[JURIST] The trial to determine responsibility for the massive 1999 fire [BBC file report] in the Mont Blanc Tunnel [Wikipedia article], which runs between Italy and France, opened today in France. The fire, which killed 39 people and burned for more than 2 days, is believed to have been started by a truck carrying flour and margarine. Two hundred plaintiffs in the proceeding are suing 16 defendants, include truck maker Volvo, the companies that constructed the tunnel, safety regulators, and the mayor of the French resort town of Chamonix. The UK Press Association has more. From Paris, Le Figaro provides local coverage in French.