ezikhethekile - bese bekhansela insizakalo emahoreni ambalwa kamuva. Izitimela ezimbili ezithunyelwe zisuka eParis nazo zikhanseliwe - esinye saphuka ngemuva nje kokuphuma emhubheni, kwathi esinye samiswa eLille enyakatho neFrance.
Isikhulu esiphezulu uRichard Brown uthe inkampani "ibuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi abagibeli abaningi baphazamisekile izolo ebusuku nanamuhla ekuseni ngenxa yesimo sezulu enyakatho yeFrance. Sisebenza kanzima ukubuyisela abagibeli emakhaya. Sizobabuyisela imali egcwele kanye nelinye ithikithi.”
I-Eurostar inikeza insizakalo yesitimela exhumanisa iLondon neParis neBrussels. Kuvamise ukuphithizela abavakashi bamaholide ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka.
Udumo lwezitimela lokusebenza ngendlela ephephile lwaphazamiseka ngoSepthemba, 2008, ngemuva kokuqubuka komlilo ngesikhathi esinye sezitimela singena emhubheni ongamakhilomitha angama-50. Isevisi inqanyulwe izinyanga ezinhlanu njengoba umonakalo omkhulu ubulungiswa.
NgoMgqibelo, ukuhamba kwabashayeli abanethemba lokuwela i-English Channel ngezikebhe kanye neChannel Tunnel nakho kuphazamiseke kakhulu. Amaphoyisa aseKent, eNgilandi, axwayise abashayeli ukuba bangahambi baye ethekwini laseDover ngaphandle kwalapho izimo eziphuthumayo ngenxa yobuningi bezimoto ezibangelwa izinkinga emhubheni nasechwebeni laseFrance eCalais.
Amaphoyisa aqala uhlelo lwezimo eziphuthumayo lokuvumela amaloli angaba ngu-2,300 12 anethemba lokuwela i-English Channel ukuze apake emigwaqweni emikhulu kuze kube yilapho isimo siba ngcono. Abasebenzi be-Red Cross banikeze iziphuzo ezishisayo namanzi kubashayeli bezimoto abavaleleke ezimotweni zabo amahora angaba ngu-XNUMX.
