Ufa train disaster
Encyclopedia
The Ufa train disaster was an explosion on the Kuybyshev Railway
on June 4, 1989 at 1:15 (local time) in the Soviet Union
, about 50 kilometers from the city of Ufa
. It was the most deadly railway accident in Soviet history.
The explosion occurred when a leaking liquified natural gas pipeline created a highly flammable cloud that was ignited by sparks created by two passenger trains passing each other nearby. Both trains were carrying many children: one was returning from a holiday vacation on the Black Sea
and the other was taking children there. Estimates of the size of the explosion have ranged from 250-300 tons of TNT equivalent up to 10,000 tons of TNT equivalent. According to official figures, 575 people died and more than 800 were injured. The exact location was near the town of Asha
.
Three hours before the explosion, pipeline engineers noticed a drop in pressure, but they increased the pressure back to normal instead of checking for leaks.
Kuybyshev Railway
The Kuybyshevskaya Railway is a subsidiary of the Russian Railways operating in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Mordovia, Ryazan Oblast, Penza, Tambov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Orenburg, and Chelyabinsk Oblasts of Russia. Its headquarters are in Samara...
on June 4, 1989 at 1:15 (local time) in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, about 50 kilometers from the city of Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
. It was the most deadly railway accident in Soviet history.
The explosion occurred when a leaking liquified natural gas pipeline created a highly flammable cloud that was ignited by sparks created by two passenger trains passing each other nearby. Both trains were carrying many children: one was returning from a holiday vacation on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and the other was taking children there. Estimates of the size of the explosion have ranged from 250-300 tons of TNT equivalent up to 10,000 tons of TNT equivalent. According to official figures, 575 people died and more than 800 were injured. The exact location was near the town of Asha
Asha (town)
Asha is a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Sim River , west of Chelyabinsk. Population: It was founded in 1898 and was granted town status on June 20, 1933....
.
Three hours before the explosion, pipeline engineers noticed a drop in pressure, but they increased the pressure back to normal instead of checking for leaks.