Opening day 2000 at Kitzsteinhorn Glacier near Kaprun, Austria, was supposed to be the joyful start of the 2000-01 season—instead, the day turned into the deadliest ski resort disaster in history. The 9:00 a.m. funicular train ‘Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2’ was carrying 162 people that morning when a fire broke out inside the 3.3-kilometer (2.1-mile) long tunnel on November 11. Only 12 people managed to escape the blaze, while a shocking 155, including two from an oncoming train as well as three at the top station, perished.
The funicular had departed as scheduled at 09:00 a.m., with 161 passengers and one train conductor at the front of the train. Survivors describe noticing smoke coming from the empty conductor cabin at the end of the train fairly quickly. The train conductor, several cabins ahead, was oblivious until the train suddenly stopped 600 meters (2,000 feet) into the tunnel. The train conductor had no idea why the train had suddenly stopped and called the station to enquire if they had triggered an emergency stop. However, what had happened was that the fire had burned through the hydraulic lines, triggering an emergency stop to prevent the funicular from sliding back down uncontrolled.
Soon, the train conductor was alerted by passengers to the smoke coming from the end of the train, making its way up to the front. He reported the fire to the station before the phone line was severed. The station head told him to evacuate the train; however, since the hydraulic fluid had leaked, the train doors would not open automatically. The passengers were trapped and starting to pass out. People began to frantically break the acrylic windows; however, they had been designed to be vandalism-proof, making this task near impossible. The people at the bottom of the train had the fire right in front of them, with thick smoke billowing into their cabin, prompting them to take urgent action. With the help of skis, ski poles, and ski boots, they managed to break through two layers of acrylic glass. In the meantime, the train conductor exited his cabin, opening the doors manually from the top.
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The passengers who were still conscious scrambled up and away from the fire at the bottom; however, the steeply inclined tunnel had turned into a deadly chimney with the thick, toxic smoke rising rapidly. A volunteer firefighter at the bottom of the train implored those around him to go against all instincts and run down towards the fire. He realized that the chimney effect would mean the smoke would rise and safety was below the fire, not above it. 11 passengers followed him, holding hands and dragging each other along, past the fire, through the smoke, down the hill, fearing that the brakes might fail and they might get mowed down by the train careening down to the station. But instead, those 12 were the only ones to escape the deadly inferno. Those who attempted to escape the tunnel by walking up, away from the fire, were quickly overpowered by the toxic fumes and lack of oxygen. In fact, the smoke and fire were so intense that they killed the train conductor and the only passenger on the upper train, more than one mile above the fire, as well as three workers in the top station of the funicular.
Among the 155 victims were 92 Austrians, 37 Germans, 10 Japanese, eight Americans, four Slovenians, two Dutch, one Briton, and one Czech. The surviving dozen were comprised of two Austrians and 10 Germans.
The eight Americans who perished were later identified as:
- Major Michael C. Goodridge, 36, stationed in Germany, along with his wife Jennifer, 35, and their sons Kyle, 5, and Michael, 7;
- Paul A. Filkil, 46, and son Ben, 15;
- 1st Lt. Erich R. Kern, 25, and his fiancée, 2nd Lt. Carrie L. Baker, 23.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a heater in the empty train conductor’s cabin at the bottom. A criminal trial opened in June 2002 against 16 defendants, including engineers, company officials, and safety inspectors. However, on 19 February 2004, all 16 were acquitted. Judge Manfred Seiss found “insufficient evidence” to hold them criminally responsible. For many of the victims’ families, the outcome was shocking. There were several appeals that all went nowhere. International investigations found serious errors in the Austrian investigations and processes, and believed that criminal negligence played a role. Ultimately, the families of those who perished, as well as survivors, received the rather meagre settlement of €13.9 million.
Irrespective of any monetary compensation, those affected by the tragedy never received an apology from the resort operators or those deemed responsible. Many families are pushing to this day for full transparency and accountability.
The ‘Gletscherbahn’ train line was disassembled, the tunnel closed, and the entire access to that area of the mountain replaced with a 15-person gondola system in 2001 and 2002. A memorial at the valley station consisting of 155 glass columns was unveiled in 2004.
As we mark the 25th anniversary of this tragedy, those who perished will live on in the hearts of those who remember them. May those who survived the tragedy but struggle with trauma find peace in their hearts and minds, and above all, the strength to carry on.
