The King s Cross Fire Disaster

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1 The King s Cross Fire Disaster Written by Nicole Ward

The King's Cross Fire Disaster Written by Nicole Ward Cover image of the burnt-out interior of the King's Cross Station Photography by Rex Feature (cover, p5, pp8 10, pp15 20, p22, p28, p30);

2 The King's Cross Fire Disaster Written by Nicole Ward Cover image of the burnt-out interior of the King's Cross Station Photography by Rex Feature (cover, p5, pp8 10, pp15 20, p22, p28, p30); Corbis/Tranz (p23, p27); AAP (Ged Kiernen p1); StockCentral (p21); London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority (p25) 2007 Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. The King s Cross Fire Disaster While every care has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyright, the publishers tender their apologies for any accidental infringement where copyright has proved untraceable. Published by Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd Level 1, Claremont, South Yarra, Victoria Edited by Adrian Bell Designed by Andrew Aguilar Printed in Hong Kong ISBN: Contents Introduction...4 King s Cross Station...6 Just a Small Fire...8 Inferno...15 Victims...20 The Investigation...22 Safety Improvements...28 Lessons of the Tragedy...30 Glossary...31 Index...32

Introduction In 1987, a deadly fire struck at King s Cross Station, a major stop on London s subway system, the London Underground. The fire was small when it began.

3 Introduction In 1987, a deadly fire struck at King s Cross Station, a major stop on London s subway system, the London Underground. The fire was small when it began. But in just 20 minutes it became an inferno. This fire was unusual. It was hotter than normal fires and it spread much faster. It took months of investigation to find out why this fatal fire was different. Thirty-one people died in the King s Cross fire. In response, the government passed new laws to make the London Underground stations safer. The fire should not have been able to grow so big. The station staff should have put it out when they first found it. The fire, at first, was very small. With proper safety measures, they could easily have extinguished it. Instead, it turned into a disaster. Passengers wait for their train in King s Cross Station.

King s Cross Station November 18 began as a normal day at King s Cross Station. One hundred thousand people passed through in the morning rush hour.

King s Cross has six lines. Two of those lines are the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. The evening of that day, however, was not normal. Instead, it ended in a disastrous fire. What caused the fire?

4 King s Cross Station November 18 began as a normal day at King s Cross Station. One hundred thousand people passed through in the morning rush hour. King s Cross is one of the busiest stations in the underground train system. The station has five levels. It is a station with more than one line running through it, or an interchange station. King s Cross has six lines. Two of those lines are the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. The evening of that day, however, was not normal. Instead, it ended in a disastrous fire. What caused the fire? At the time, some people thought it might have been arson. Earl s Court High Kensington Marylebone Edgeware Road Paddington Others thought it might have been a Bayswater terrorist attack. Notting No one knows for sure, but Hill it was Gateprobably a discarded Lancaster Queensway Gate match a single match that caused the worst fire in the London Underground s history. Key Piccadilly line Victoria line Location of fire Gloucester South Road Kensington Great Portland Bond Hyde Park Corner Victoria Sloane Oxford Circus King s Cross St Pancras Euston Euston Warren Goodge London Underground Map Piccadilly Circus Tottenham Court Road Charing Cross St James s Park Pimlico Russell Farringdon Barbican Old Liverpool Moorgate Holborn St Paul s Bank Covent Aldgate Blackfriars Garden Monument Mansion Temple House Cannon Embankment London Bridge Waterloo Leicester Westminster River Thames Lambeth North Vauxhall Chancery Lane Angel Southwark Borough Elephant and Castle Aldgate East Tower Gateway Tower Hill

Just a Small Fire The fire was very small when it began. At 7.30 p.m., a passenger stepped off a Piccadilly line train. He took the escalator to go up to the ticket hall.

5 Just a Small Fire The fire was very small when it began. At 7.30 p.m., a passenger stepped off a Piccadilly line train. He took the escalator to go up to the ticket hall. He was halfway up when he saw the smoke. It was coming through the gaps between the steps. He could also smell burning rubber. The passenger quickly raised the alarm. He pushed the emergency stop button and shouted to people below him to get off the escalator. Two police officers saw what was happening and went to help. They found a fire under the number 4 escalator. The fire was small. Later, a firefighter said that it was no bigger than a cardboard box. But there were no fire extinguishers, and no sprinkler system. There was nothing they could do to stop the fire. But the two police officers were not worried. They thought the fire was too small to be dangerous. They had no idea that within 15 minutes it would turn into an inferno. An escalator in King s Cross Station First sighting of the fire

WELCOME TO ELEPHANT PARK 35 WORLD ON A PLATE. THE TOMMYFIELD British

WELCOME TO ELEPHANT PARK 35 WORLD ON A PLATE. THE TOMMYFIELD British WORLD ON A PLATE THE TOMMYFIELD British Named after the 19th-century market that housed the UK s first fish and chip shop, The Tommyfield specialises in British classics such as pie and mash, roast beef