Among those killed were at least eight members of the German Ski Association and 29 other Germans, 92 Austrians, 10 Japanese, 8 Americans, 4 Slovenes, 2 Dutch, one person from the Czech Republic, and one person from Great Britain. Some recent advances in technology, specifically state-of-the-art ventilation and water suppression systems, are also discussed. "Best of the Web" The sustainability of existing tunnels, given the increased road traffic and changed vehicle mix, or the new rolling stocks, needs innovative design practices. The cable car caught fire in a mountain tunnel, making it difficult to access for rescuers and for those trapped inside to escape (via UPI ). MORE than 170 skiers and . Manfred Muller, the railway's security director, said: "We never thought it was possible that a fire could break out." Some bodies were found on narrow stairs leading upward from the train, indicating that they had managed to get out but were overcome by smoke. They were desperately trying to find a way out. In the late 1920s the German AEG company and the Salzburg state government developed plans for a Hohe Tauern hydroelectricity power plant, including two reservoirs in the Kaprun Valley. A slow leak of highly flammable hydraulic oil was ignited by the burning heater, which in turn melted the plastic fluid lines further feeding the flames, and also resulting in the hydraulic pressure loss which caused the train to stop and the doors to fail. Prior to the passenger train leaving the lower terminus shortly after 9:00 am, the electric fan heater in the unattended cabin at the lower end of the train caught fire, due to a design fault that caused the unit to overheat. All Rights Reserved. MORE than 170 skiers and snowboarders, many of them children, choked and burnt to death yesterday when fire swept through a packed funicular train trapped inside a mountainside tunnel in the Austrian Alps. The inhumane conditions were depicted by Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek in her 2003 play Das Werk. The stations were abandoned and the tunnel sealed, and it remains unused today. Austrian police said that most of the victims had been burnt to ashes by a fire so ferocious that it destroyed everything but the train's chassis. Fire safety in rail and road tunnels is challenging because of the specific features of the tunnel environment. By: Francis Xavier, What happens when your campsite isnt bear-proofcheck out his video from the Oakland Zoo to find out. 2 Dutch The disaster killed 155 people (150 on the ascending train, 2 on the descending train and 3 in the mountain station). The Kaprun disaster was a fire that occurred in an ascending railway car in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn 2 railway in Kaprun, Austria, on 11 November 2000. The new funicular opened in 2005, making it both the oldest On 11 November 2000, it was the site of the Kaprun disaster, in which 149 skiers lost their lives in a tunnel fire. The smoke killed the attendant and the only passenger in the other identical train. The tragedy occurred Monday, when the Kitzsteinhorn-bound funicular burst into flames in a tunnel, trapping nearly all of its passengers. This paper looks at some of the lessons learned from the Kaprun funicular tunnel fire of 2000; the King's Cross underground station fire of 1987; the Baku subway fire of 1995 and the Channel Tunnel fire of 1996. Seiss said there was insufficient evidence to find the suspects responsible for the conditions that led to the blaze. 37 Germans celebrate its 120th year of providing service between the Kornmarkt, in Heidelberg's Altstadt, and the Knigstuhl, "Fire on the Ski Slope" is about the Kaprun disaster.The Kaprun disaster was the fire that occurred in a funicular car in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn 2 railway in Kaprun, Austria, on 11 November 2000. Authorities have yet to discover the cause of the explosion. All I wanted to do was to get out. ascent or descent. The Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 was a funicular railway running from Kaprun to the Kitzsteinhorn, which opened in 1974. Franz Schausberger, the Salzburg governor, said: "It is a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. Kaprun, Austria, Nov. 15, 2000-The final death toll is 155 people in what can be pronounced history's worst cable car accident. There were 12 survivors from the burning ascending train. | 155 skiers and staff perished in the flames and smoke, and the tunnel has remained . The funicular was never re-opened after the disaster and was replaced by another gondola lift, a 24-person Gletscherjet 1 funitel. Asked about possible British casualties, Major Richard Schieder of the Austrian police said: "The problem is the people on board were very badly burnt so identification is going to be very difficult. Tuesday, investigators found an oily substance on a mountain railway in Austria, offering the first potential clue. The disaster killed 155 people (150 on the ascending train, two on the descending train and three in the mountain station). Authorities have yet to discover the cause of the explosion. An investigation found that the train was poorly equipped to deal with fires, making the mountain disaster all the more tragic, as many deaths could have been avoided with better systems and care from the designers. Like other underground funiculars around the world, the From his hospital bed he said: "It was pure panic. For example, reliable and early fire detection in tunnels can provide the tunnel operator with early warnings of fire and its location, allowing for timely activation of the emergency response such as the emergency ventilation system. Kornmarkt to the Schloss or castle, is even older: It opened for business Only twelve people survived the disaster. The funicular was never reopened after the disaster and was replaced by a gondola lift, a 24-person Gletscherjet 1 funitel. The conductor and the sole passenger on the railway's second train, which was descending the mountain in the same tunnel from above the burning carriage, also died of smoke inhalation. The cable car caught fire in a mountain tunnel, making it difficult to access for rescuers and for those trapped inside to escape (via UPI). and the Schloss or castle on the hill overlooking the old town.). On November 11, 2000, over 100 skiers were riding a cable car funicular train in Kaprun, Austria, excited for a day traversing the Alps. AB - The catastrophic consequences of the tunnel fires (e.g., the Mont Blanc tunnel, 1999, the Austrian Kaprun funicular tunnel, 2000, and the Swiss St. Gotthard tunnel, 2001) not only resulted in loss of life, severe property damages, but also left the public with a lack of confidence in using such systems. ABOVE: The upper section of the Heidelberger By Philip Sherwell, Michael Leidig in Vienna, Julian Coman in Kaprun, Jenny Booth and Daniel Foggo, Jewish leaders want to meet Guardian editor over anti-Semitic Richard Sharp cartoon, Islamic State leader killed in Syria by Turkish intelligence services, says president, The Kings Coronation could herald a beautiful bloom of wildflowers, Duke of Sussex waxwork reunited with royals at Madame Tussauds, Watch: Mark Selby claims first ever 147 in World Snooker Championship final, Manchester United fans demand complete removal of Glazers. There were no engines, fuel tanks, or drivers, only low-voltage electrical systems, 160-litre hydraulic tanks (used for the brake system) and an attendant who operated the hydraulic doors. 170 perish in Alpine tunnel inferno. [6][7], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}471332.26N 124314.67E / 47.2256278N 12.7207417E / 47.2256278; 12.7207417. Web site. The victims were skiers on their way to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. Everyone else aboard perished in the darkness after the blaze erupted at 9.30am near Kaprun, 9,000ft above sea level. It was first climbed in 1828 by local mountaineer Johann Entacher. The Kapruner Ache creek joins the Salzach River south of the settlement. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. (Cars run underground between Kornmarkt, in the Altstadt, The Kaprun disaster was a fire that occurred in an ascending train in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 funicular in Kaprun, Austria, on 11 November 2000. June 18, 2002 Posted: 6:15 AM EDT (1015 GMT) The Kaprun funicular rail blaze clamed the lives of 155 people from around the world. For example, reliable and early fire detection in tunnels can provide the tunnel operator with early warnings of fire and its location, allowing for timely activation of the emergency response such as the emergency ventilation system. Testing skis and winter gear is hard work (just ask our boot testers)but someone's gotta do it. more information on riding the funicular or taking your vows on the trip up, Imboden. All the passengers ascending on foot, as well as the train conductor, were asphyxiated by the smoke and then burned by the fire. On 11 November 2000, 161 passengers and one conductor boarded the funicular train for an early morning trip to the slopes. Built with Bucyrus equipment and massive help from the Marshall Plan European Recovery Program, the power plant became an icon of post-war reconstruction. The town is a tourist destination known as "Zell am See-Kaprun" with the neighbouring Zell am See and known for the glacier Kitzsteinhorn. On 11 November 2000, 161 passengers and one conductor boarded the funicular train for an early morning trip to the slopes. They left the exit doors open, a factor which increased the chimney effect within the tunnel, by allowing air to escape upwards more quickly and further intensifying the fire. @article{3e91232b8fab481f8f9eeb9311e08566. A slow leak of highly flammable hydraulic oil was ignited by the burning, melting heater, which in turn melted the plastic fluid lines, further feeding the flames and also resulting in the hydraulic pressure loss which caused the train to stop and the doors to fail. The tragedy occurred Monday, when the Kitzsteinhorn-bound funicular burst into flames in a tunnel, trapping nearly all of its passengers. November 11, 2000. Poisonous. In this section I will briefly explain the events that are known as the Kaprun disaster. The intensity of the fire required the bodies to be identified with DNA samples, which forensic experts are now collecting. Miclea, Paul C. ; Chow, Wan Ki ; Chien, Shen Wen et al. Survivors described horrifying scenes as people trapped inside the train screamed with terror before the choking fumes silenced them. Experts from the Austrian infrastructure ministry arrived at the scene to start their investigation, but officials said there were no plans to close the country's other underground funiculars. Others died in the control center as the smoke was funneled toward them. Three died in the shop and restaurant because of smoke. The Kaprun disaster was a fire that occurred in an ascending railway car in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn 2 railway in Kaprun, Austria, on 11 November 2000. Unfortunately, most of them would never make it. The son of Renate Fortyer, a hotelier in Kaprun, was near the upper terminus when the fire broke out. Europe > The disaster killed 155 people (150 on the ascending train, two on the descending train and three in the mountain station). Professional Skier Kyle Smaine, 31, Killed in Avalanche in Japan, American Travis Ganong Finishes Third in the Most Dangerous Downhill Race in the World. The terrible fire on the Kaprun funicular railway has exposed a criminal lack of safety procedures. The other three were found at a station stop at the top of the tunnel. For the Indigenous Australian ethnic group, see, "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundeslnder - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018", "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kaprun&oldid=1118811962, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 October 2022, at 01:52. [citation needed]. Heidelberger Bergbahn. Inc.", Miclea, PC, Chow, WK, Chien, SW, Li, J, Kashef, AH & Kai, K 2007, '. Fire safety in rail and road tunnels is challenging because of the specific features of the tunnel environment. One train would carry passengers up the mountain while the other train simultaneously descended the mountain. There were 12 survivors (10 Germans and two Austrians) from the burning ascending train. Another cause may have been a short circuit in a battery that provides lighting and power for the train or a fire started accidentally by a passenger. The 17-member Macedonian group was fatigued from their 24-hour journey to Austria and decided to rest instead of taking the funicular to Kitzsteinhorn. The attendant in the burning train died with the 149 skiers. Instead, down the valley in Kaprun, they gathered in a sports hall to wait for lists to be produced of who was believed to have been on the slopes or in hotels and hostels - and who was missing.The local authorities will post the names of people who returned safely from Kitzsteinhorn on the internet after taking the names of 2,500 skiers during the day. They were the only passengers to survive. Two fleeing workers in the Alpine Centre, upon seeing the smoke, alerted employees and customers and escaped via an emergency exit. UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548260848&partnerID=8YFLogxK. The Truth About The Deadly Kaprun Railway Disaster. So many young people, who were here to take part in today's snow-boarding event, have lost their lives and I share in the grief of the relatives of the victims." Authorities had no nationalities for the four remaining victims. Meanwhile, the centre was filled with smoke and all except four people escaped the centre. Gletscherbahn 2 was a funicular railway with two carriages running from Kaprun to the Kitzsteinhorn which opened on 23 March 1974. Two fleeing workers in the Alpine Centre, upon seeing the smoke, alerted employees and customers and escaped via an emergency exit. There were 12 survivors. Kaprun (German pronunciation: [kaprun]) is a municipality in the Zell am See District in the state of Salzburg, Austria. Hotline numbers for worried relatives: Red Cross: 0043 662 81 44 300; District Council: 0043 65 47 20000. Mrs Fortyer said: "He saw smoke coming out of the tunnel and they opened the door and fumes just poured out. Here is the full 44 "Fire on the Ski Slope" documentary television episode of "Seconds from Disaster", a documentary television series on National Geographic Channel. This melted through the pipes that carried the hydraulic fluid, which was not only flammable but necessary for braking and other functions of the funicular. The victims of the disaster included:[2], 92 Austrians When it was built in 1974 the system was described as "fireproof". that travel in opposite directions and pass each other at the midpoint of their Absolutely heartbreaking. The lowest section, running from Kapruner Thoerl up to the Salzburg Hut, is 2028 metres long and climbs 970 metres in altitude. 18, there's no upper age limit, and rates include insurance. Located at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, Kaprun is a year-round sports centre. The smoke continued to rise up the tunnel, reaching the Alpine Centre located at the top end of the track 2,500m (8,200ft) away. in early December. Minimum driver age is Heating, Ref. The tunnel was turned into a furnace in which temperatures were estimated to have reached 1,000C. The topping out ceremony was held on 23 September 1955, a few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty. Air-Conditoning Eng. Miclea PC, Chow WK, Chien SW, Li J, Kashef AH, Kai K. International tunnel fire-safety design practices. time is 2 minutes from the Kornmarkt to the Schloss, Miclea, P. C., Chow, W. K., Chien, S. W., Li, J., Kashef, A. H., & Kai, K. (2007). Unfortunately, most of them would never make it. parts. Unofficial From The Web Climbing N2 - The catastrophic consequences of the tunnel fires (e.g., the Mont Blanc tunnel, 1999, the Austrian Kaprun funicular tunnel, 2000, and the Swiss St. Gotthard tunnel, 2001) not only resulted in loss of life, severe property damages, but also left the public with a lack of confidence in using such systems. . This paper looks at some of the lessons learned from the Kaprun funicular tunnel fire of 2000; the King's Cross underground station fire of 1987; the Baku subway fire of 1995 and the Channel Tunnel fire of 1996. The Kaprun disaster refers to the fire that occurred on November 11th 2000 in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn (glacier train in German) Kaprun 2 funicular (cable railway) in Kaprun, Austria, not far from Salzburg. They mistakenly left the exit doors open, a factor which increased the chimney effect within the tunnel by allowing air to escape upwards more quickly and further intensifying the fire. 12 minute documentary detailing the tragic events of 11th of November, 2000 in Kaprun, Austria when a funicular railway fire on in the middle of a tunnel claimed the lives 155 people, the majority of which skiers on their way to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. An avalanche killed 12 people last March south of Salzburg, in the same region. It could carry up to 180 passengers. The catastrophic consequences of the tunnel fires (e.g., the Mont Blanc tunnel, 1999, the Austrian Kaprun funicular tunnel, 2000, and the Swiss St. Gotthard tunnel, 2001) not only resulted in loss of life, severe property damages, but also left the public with a lack of confidence in using such systems. Kaprun is a typical Alpine village, its streets lined by traditional stucco and wood chalet-style houses and hotels, their overhanging roofs iced in winter with a thick layer of snow. What Does It Take to Win Birds of Prey? completely rebuilt after the The railway had the unusual track gauge of 946mm (.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3ft1+14in) and a length of 3,900 metres (12,800ft), with 3,300 metres (10,800ft) of track inside a tunnel. Groes Wiesbachhorn, 3,564m (11,693ft), part of the Hohe Tauern range, forming the border of Salzburg with Carinthia. The visitors centre gives guided tours of the area. There was no cellphone reception within the tunnels, which meant that passengers had no method of contacting the attendant. Nearly one year after the fire, the official inquiry determined that the cause was the failure, overheating and ignition of one of the fan heaters installed in the conductor's compartments that were not designed for use in a moving vehicle. Many people were crying and screaming in fear for their lives. Many of the still-trapped occupants had by now lost consciousness due to toxic fumes. On 19 February 2004, Judge Manfred Seiss acquitted all 16 suspects. The train ascended and descended the route at 25km/h (16mph), angled at 30 degrees. /. the Heidelberger Bergbahn's tunnel and subterranean funicular were closed and completely rebuilt after the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 funicular fire in Austria killed 155 people on November 11, 2000. Speaking on Austrian radio, one of the survivors described smoke pouring through the carriages. In 1606 Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau had the local burgrave beheaded for siding with local insurgents. The train All rights reserved. On the 11 th November 2000, the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 Funicular in Austria was the scene of a disaster that claimed the lives of 155 people. A new transport system was eventually built, and the train never reopened, only leaving behind a sealed tunnel and a grim legacy. International tunnel fire-safety design practices. abstract = "The catastrophic consequences of the tunnel fires (e.g., the Mont Blanc tunnel, 1999, the Austrian Kaprun funicular tunnel, 2000, and the Swiss St. Gotthard tunnel, 2001) not only resulted in loss of life, severe property damages, but also left the public with a lack of confidence in using such systems. INSET BELOW: Maintenance workers collect leaves from the tracks Heidelberg > Funicular. The train complied with area safety codes, which did not address the systems installed on the train during its 1993 upgrade. from 9 a.m. until late afternoon in winter and until mid-evening in summer. Austria ski tunnel fire case opens. The reservoir area has become a tourist attraction, with views over the towns of Kaprun and Zell am See. - Forbes and The Washington Post. and most modern of Germany's funicular systems. Together they form a unique fingerprint. British holidaymakers were believed to be among the victims on the cable railway to the popular Kitzsteinhorn glacier. The sustainability of existing tunnels, given the increased road traffic and changed vehicle mix, or the new rolling stocks, needs innovative design practices. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier railway has operated since 1974 and was the world's first Alpine underground railway. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. It is located in the Pinzgau region on the northern slopes of the Alpine Glockner Group with Mt. I only managed to save myself in the last few seconds because a window had been kicked in and I could fight my way outside.". By evening, several hours after the blaze ended, plumes of smoke were still spewing from the tunnel entrance, as firemen wearing breathing gear worked their way down the tunnel. The train complied with area safety codes, which did not address the systems installed on the train during its 1993 upgrade. Dozens of children and teenagers were killed on the cable railway in the Alps' worst disaster. They tried to tear open the closed doors and to smash the windows. Six more deaths occurred indirectly. 1 Czech. The passengers, by this stage aware of the fire and unable to exit through the doors, attempted to smash the break-resistant acrylic glass windows in order to escape. 1 Briton They called the blaze an "unbelievable tragedy", adding that "we and the whole village are in mourning". Daron Rahlves Knows. Salvage workers and police continue to work steadily to identify victims and to discover the cause of the catastrophe. Railsystem goes on to describe that the train, created in 1974 and upgraded in 1993, had no smoke alarms and no fire extinguishers within reach of passengers. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement, CIVIL ENGINEERING (PROCEEDINGS OF THE ICE). Professor Joseph Nejez, a funicular train expert, said that the designers throughout the years had a perception that a fire could not occur since no fire occurred in a funicular cabin prior to the Kaprun disaster. The tunnel acted like a giant blast furnace, sucking oxygen in from the bottom and rapidly sent the poisonous smoke, heat and the fire itself billowing upwards. The zoo set up a mock camping (). The twelve survivors of the disaster were the passengers who travelled downhill past the fire at the rear of the train, escaping the upward-rising fumes and smoke. Eventually, the conductor was able to unlock the doors, allowing them to be manually forced open by the remaining conscious passengers who spilled out into the tunnel and fled upwards and away from the fire. The Kaprun disaster was a fire that occurred in an ascending train in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 funicular in Kaprun, Austria, on 11 November 2. Heidelberg Student Prison - Studentenkarzer, Contact information, in 1890, with service to the castle and to the settlement of Molkenkur. Most of the victims were skiers on their way to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. Capt Harald Hofmann of the Salzburg police, said: "We will only be able to identify them from rings, X-rays and dental work.". The onboard electric power, hydraulic braking systems, and fan heaters intended for use in homes instead of trains increased the likelihood of fire.[2]. Mr Muller, the security director, denied reports that fire doors at the top and bottom of the tunnel were not closed, as they should have been. disclosures, audience. Some recent advances in technology, specifically state-of-the-art ventilation and water suppression systems, are also discussed. publisher = "Amer. The passengers, by this stage aware of the fire and unable to exit through the doors, attempted to break the shatter-resistant acrylic windows in order to escape. Today, the completely renovated funicular consists of two parts: . Whatever the cause, the flames and smoke raced up through the tunnel with such speed and force that three people waiting at a station on the mountain were also killed by the fumes, as was the driver of an empty train travelling downhill. after changing to the vintage funicular at Molkenkur. The tunnel terminated at the main reception centre, called the Alpincenter, where a motorized winch system pulled the wagons. from Molkenkur to Knigstuhl (shown above), which uses antique cars with modern working The Austrian Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek incorporated the disaster in her 2003 play In den Alpen (In the alps). Firefighters reached the centre and saved one of the four, while the other three were asphyxiated.[1]. It was impossible to breathe." Meanwhile, the centre filled with smoke and all except four people escaped from the centre. Download the app. The victims were also thought to include two Americans from a ski club at a US military base in Germany. The young woman - who was not named - said: "There was no hope for those who are left behind in the tunnel. By continuing you agree to the use of cookies, PolyU Scholars Hub data protection policy. The train, the Gletscherbahn 2, was a funicular railway running from Kaprun to the Kitzsteinhorn, opened in 1974. title = "International tunnel fire-safety design practices". Kaprun (German pronunciation: ) is . No smoke detectors were installed. The Kaprun disasterwas a fire that occurred in an ascending train in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn Kaprun2 funicular in Kaprun, Austria, on 11 November 2000.
Catweazle Filming Locations,
Does The Sun Rise Earlier After Daylight Savings,
What Happened To Birk Balthazar,
Golden Gate Bridge Jumpers July 2020,
Articles K
