Updated 8.20pm

A car caught fire in the northbound Santa Venera tunnel on Monday afternoon, forcing the tunnel's temporary closure and leading to long lines of traffic well into the evening. 

Smoke could be seen coming out of the tunnel at about 3.40pm, with Civil Protection Department fire engines deployed to put out the flames.

A video shared on local Facebook group Maltese Roads Traffic Updates showed the vehicle, a Peugeot hatchback, stationary at the end of the tunnel with flames and smoke whipping up from its engine.  

Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Motorists were advised to avoid the route, with heavy traffic reported as far back as Marsa.

Traffic tailback stretched into the evening, well after CPD firefighters had put out the fire and removed the car, with northbound traffic restricted to just one lane. 

Smoke emerges from the northbound tunnel. Video: Jonathan Borg

But there was also plenty of gridlock misery for motorists heading in the opposite direction, with reports of significant traffic on southbound Regional Road routes, too. 

A major project to rehabilitate the tunnels and install new equipment, including fire detectors, was completed just over a year ago. 

 

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