(Untitled)

[gir1interrupted]

From http://www.tfl.gov.uk.edgesuite.net
TUBE

• This is the worst incident in the history of London underground
• The last serious incident was the Kings Cross fire in 1987 when 27 people died after a machine room under a wooden escalator caught fire. This led to a major overhaul of emergency procedures
• There was a derailment at White City on May 11

Comments

[lisy_babe]

There was a derailment at Chancery Lane 25 January 2003 with no injuries and no fatalities

I thought there was one broken wrist at Chancery Lane...

[blue_condition]

> This is the worst incident in the history of London underground

In terms of fatalities, no, it isn't. About 43 were killed at Moorgate in '75, back when the Northern City Line was part of London Underground - it was returned to BR some time later.

Possibly churlish to point it out to them, but they are wrong.

[gir1interrupted]

Sorry, I'm not sure on either of your comments. I'm from the states, so I don't know. Just saw this and thought I would post it for you all.

My thoughts and prayers to you all.

[blue_condition]

Not a problem - I'm just a pedant with an interest in underground railways. I suspect that Moorgate's been 'forgotten' because that line is now part of the mainline railway network.

[silverfiligree]

I'm just a pedant with an interest in underground railways
Me too ;o) Balham had a higher death count than Moorgate (see my answer below).

[purplecthulhu]

Not to sound callous, but looking at the tube bombs alone, it is not the worst incident...

In 1975 the Moorgate tube crash killed 43 in a single incident

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorgate_tube_crash

while during WW2, in 1943, 173 died at Bethnal Green tube station when someone fell at the top of the stairs during an air raid false alarm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethnal_Green_tube_station

I'm not trying to diminish the horror of what happened yesterday, but we have seen worse than this before. In some way, these past events have helped prepare the emergency services which was why they did so well.

[blue_condition]

Bethnal Green was suppressed for several years. You're right.

Well worth reading Emmerson's London's Secret Tubes for a lot more information on underground shelters.

[purplecthulhu]

I use Bethnal Green Tube every day, and there's now a memorial plaque up for the dead. Suppressed no longer...

[blue_condition]

Actually - Bethnal Green station wasn't in use when that incident happened - it wasn't "live" as a station until '46. So I think Moorgate counts as the 'worst disaster'.

[justmadabout]

apparently the kings cross fire was thought to be caused by a carelessly tossed cigarette. makes me very very glad the entire underground network is non-smoking now.

[silverfiligree]

The highest death count was at Balham station, a WWII bomb fell on the crossroads and burst a water main - mud and wet gravel flooded the station and killed over 60 people. Balham was an active station at that time unlike Bethnal Green.

I suppose when the final numbers are known the latest disaster could outrank Balham, but I suppose the pedants could argue that there were four separate incidents. Statisticians like arguing about numbers!

I don't have any strong opinion which is the "correct" answer, I'm just being a pedant and a tube geek.

Wow

[ladiorange]

Balham is my closest station and I use it often (when I'm not bussing) and I never kenw that. But as soon as I read the first line, I thought of all the documentaries I saw about WWII and the London Underround being used as shelters. I couldn't remember specifics, but I knew it was more than what we loss on Thursday.

Not to diminish what happened on Thursday.

Either way, we don't know how many people are actually dead because now the press only say "50 something". Also, they might count the victims who are injured in regards to "calculating" the worst disaster. There might be a lot of factors. Even if this is truly the worst, it seems a bit ignorant for them to leave off the three other incidents the other commenters have mentioned (Balham, Moorgate, and Bethnal Green.)