Grim Search For Tunnel Victims

Firefighters and police gingerly entered the Mont Blanc tunnel Monday, searching through the wreckage of charred cars and trucks to try and identify the remains of dozens of victims.

At least 40 people died in the blaze that broke out Wednesday. Only five of them have been identified so far.

The fire began in a Belgian truck carrying flour and margarine through the tunnel, and raged until Friday afternoon, when dozens of firefighters from France, Italy and Switzerland managed to control the blaze.

Radio reports said small fires were still burning Monday, but temperatures in the tunnel had dropped sufficiently for rescue workers to go in. The workers had to be careful, however, because there were fears that part of the severely damaged tunnel's ceiling could collapse.

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and his Italian counterpart Massimo D'Alema arrived Monday to pay tribute to the dead.

"When I ponder certain images that were shown to me, there are no words to describe my immense compassion for the victims and their families," Jospin told reporters.

Two bodies were taken from the seven-mile tunnel on Sunday but the recovery effort was proving to be slow and identifying the dead could prove even slower. Gwenaelle Le Slao, a spokeswoman for the regional government of the Haute-Savoie area said, "The process is particularly difficult because some of the bodies have been reduced to ashes."

Firefighters say it is still possible they will discover more bodies at the center of the tunnel, which links France and Italy under Western Europe's highest peak.

Tunnel officials, police and firefighters have been reluctant to talk about what might have led to the inferno. Investigators have not been able to examine the entire tunnel, but will spend the next few days combing through the wreckage.

French judicial authorities have opened an investigation, and say criminal charges may eventually be brought.

Firefighters who emerged after working for hours in the tunnel were often unable to speak about what they had seen. All were offered psychological counseling.

The underground passage near the French Alpine resort of Chamonix serves as a major trucking route, but it is expected to be closed for weeks.

About 2,000 trucks travel the route on an average day and local politicians are now calling for the roadway to be permanently closed to truck traffic.

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