18 November 1987 - my life was saved
King's Cross and St Pancras stations stand side by side. They share a London underground stop, where 18/11/87 my partner saved my life. Arriving from work around 7.30pm, me heading for St Pancras, Mary for King's Cross, we travelled up the escalator, smoke was everywhere, hot, very hot. Firemen running on the down escalator.
I stopped, looking to see what was going on, but Mary grabbed my arm sharply, “Come on Nev, let’s get out of here!” Hurrying through the exit tunnel, we emerged, then looked across, shocked to see an inferno. Flash fire, 31 deaths; not me; thanks Mary!
- Category: True Stories Told As Fiction
- Tags: King's Cross underground fire. 31 deaths. Escalator fire. The one we'd been on.
4 comments add one below
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Neville Hunt over 8 years ago
It took about 40 seconds to walk from the ticket hall and the inferno to the end of the tunnel to Kings Cross train station. That's how close we were. We had been on the very escalator that caught alight with such instantaneous devastation...just seconds before. A VERY close shave indeed!
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Chris Walker over 8 years ago
It's amazing how close we sometimews come to the abyss without knowing it. Glad you made it!
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Neville Hunt over 8 years ago
Thanks Chris. Funny thing is, I didn't quite see the drama at the time...and I was all for hanging about and seeing what was going on!
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Lisa Williams over 7 years ago
Bloody hell X
