FIRE! in the (Channel)tunnel

[Easilyconfused]

I have to agree with Doug here - I was going to post earlier but have been busy working on the model railway most of the day. The channel tunnel is a well engineered and professionally run operation.

If you want to talk about luck then I will provide a brief digression to illustrate what I call lucky.

In 1997 I was coming home to Bristol from London on Friday night about 5:00pm, with a colleague in our hired car. Just west of Reading on the M4 we passed an HGV that was on the hardshoulder. Seconds later my cars in front started breaking hard and swerving all over the place. My colleague slowed up fast and there was mud and bits of barrier everywhere all over lane 3 which we were in.

Then the penny dropped - the HGV was facing the wrong way - it had punched through from the other side, crossed 3 live lanes of rush hour traffic without hitting anything and the driver brought it to a rest safely. Nobody was injured. The police shut the motorway shortly afterwards and the radio was going about it all the way home.

That is a good example of lucky in my book.

A few weeks later a similar incident at Slough lead to 4 deaths.

[WSR2005]

...which was kinda the point I was trying to make but I have to say I agree with both of you Doug and John. Used the Chunnel many a time and safety procedures are clearly described at the beginning of each journey, and as we've seen here it's clearly very safe in the case of emergency.

[dkightley]

Talking about being lucky, I wasn't intending to post this....but on the 18th November 1987, I was on business in south London, and travelled across London on the Circle line to St Pancras...and just made the 7:30pm train with about a minute to spare.

After I got off the underground train, I went up this escalator:


It caught fire at 7:32pm...and 31 people were killed.

[WSR2005]

Talking about being lucky, I wasn't intending to post this....but on the 18th November 1987, I was on business in south London, and travelled across London on the Circle line to St Pancras...and just made the 7:30pm train with about a minute to spare.

After I got off the underground train, I went up this escalator:


It caught fire at 7:32pm...and 31 people were killed.

Jesus Christ Doug That's not just lucky, that's scary. Going to give me nightmares now .

[dkightley]

I think it was that one incident that led to the introduction of a smoking ban on the underground, and to increased fire safety measures, including staff training and emergency drills, etc.......features that have made the Channel Tunnel so safe!

[rfletcher72]

Well chuff me!

Luck in my book? July 7th 2005.

I had a meeting to attend near Valenciennes (Northern France) at 1300 that day. Not being the best of flyers, when such a need arises I always insist in travelling down to London, tube (not necessary now) then Eurostar from Waterloo to Lille, quick hop across the bridge then SNCF to my destination.

You can do it there and back in a day at a push. So my employer, ever keen to see me at my desk and save a few bob, booked me on an early departure from Doncaster to Kings Cross that morning, arrival 0823. The day before I poo pooed this and insisted they book me out on the 6th, the 1227 Sheffield to St. Pancras to arrive at the Grande Hotel (definitely an invitation to treat ) in Valenciennes before 2000 (and many, many beers later).

The next day in my meeting, I got a text about the bombings. Thought it a joke a first, unfortunately not. Am I so glad I set off the day before??? Kings Cross at that time???

To get home, faced with being stuck in Ashford, I called work who got me a taxi to Zaventem Airport (Brussels) and it was no mean feat to swallow my pride and have to fly back to East Midlands Airport (£639 - I kid you NOT) then a taxi home.

Was just happy to get home - I think of those who did not that day...

[jtiffin]

I think it was that one incident that led to the introduction of a smoking ban on the underground, and to increased fire safety measures, including staff training and emergency drills

Well, there is a Seconds from Disaster episode about King's Cross.