How The King's Cross Fire Killed 31 People - DISASTER BREAKDOWN

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Woven into the British Capital of London is its metro system. Known as the London Underground, or affectionately as “The Tube”, since its beginning all the way back in the 1860s, the network gradually grew over decades to become one of the largest and most comprehensive rapid transit networks it the entire world. It carries millions of people every day to and from every corner of the city and neighboring counties. As you’d might expect, it hasn’t all been without incident. Today we’ll explore the events of one day in 1987 in what became not only one of the deadliest accidents to have occurred on the London Underground in recent history but also an incident that completely changed how we think about the deadly hazard of fire.
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• Kings Cross - Seconds ...
• Well There's Your Prob...

[@DisasterBreakdown]

If you found this video to be interesting, be sure to subscribe as there is a new video every Saturday. This video also went out to my Patrons on Patreon 48 hours before going out publicly. Consider joining here from £1 per month: www.patreon.com/DisasterBreakdown Twitter: twitter.com/Chloe_HowieCB

[@VooGol-tz7ss]

Why Do You NEVER Post Video All The Day??????

[@cynthiatolman326]

Very well done. Thank you

[@grapeshot]

I remember reading an article about a woman whose brother was killed in this disaster and she had to go identify his body. And she talks about how she at first didn't think it was her brother because the body was a very dark brown color. But then she said she realized that was her brother's remains. She was just looking at his very badly burnt body.

[@Playing096]

Jesus Christ, that looks so sad and terrifying

[@TwoWholeWorms]

Jeeeeesus...

[@coloursplashes]

That is truly horrific. I can't imagine what all the families went through.

[@JoJo-yt1ys]

Cool story

[@friendlyreptile9931]

Sorry but what to expect i someone was burnt? Damn people are rly not smart these days :D

[@FrazerSmithsChannel]

How you managed to fit so much excellent detail into only 18 minutes is amazing. Please keep adding the non air disaster content, it's brilliant.

[@Mikeb1001]

This has echoes of the Valley Parade fire 2 years earlier, where a carelessly discarded match is believed to have ignited a build up of debris under the stand at Bradford City FC shortly before half time and again what started as an insignificant fire got out of control very quickly and burned down the entire stand in less than 20 minutes. Sadly more than 50 people died there as well

[@thejudgmentalcat]

You actually found physical examples of the old wooden escalators. Well done 👏 Tbh, the tube system still looks confusing to get through 🤔

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Yeah there is a preserved Wooden Escalator on a Tunnel that runs under the River Tyne. It happens to be near me so I took my opportunity to see it!

[@tessiepinkman]

@@DisasterBreakdown This is just another reason you're a cut above the rest of disaster-focused creators, you go through greater lengths and you find out information others don't care to put their time to. You are also always very focused on the human side of everything, more humane in general than many other creators in this sphere. So my cold (ok, not *that* cold) Swedish heart thank you deeply, from the warmth of my apartment in Norway. Keep doing what you do, you're one of my favourite creators out there!

[@domfjbrown75]

@@DisasterBreakdown another Otis MH/MY IIRC...

[@Kubulek17]

Once you’re underground it’s pretty self explanatory, follow the colour coded signs to the line you need to take. For most daily commuters it’s a routine, I see people daily who catch some extra sleep on the ride and wake up right at their stop

[@michaelscaplis]

The song King’s Cross by the Pet Shop Boys was released only months before the disaster…almost prophetic.

[@phaasch]

I was at work in one of the west end theatres the night of the fire. I remember the reports coming in on the backstage comms network, each one more alarming than the last, sirens everywhere in the street outside. But the reality was something else, entirely. Every time I use Kings Cross tube for anything, I always give a silent nod to those poor souls. Or anywhere else on the Underground where there has been terrible tragedy- Balham, Bounds Green, Bethnal Green, Moorgate. All particularly horrible ways to die.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

It is always interesting to hear the stories of those from the time. Thanks for your comment

[@доктор-вонючая-морковь]

The trains , also push air through the tunnels as they approach the station , you can feel the air before hearing or seeing the train , this also contributed to the fire by feeding it more oxygen. Great video btw .

[@lostvictims9769]

In remembrance to the victims: Betty Afua Agyapong Terrence Alonzo Best Mark David Bryant Andy Burdett Elizabeth N. Byers Treena Chappell Dean T. Cottle Susheila N. Cottle Felix Dearden Neville H. Eve Jane A. Fairey Natalie A. Falco Alexander Williamson Fallon Jonathan R. George Kuttalam Govindarajan Graham D. Hall Michael Holden Ralph Humerstone Bernadett Kearney M.A. Bobby Keegan Mohammed Shoiab Khan Marco Liberati Philip G. Marks Laurence V. Moran Lawrence S. Newcombe Stephen A. Parsons Christopher Wallace Roome Rai Singh John F. Joseph St. Prix Ivan Tarassenko Colin J. Townsley

[@theflowerwhosavedtheuniver5658]

I remember this so vividly at the time. I was in 6th form at school and we made up a book of condolences to be sent to the station. Living in Belfast we had our own "issues" at the time but the 3 things that I remember clearly was this tradegy, the Alpha Piper disaster and the Zeeburge disaster where the doors weren't closed on the RORO ferry. The 80s were quite a sad time for Great Britain 🇬🇧

[@kimifur]

Piper Alpha, Zeebrugge, Hillsborough, Kings Cross, Lockerbie, Challenger... It really sucked as a decade for disasters.

[@Picnicl]

@@kimifur Bradford FC fire too.

[@dfuher968]

The fact, that soooo many fires in cities and nature alike have been started by carelessly disgarded matches and cigarette stubs, and yet to this today far too many smokers are still very careless, even indifferent, about the danger, they cause, really pisses me off.

[@lewiss626]

It's so sad but so common that it takes a disaster for change to occur. Its like they turn a blind eye to safety and claim they don't haven't the money but magically after a disaster they find it!

[@CarterHancock]

Fire prevention is one of those things that is rarely thought or talked about, and seems unnecessary to improve upon since it seems like it's so rare to most people. But when you're in a situation like this, you want all the help you can get.

[@asdhgwsrgbwsf3334]

Great video as always, just a quick one, Colin Townsley wasn’t a “fire chief”, that’s an Americanism. He was a Station Officer.

[@dracorex426]

The Trench Effect was discovered via computer modeling. The scale model just proved its existence.

[@jacekatalakis8316]

To be fair to get the context for why smoking was outlawed... Oxford Circus fire, which gets overshadowed by this disaster even though it was horrific in its own right. Could you look into maybe doing a vid on the Oxford Circus fire since it's tied into this one and other Tube fires

[@bryans6534]

Aye would be good to see someone do a video about the Oxford Street smoldering & the multitude of London Underground escalators that smoldered in the lead up to Kings Cross, some were quite significant incidents .... Apologies for not using the word "fire" but back then London Underground didn't use it, but as reported in the Fennell Report into the Kings Cross fire, London Underground didn't have fires....

[@jacekatalakis8316]

@@bryans6534 Which seems absolutely arrogant they didn't have fires at all but just incidents. Now I want to go look up just how many fires happened on escalators between 1984 and 1987 though since I thought there were a few

[@Tebbylous]

Congrats! Filming on location really added a lot to this. Not only the footage but the edit is really well done.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks a ton!

[@Belette6763]

I found your channel recently. I absolutely love it. The careful explanations, the respect for the victims, the weather segments in your planes ones !! Your voice is also very soothing, I love it.

[@AstraEatsBears]

So proud of you for this! You did great 🥰 You always do great lol but going to the location and filming when you didn't have to, all for us?! You're a star, Chloe ♥

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks! It was well worth it!

[@itsallschittsandgigglesunt7354]

We literally paid for that business trip stop it😅

[@AstraEatsBears]

@@itsallschittsandgigglesunt7354 ah alright I'll just stop giving nice compliments to people because some random on the Internet told me to 🥰

[@diamond_gamerssidebyside5178]

💀

[@randylahey1232]

Omg ikr I'm so proud of him too like soo proud like wow I feel like dancing in the street🥰

[@louiseogden1296]

Awesome video. My dad was a project manager on the refurbishment. We lived in Chingford in 1987, not that far from Walthamstow on the Victoria Line. It was horrifying to me as an 8 year old to see the damage and I was terrified about going past it on the tube for a while afterwards. My dad is a hero for his civil engineering work in general, but his work on King's X was most heartening for his little girl!

[@tumslucks9781]

That's the spirit! 😜🚃💨

[@willr6887]

I appreciate you branching out of the norm and for going out to do this! Amazing work. :)

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks!

[@WingingItCrypto]

Brilliant vid as always! This is probably my favourite channel right now, I look forward to these every week! The footage from the location definitely added a nice element. Would be really interested to see more general disasters like this covered.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks for watching!

[@Titot182]

As a kid growing up in London and remembering this, I was always paranoid of stations that still had wooden escalators after the incident. St Pauls in the early 90s was a good example.

[@tedthesailor172]

Very Informative. I didn't realise that the fire brigade were actually on scene before the fireball burst out. The year 1987 was a bleak one for the UK, with the Hungerford Massacre, the Enniskillen Terror Attack, the Great Storm, the BIG Freeze, the Glanrhyd Railway Disaster, the "Black Monday" Stock Market Collapse, and - although it happened at a Belgian port - the capsize of the ferry, Herald of Free Enterprise...

[@Chris-ln6so]

The quality of this production is so high, Chloe. You should be so proud.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thank you for your kind words

[@jmWhyMe]

Amazing job. We've been through there on holiday and I was completely blown away by how confusing the station is to navigate, and how easy it is to get lost in there!

[@elizabethtrudgill3567]

King's Cross is an insane station. The massive refurbishment took years.

[@ErynnWilson]

Thank you for such a great video, Chloe. You know, this brings back to my mind the Pet Shop Boys song "Kings Cross." It was released two months before this fire. Spooky. I remember talk about how the song foresaw the fire after it happened.

[@ElmerCat]

I've watched this story told many times before, so I wasn't expecting much. Yet, I was very impressed with this presentation which explained things like the physical layout of the station better than any other I've seen. Congratulations on an excellent video!

[@tishfox2858]

I remember this disaster well.Congratulations on your coverage of this.Well done.👏👏👏👍

[@EatherTrainer]

Really great work. When I saw that footage you took, I just knew it was on the ground footage.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

I wish I could do it more. I alwaya knew I wanted to head to the site when I eventually covered it

[@SKitty1732]

It's not every day I physically applaud after watching a video, but this one broke that streak. Very Well made Video, and I always look forward to seeing the next one.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Wow, thank you!

[@capt_q_ball]

I'm happy you've branched to other disasters outside of aviation. I've seen several videos on this disaster, but yours is exceptionally thorough as always.

[@VikkoActual]

I don't comment much. Watching the widening diversity of topics outside of aircraft disasters is fantastic. I commend this channel for being entertaining yet educational in a cultural paradigm of instant gratification and quick hits. Cheers. ❤️👏👍

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thank you for your kind words

[@annemarie4305]

The pacing in this video is fantastic, ad usual. Thank you for telling this story!

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@leon6777]

Your videos are always impeccable, and I can't say anything different about this one. Good stuff

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks!

[@nigelbond4056]

Well done Chloe, a brilliant video as always. I remember this disaster so vividly, having lived not far away at the time. 👌

[@JWUniverse]

Literally only 5 months old when this occurred… Such a sad but very important lesson on Fire safety… I’m also now 35 and just learning of this through your video! Thanks for sharing!

[@lunaequinox7333]

Few stories will ever fascinate me as much as the King’s Cross fire, heck it’s one of the biggest reasons I got into the subject that I’m majoring in (forensic science.) Thank you so much for making such a wonderful video about it.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Great video

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks!

[@kevinbarry71]

Wooden escalators? That's insane. Building codes even of the time would never allow such things.

[@janewilkins8469]

That's all there was back then. I come from there. What you've got to remember is that maintenance on them was virtually zero. It's not the wood, it's the bad management and the stupid person (s) who used matches around wood. Those escalators had been there over 50 years. And to be honest, they were solid. Considering the amount of people on them all day. It certainly was a pain when they wasn't working. Exercise for the day. 😊

[@kevinbarry71]

@@janewilkins8469 wood should never, ever, be used on stairs or anything that is necessary to move people

[@thecornedbeefcouncil9792]

The layout of Kings Cross St Pancras Underground station was excellently explained. Very interesting video.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks!

[@sharongriggs7570]

You do such a great job on all your videos but yours is the best version of this tragedy I’ve seen to date.

[@Corpse_Wires]

an amazing video!! i think one of the best that has covered this disaster. A shame you didnt mention the unnamed victim of this fire as that’s something parents in london, my mum at least, used to get kids to tell their parents where they are at all times. Ive just moved away for uni and was feeling a little homesick for london, and this weirdly helped ease it (maybe it was the handshot footage of king’s cross that just remind me of stressful days navigating that maze) along with a phone call to my folks at home. Love the rail disasters! keep it up!!

[@nicholashunt9522]

Such a shame that it takes an complete terrible event to bring about change.

[@boosterboyzaen8323]

Well, safety is written in blood, infuriatingly

[@Awest101784]

I’ve often wondered, once this made the news…if the person who dropped the match ever realized it was their fault for what happened

[@nyanbinary1717]

This turned out fantastic! Thanks for your extra hard work. ❤

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thank you so much for supporting the channel!

[@puffyelvis5895]

Fantastic episode and your video of the station added a lot to it. Great job

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks, glad you liked it

[@fathomtuns7127]

Too often we forget that our hubs of transportation are just as important as the vehicles themselves! Great job, again

[@b.griffin317]

Having traveled through both the TFL and NRS parts of Kings Cross/St Pancras station numerous times during a recent UK holiday the description given in this video brings back a lot of memories. It is truly scary to think such a fire erupted there and started in the very escalator (one of the best people watching spots in London) I knew so well not that long ago.

[@dillonkentworth6718]

How did I not know wooden escalators ever existed until just now watching this? Much less that they could have existed for decades without cleaning, and in such a busy space. I’ve never seen wooden ones in the US.

[@PuertoRicoBoxing]

Something so simple, You got warned, you saw smoke, a flame was visible and still..Lazy people, and the ones that pay don’t deserve it.

[@questionablebackyardmeows]

Thank you so much for this video! I first heard of this in Seconds from Disaster, you provided some new info on it that wasn't there - and your own video! Congrats for not just using stock footage like so many people do.

[@Mikki-Moo]

That's a terrifying disaster!! But still wonderfully informative coverage, lovely self gotten footage too! 👌🏻

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks!

[@janewilkins8469]

I remember it well. Very sad waking up to this disaster. I lived near King Cross. I was only 17. Still brings a tear to my eyes. Xxx

[@elite_facts_10140]

Hey man, just wanted to say the amount of effort you put into making your videos is highly commendable! Keep up the fantastic work!

[@heatherydew3361]

I remember it happening, such a terrible tragedy. Good job on the video!!

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks for watching!

[@dahliacheung6020]

I would like to add that while grease and garbage are not likely to spontaneously combust, grain dust and oily fabric like rags and also oily paper towels can and do catch fire without needing an external spark due to the process of heat being produced through the materials oxidizing. (I know I'm possibly getting some words wrong here and not including the proper scientific terms so please correct me if I messed something up.)

[@TheRantyRider]

I used to carry out LOLER [safety] inspections on escalators, there is hardly any room under even modern ones so I'm not surprised that olders ones were difficult to clean or maintain. I read a report on the behaviour of people in the incident and despite being told not to leave trains and not to go to the ticket hall people did as "they had always done it that way", a phenomenon known as 'scripting' where people do what is ingrained.

[@YAZZYUTUBE]

I can't believe smoking was ever allowed on the tube. Why should non-smokers have to suffer in enclosed spaces with secondhand smoke?

[@timtec3000]

Excellent as always

[@erajehaidery2019]

This happened a week before the crash of SAA flight 295

[@edobeirne]

I think this is my favorite of your videos of all time! I am mostly an aviation fan, but I really love the degree of detail you went into explaining the structure of the Underground. And shot all the video yourself!

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks for watching!

[@grapeshot]

Yeah the firefighters were saying that everything was on fire in the ticket hole and that it was so hot that are jets of water from their fire hoses was turning to steam before it could hit the objective.

[@robbiemorrison7085]

The Hammersmith & City line was the Metropolitan line before 1990, it then became its own line after that and got the pink colour with it.

[@hannahp1108]

Can confirm that King's Cross is an absolute labyrinth and so confusing as a foreigner

[@marcleslac2413]

My former summer camp companion's mom, was passing by the station entrance, where the infamous clip where smoke was recorded.

[@samsngdevice5103]

Im surprised that only 31 people perished in this insane event.

[@NFTenjoyer]

From the sky to the underground. Love it.

[@damiendurrant2323]

Hi mate you do a great job with all your videos,this one done well but it's first one and I've watch all of them that I didn't enjoy cheers but it was well put together and U worked hard on it but planes are so interesting hope U have more aviation content I wait ever Saturday for the next masterpiece thanks

[@5pilot]

I got a suggestion Aeroflot Flight 3352 It shocking Due to A ground Controller sleeping on the job

[@DisasterBreakdown]

I'll give it a look, thanks!

[@PauperJ]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@elizabethwarman9028]

Very sad. Love UK's Tube systems.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

me too!

[@Thatguyjack758]

It wouldn’t be the last time Kings Cross station would be the scene of disaster. Just shy of 18 years later it was the deadliest bombing (out of 4) during the 7/7 attacks with 26 people losing their lives out of an attack that killed 52 people. I could say the T word, but I don’t think KZbin would take very kindly to that categorization.

[@jackmonaghan8477]

Townsley was referred to by his men as "the governor". Thames TV's KZbin channel has footage of the funerals for the victims, Townsley included.

[@sr20trx]

Appreciate the effort 👍 Great video

[@yvesrongy4355]

I was seventeen when this happen. I live in France but where in London the year before for a student visit. I remember to have been in the King Cross station, and the wooden steps. When I heard the news, I was not surprised.

[@mattscudder1975]

2/2. During the investigation into the fire they found that there was scorch marks on only one side of the escalator, which is how they worked out it was started by a passenger leaving the station. It’s generally accepted behaviour to stand right hand side when using an escalator in the UK leaving the left hand side for people who want to walk up. The thing about the scorch marks is that it showed the investigators that the fire hadn’t been the first one to happen on that escalator. So why did this fire end up doing so much damage. A well meaning member of the public had hit the emergency stop button at the top of the escalator before going to report the fire, in previous fires either nobody noticed the fire or they didn’t stop the escalator. That meant the fire either burned itself out or never caught on to anything major before the fire brigade could put it out. It’s ironic that the person who stopped the escalator ended up helping the fire to spread as the flames were able to catch on to the wooden stationary step.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Just one technical error Colin Townsend was a Station Officer not a Chief. Chiefs are in command of entire fire brigade whilst a Station Officer is in command of a single watch at a fire station. My father passed through King's Cross about 40 minutes before the fire was discovered on his way home from his first of two day shifts as Station Officer at Clerkenwell. He was involved in the clear up the following day when the PM came to visit.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks for the extra info. My mistake on that one.

[@Straswa]

Great vid, I like your narration style.

[@nyxqueenofshadows]

great video, as always! appreciate you going down to film on location too, it must have taken a lot out of you (i know it would me)!

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks. It was a very long day that was non-stop but we got there in the end!

[@senabecool7232]

Have you tried doing the Kaprun train tunnel fire or maybe the Dusseldorf Airport fire

[@RBMapleLeaf]

I've seen the Kaprun Funicular Fire which killed 155 people. Only 11 of the 163 people on both Funicular trains survived (161 on the uphill and 2 on the downhill all survivors were on the Uphill train) of which went down the tunnel beyond the fire while everyone else when up the tunnel but never made it out alive as we learn from This accident fire travels upwards but not downwards in most cases in tunnels. The investigation concluded the rules and regulations were outdated and the heaters used were destined for homes and not moving vehicles. The investigation itself was corrupted by the Austrians and the Germans reopened the investigation and I believe published the true final report also in addition 3 people on the upper level station were also killed from smoke inhalation. By opening windows when black thick smoke reached the top station

[@PrueferAuge]

This video just gave me a giant scare, because my fire detector started beeping... battery was empty

[@Dessert-Storm]

why didn't the firefighters put out the big fire where there was still the escalator

[@Wenlocktvdx]

I remember mum getting lost in Kings Cross in around 1968 trying to get to Goodge St. it’s certainly labyrinthine, as was Middlesex Hospital.

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

Imagine lighting a smoke on your way out of the underground and later hearing about this fire.

[@Arturobrito0502]

Nice, lets see if either crashes involving southern region DMU oR EMU get the spotlight, like the cannon street station or the cowden crashes, or even the 1957 lewisham crash.

[@katttgg]

thank you for the very cool video!! the footage u made was great!!!

[@NorthumberlandSnapper]

Ah ha - a railway one! Now you're talking. Great work as usual Chloe. Thanks for your efforts.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thank you for watching!

[@RWL2012]

She's done a few railway ones before.

[@cynthiatolman326]

By 1987, most people used lighters, but why did this person throw down a lighted match without putting it out first is insane. I wonder if someone did it purposefully, either way, I'm sure they knew they had been the one. If one fireman had taken an axe to the escalator and released the heat and flames, it wouldn't have reacted that way, hindsight is nothing but agonizing and wanting to change the past

[@goodhumourwagon]

Excellent content as always.

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thanks, glad you liked it

[@aresgalamatis7022]

Love your videos, but I wish you covered more non-airplane disasters. Grenfell (2017) first comes to mind first; but also boats, like Samina (2000) and Sewol (2014) would be interesting.

[@mariekatherine5238]

I know they’re notoriously prone to breakdown, and in case of fire, lethal, but I still like the sound of those old clattering dinosaurs.

[@lorenmax2.013]

Great video, your footage is really good!

[@mausm7534]

I loved this video. Infrastructure getting old is a fascinating area of "-and then everything went to shit" videos.

[@QueenOfPessimism]

Whenever i heard abt this tragedy I always found it difficult to envision wooden escalators, so thanks for showing them.

[@PeteS_1994]

So I am seeing that the fire was bad because of a slow response

[@gman83090]

I have notes that at flagstaff and parliament station there is telephone jacks that have police fire and ambulance

[@mattscudder1975]

1/2 There’s two things that are worth noting that were skipped over or misrepresented. Neither of these points are in defence of anyone, I’m just stating facts. The first is that the smoking ban on the underground wasn’t completely ignored by the public. The majority of people didn’t smoke on the trains or on the platforms while waiting for a train. They would however light up a smoke as they got off the train or as they were leaving their destination station. I know it’s twisted but I can remember being a kid and seeing people on the tube getting off with a cigarette or something similar in their mouth and getting ready to light up before the train had even stopped at the station. I assume that the thinking was along the lines off “I’m leaning so I’m not really breaking the rules as I’m going to be out here soon” and it’s also probably why the staff didn’t enforce the rules as the should have thinking “what’s the point”. It’s why the fire started on the up escalator.

[@PeculiarJulia-qu9vf]

I remember that tragic day very well 😞

[@markequinox]

Amazing that it was as late as 1987 that mankind didn’t know fire could cause a ‘trench effect’. You would think that was always known, if that makes sense?