Seconds from Disaster

In 1987, a catastrophic fire broke out at King's Cross tube station on the London Underground, igniting the wooden escalator system after a discarded match came into contact with it. The blaze claimed the lives of 31 people, including commuters and station staff, making it one of the deadliest incidents in the network's history.

King's Cross Fire is a television programme presented as a single episode. It falls within the episode genre and centres on a single, well‑known disaster that took place in London’s underground network. The title makes clear that the story is confined to the events surrounding the fire at King’s Cross station. The core of the episode recounts the 1987 blaze that erupted in King’s Cross Tube station. According to the programme, the fire began after a passenger dropped a match onto a wooden escalator, igniting the timber and setting off a rapid spread of flames throughout the station. The incident resulted in the deaths of 31 people, making it one of the deadliest underground accidents in recent history. The episode details the circumstances that led to the tragedy, focusing on the wooden construction of the escalator and the role it played in accelerating the fire. By concentrating on the single act of discarding a match, the programme highlights how a seemingly minor action can have catastrophic consequences in a confined public space. In its final segments, the programme outlines the immediate impact of the fire, noting the loss of 31 lives and the shock it caused across the city. It stays strictly within the factual account of the incident, offering viewers a concise yet comprehensive overview of what happened at King’s Cross in 1987.