Filed under: London Underground, Transport | Tags: Health & Safety, Kings Cross Fire, London Underground
Tonight at about 19:37 has the dubious honour of being the 22nd anniversary of the Kings Cross Fire.
The fire was catastrophic, and unfortunate, no smoking had been allowed on the London Underground for years, since the little known Oxford Circus Fire, on Novemebr 23rd 1984, although no-one was killed, 14 were hospitalized. The fire gutted the stairs up from, and the whole of the Victoria Line platforms. So extensive was the damage to the Victoria Line platforms that the station wasn’t fit for purpose for weeks, finally reopening on December 17th.
Back to Kings Cross, 3 years after the Oxford Circus Fire, and return to bedlam, the fire was absolutely out of control, with people screaming to get out, clambering over each other to get to fresh air, some resigning to their fate. at 19:45, the London Fire Brigade arrive, first in was Officer Colin Townsley, who was leading the first fire engine crew to arrive, he rushed in without any breathing apparatus, and on his return to his crew he helped a lady, and became overwhelmed by the smoke, and lost consciousness. According to wikipedia:
“London Fire Brigade Station Officer Colin Townsley from A24 Soho was in charge of the first fire engine to arrive at the scene and was down in the station concourse at the time of the flashover. As he was making his exit, Townsley spotted a woman who was in trouble and stopped to help her. He was not wearing breathing apparatus and was overcome by the smoke. Although he was later found in the inferno by his colleagues, efforts to revive him had little effect, and he was rushed to hospital, where he later died due to smoke inhalation.”
In short, London Underground’s Health & Safety measures have improved exponentially since the tragic fire, simple steps [unintended pun!] include removing all but 1 of the wooden escalators, replaced by steel steps. Emergency fire push-buttons every few metres on ALL escalators, and fire extinguishers at the base and summit of all escalators [although removed from ALL trains due to vandalism].
