Car fire closes Norðoyatunnilin tunnel overnight

A car fire forced the closure of the Norðoyatunnilin tunnel on Saturday night, KVF reported. The driver alerted police after the vehicle caught fire inside the tunnel.

The tunnel was closed immediately and firefighters were called. They entered from the Leirvík side because the wind was blowing in that direction. The fire was extinguished at about 12:45 a.m., and smoke remained in the tunnel.

The driver got into another car, which turned around and drove out. Other drivers were warned and also turned back. The tunnel reopened shortly after 2 a.m., at first with only one lane open for traffic from Leirvík heading north.

A minor collision followed when a car braked suddenly after its driver saw people clearing up inside the tunnel. The car behind hit it. Police said no one was harmed and the response went well, although a barrier on the Klaksvík side failed to rise when officers tried to open it. The car that caught fire was not electric.