BBC News Online: World

Swiss tunnel inferno after head-on crash

At least one of the lorry drivers is reported to have died in the accident, in the Gotthard Tunnel in the south of the country.

Parts of the tunnel have collapsed and intense heat and dense smoke had prevented rescuers reaching the scene, the spokesman said.

"We've just been able to get to the scene from both sides. It's not just the two trucks - there were several other vehicles involved in the accident. We have to assume that there are several dead," Uri canton police spokesman, Herbert Planzer, told the Associated Press.

Reports say one of the lorries was carrying tyres, which caught fire, sending black smoke billowing from the scene.

Around 150 fire fighters and other rescuers have gone to the scene.

The tunnel, 15 kilometres (10 miles) long, links Zurich with northern Italy. It is one of the longest road tunnels in the world.

The crash is believed to have happened around 2km (1m) from the tunnel's southern exit.

Drivers are reported to have abandonded their vehicles and fled on foot.

People living near the entrance have been warned to stay indoors and close their windows as smoke billows from the accident site.

The tunnel has been more heavily used since the 1999 Mont Blanc tunnel fire, which killed 39 people. That tunnel remains closed.