NERVI - - A morning of travel chaos has ensued on Monday after a bus travelling from La Spezia to Genoa caught fire on the A12 Genoa-Rosignano motorway.

 Morning morning has seen a swathe of travel disruption as a result of the fire which happened on Sunday afternoon in the section between Recco and Nervi, inside the Monte Giugo tunnel. Autostrade, the Italian motorway company, was consequently asked to delay departures on the motorways in the area. Traffic was blocked in both directions with heavy queues on the entire motorway system and the section of the motorway affected only reopened late yesterday evening. 

 The fire brigade and 118 ambulances were on the scene to take charge of the motorists who inhaled smoke inside the tunnel. The passengers all managed to get out of the tunnel and those injured were initially treated in the S. Ilario service station area for smoke inhalation. The most serious injuries were to the bus driver, while five other injured people were taken to the San Martino hospital in Genoa. 

 A total of more than ten kilometres of tailbacks formed as a result. In a note to drivers heading towards Genoa, Autostrade advised them, after exiting at Recco, to take the SS1 Aurelia and then re-join the motorway at Genoa Nervi. 

 "The resolution of this event will not be short-lived," the company warned, "and the Via Aurelia could not withstand an ever-increasing amount of traffic, so we are strongly advising you to postpone or delay departures in the sections affected by the closures.”

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