Hundreds of holiday travelers going between mainland Europe and Britain were stranded in the Chunnel for six hours as their train was surrounded by Giant Chunnel Rats, authorities now confirm. The vicious rodents circled the train, gnawing at the paint and peering bare-toothed into the windows as frightened passengers looked out in horror.
"The train ground to a halt and then we heard this squealing sound coming down the tunnel towards us. It kept getting louder and louder until it seemed liked they were right on top of us.", Florence Nash, a vacationer returning from the south of France, explained as she exited the train after being rescued. "It was horrible! Something I'll never forget!"
Other travelers echoed her sentiments saying it was easily the most scared they had ever been. "An announcement came over the public address system warning people to remain inside the train and conductors to return to the front of the coaches and make sure all doors were secured."
The creatures, which were the size of Volkswagens, were driven away after a six hour stand off. Cars, trains, and trucks were evacuated, and authorities moved quickly to seal the Chunnel on both ends. A decision on what to do next will be made after the holiday season. In the mean time, travelers will have to rely on surface transportation to fill their needs.
Rumours of giant rats roaming the Chunnel have been widespread for years. However, Verified sightings have only been reported since a concerted effort to eradicate vagrants in the tunnel, prior to the Millennium Celebration, allowed the animals to thrive without threat of predation.
