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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

FIRE IN KYIV SUBWAY: THERE WERE THOSE WHO SUFFERED Metro personnel saved the lives of many passengers

13 November, 2012 - 00:00

The Lukianivka metro station, the site of a fire which set the capital astir became operational on July 28. The official version has it that the fire was extinguished within two hours and that no one suffered physical harm.

The Day's journalists took the liberty of doubting the authorities, considering obvious discrepancies between the statement issued by the Chief State Fire Safety Directorate and eyewitness accounts.

Viktor Domansky, First Deputy Chairman of the State Fire Safety Committee, informed The Day that the fire erupted at 16:33, due to a short circuit in the drainage transfer compartment under the escalator. Passengers who were on the platform at the time of the accident were evacuated by the stairs (according to the station personnel, there could have been up to 500 persons at the station, considering the after-lunch rush hours). 16 persons remained on the platform who failed to join those being evacuated. Under the safety regulations the firemen who arrived on the scene could start operating only after turning off the electricity (Mr. Domansky did not specify why this was not done on time). As a result, people stayed on the platform for over 40 minutes, whereupon they were taken away from the station by subway. No physical damage was registered. Fifteen minutes after this interview an ambulance paramedic who refused to identify himself said there were two wounded persons who were taken to the hospital.

Toward the end of that same day The Day was informed by Liudmyla Lobos, Zoloti Vorota Station attendant, that only one train arrived from Lukianivka after the fire, carrying over a dozen passengers.

At the Fire Safety Committee Press Center, The Day’s reporter was told that all those on the platform, except ten persons, were evacuated very quickly.

On July 28, Oleh Venzhyk, Head of the Anti-Fire Propaganda Center, stated in an interview with The Day's Oleksandr Mikhelson that all people who were at the station at the time of the accident were evacuated by subway trains (because the escalator was shut down), and that this caused the delay with cutting off the power completely. He further stated that two persons suffered moderate carbon monoxide poisoning: V. Okhota, an accountant, and L. Rybchynska, a sanitarian.

Fortunately, the fire was extinguished quickly enough and without casualties. Unfortunately, The Day was unable to find out exactly how the people trapped in the station were evacuated – by escalator or subway trains. Considering that even Fire Safety Committee officials were unable to give an exact account of what had actually happened and how, one can only wonder about the firemen's coordinated efforts on the scene, except that an official report on a fire brigade several weeks ago stated all the men were well trained and could handle any such emergency.

FROM The Day's FILES:

Lukianivska station was ceremoniously opened December 30, 1996, built in record time, which outraged subway experts who warned that such haste could have a hazardous effect on the station's safe operation. President Kuchma spoke during the ceremony, saying Hr 80 million was allocated for its construction, stressing that the Cabinet and Prime Minister played a key role in the project.

Photo by Oleksiy Stasenko, The Day:

This time the subway fire was contained

 

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