Hundreds stranded in Channel Tunnel as train breaks down

A technical incident left between 400 and 500 people stranded in the Channel Tunnel

A Eurotunnel train came to a halt following a technical incident
A Eurotunnel train came to a halt following a technical incident

Hundreds of Eurotunnel passengers were trapped inside the Channel Tunnel when a train travelling from Calais, France, to Folkestone, UK, broke down.

The service was evacuated at about 17:30, with those on board transferred to a rescue train.

Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said a "technical incident" forced the train to stop mid-tunnel, affecting between 400 and 500 people were affected after.

The rescue train had to first travel back to Calais before going to the UK.

The failed train was towed back to Folkestone with the passengers' cars and belongings on board.

In a statement on its website, Eurotunnel said services were currently operating with some timetable disruption, with a waiting time of about two hours at its terminals in Calais and Folkestone.