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N0KFQ > TODAY 11.11.11 22:09l 50 Lines 2175 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 13897_KB0WSA
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Subj: Today in History - Nov 11
Path: IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<VE3UIL<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 111111/2046Z 13897@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.0.4
Nov 11, 2000:
Skiers die in cable-car fire
A cable car taking skiers to a glacier in Austria catches fire on
this day in 2000 as it passes through a mountain tunnel; 156
people die. Only 11 people managed to survive the fire, which was
caused by an illegal space heater.
Kitzsteinhorn Mountain in the Austrian Alps is a popular skiing
and snowboarding destination located just south of Salzburg. In
order to reach the mountain's prime skiing locations, it is
necessary to take a cable car from the town of Kaprun into the
mountains and through a 2.5-mile tunnel. The 90-foot-long car is
pulled by a cable along train-like tracks.
On the morning of November 11, the car left at 9 a.m. for its
journey up the mountain; within two minutes, flames were spotted
shooting from the car. The cable car had just entered the
concrete shaft tunnel when a disruption indicator, part of the
car's safety system, automatically stopped it. Quickly, the
tunnel filled with toxic smoke, but the doors wouldn't open. In
the back of the car, a man smashed the rear window Plexiglas and
11 people were able to crawl out the back to a stairway that led
several hundred yards down to the entrance.
The other passengers were not so fortunate. Although some
passengers were able to make it out of the front of the car and
attempted to climb to the top of the tunnel, the tunnel acted as
a chimney sending flames and smoke straight up. In fact, the
driver of the corresponding car coming down the tunnel was burned
near the exit at the top. Three other people who were near the
top of the tunnel also burned to death.
The fire burned all day, as it was not until that evening that
workers could get to the train. Once there, they encountered
bodies that were burned and charred beyond recognition. One
worker later said "I don't want to describe it for the sake of
the families." An inquiry into the fire's cause revealed that a
space heater in the driver's cabin had caused the hydraulic oil
in a pipe to overheat and leak on to a plastic seat, where it
ignited.
73, K.O. n0kfq
Another old retired guy
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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