Kaprun disaster

The Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 funicular once climbed from Kaprun up to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. It ran for 3,900 metres, most of it inside a single tunnel on a steep 30-degree slope. Two trains shared the track, passing each other halfway along the route. Each train had four passenger compartments and a conductor’s cab at both ends. A low-voltage system powered the ascent and descent at 25 kilometres per hour. Hydraulic tanks controlled the brakes and doors, and a winch at the Alpincenter pulled the trains to the main reception centre. The fire began on 11 November 2000 when a faulty fan heater overheated and ignited nearby hydraulic fluid. The train stopped 600 metres into the tunnel and the conductor could not open the hydraulically locked doors. Smoke and flames rose through the tunnel like a chimney, suffocating those who tried to escape upwards. Only twelve people reached safety by breaking windows and descending past the fire. The Alpincenter filled with smoke, killing three more who could not escape in time. A stone memorial with 155 glass columns now stands near the lower station. It marks the place where 155 people died, most of them skiers heading for the slopes. The funicular was never reopened and was replaced by a gondola lift the following year. The tunnel entrance was sealed in 2011, leaving only the memorial as a quiet reminder of the disaster.