Horror pictures from U1
Vienna narrowly avoided disaster
Dense smoke, charred rubble, black discolored paint: these are the devastating images of the special train on the U1 subway line. Footage leaked to the "Krone" newspaper shows how close Vienna came to disaster on Tuesday ...
The day after the near-disaster, the clean-up work is still in full swing. "The fire department is helping to remove the train. The tracks, the conductor rail, the train safety system and the structure are being checked for damage," explained Wiener Linien on Wednesday morning. The team is doing everything possible to resume operations as quickly as possible.
Passengers will have to be patient
Nevertheless, patience is required: checking the systems and repairing damage will take time, so the end of the disruption cannot be foreseen at present. As the "Krone" already reported, the partial line closure is likely to last several days. The U1 line is currently only running between Oberlaa and Reumannplatz and between Schwedenplatz and Leopoldau.
Photos and videos leaked to the "Krone" show only too well how narrowly the federal capital escaped a tragedy on Tuesday. Broken windows, charred debris, a smoking wreck: it is a frightening, chaotic spectacle that shows the effects of the fire.
No passengers on the special train
Fortunately, no passengers were injured because the vehicle was a special train. However, the driver, who was only 25 years old, had to be taken to hospital. She suffered mild smoke inhalation and is currently receiving psychological treatment. Six employees were also slightly injured - they are no longer receiving medical treatment. A cyclist who had crashed into a pole as a bystander also suffered injuries.
Inferno unusual even for the fire department
Vienna's professional fire department arrived with 28 vehicles and 80 people on Tuesday to extinguish the fire in the subway tunnel. Although such scenarios are trained for, such an inferno is unusual even for the emergency services, explains Christian Feiler from the Vienna professional fire department to "Krone".
"Leave the danger zone quickly"
The biggest problems are heavy smoke and the enormous heat that rapidly builds up in the tunnel. Although there are smoke detectors and smoke extractors in tunnels, there are no sprinkler systems. In many cases, these would also be useless for such a situation, says Feiler. The fire was fought with water and foam. After an hour, the fire was reported as "out", a surprisingly short time for such a large fire. None of the emergency services were injured. However, the clean-up work will continue for some time.
When asked what passengers should do in such a case, Feiler replies: "Leave the danger zone as quickly as possible." Covering your mouth with a scarf or similar doesn't really help. Get outside is the motto.
Public transport collapse looms in the next few days
In Vienna, it's all about waiting for the time being. Especially in the morning hours on the way to work. "Wiener Linien is asking passengers to pay attention to the announcements, spread out and avoid unnecessary journeys in the coming days. We are providing ongoing information on all channels," emphasizes and assures the municipal transport company.
The effects of the current section closures and construction work were already clearly noticeable on Wednesday morning. There were numerous delays on the streetcar and subway lines. There was hectic activity and crowds of people, especially at the U4 and U3 stations. The situation is unlikely to calm down in the next few days.
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