LONDON — 1987 · Major Tragedy
King's Cross Underground Fire
On the evening of 18 November 1987, a lit match is thought to have fallen through a wooden escalator at King's Cross St Pancras tube station, igniting the grease and litter beneath. At about 19:45 a sudden flashover sent flames up the escalator shaft into the ticket hall. Thirty-one people died, including a fire brigade station officer, and around 100 were injured. The public inquiry led by Desmond Fennell identified the previously unknown 'trench effect' and made 157 recommendations. Smoking was banned throughout the Underground and wooden escalators were gradually replaced with metal ones. The last unidentified victim was only identified in 2004.
- Date
- 1987
- Place
- Camden, England, London, UK
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 51.5308, -0.1238 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 18 November 1987Fire broke out on a wooden escalator at King's Cross; 31 people died.
- February–June 1988The Fennell inquiry held hearings and identified the 'trench effect'.
- November 1988The inquiry report was published with 157 recommendations.
- 22 January 2004The last long-unidentified victim was finally identified.
Sources
- Wikipedia — King's Cross fire en.wikipedia.org ↗
- London Fire Brigade — The King's Cross fire 1987 london-fire.gov.uk ↗
- Wikipedia
- London Fire Brigade
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.