News
A fire closes the L1 and forces passengers to evacuate through the tunnel
A fire in the L1 overhead line caused a tense afternoon on Barcelona's metro this Monday, 27 July. Glòries and Clot stations were evacuated, a train was stopped between the two stations and around 120 people needed medical attention after inhaling smoke.
The fire began at around 18:00 and quickly filled the affected train and part of the tunnel with smoke. Some passengers opened the doors and walked along the tracks in an attempt to get out before the emergency services arrived, while others stayed crouched inside the carriages and covered their mouths.
Outside, the SEM set up a care area to assess travellers experiencing breathing difficulties, dizziness or discomfort from the smoke. Several people remained lying in the street and received oxygen, although no serious injuries were reported in the initial assessment.
Bombers de Barcelona worked on the infrastructure while the 112 emergency line received more than a hundred calls related to the incident. Protecció Civil activated the alert phase of the Ferrocat plan to coordinate the evacuation and the operation deployed around the stations.
The L1 was suspended between Universitat and La Sagrera, one of the busiest sections of the network. The incident was added to the planned closure between Florida and Plaça de Sants, so the line operated only in several separate sections and forced passengers to seek alternatives.
Clot was also closed to the L2, whose trains stopped calling at the station. TMB provided replacement buses in the affected area, although the concentration of travellers and emergency vehicles made it difficult to get around near Avinguda Meridiana.
The operation also disrupted several bus routes, including the H12, V25 and 192, which had to alter their routes. The closures and diversions were particularly noticeable in Glòries, Clot and at the junctions near Carrer de la Independència.
The scene left passengers receiving care in the middle of the street, entrances closed and a central part of the L1 out of service. A fault located between two stations was enough to disrupt much of the afternoon’s mobility and force hundreds of travellers to reroute their journeys through Barcelona.