| 1995 Baku Metro fire | |
|---|---|
 One of the metro cars after the accident, with broken windows to make way for the escape | |
| Details | |
| Date | 28 October 1995 6:00 p.m. – ? |
| Location | Baku Metro, Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Coordinates | 40°24′47″N 49°53′17″E / 40.41306°N 49.88806°E |
| Incident type | Fire |
| Cause | Electrical malfunction |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 289 |
| Injured | 270 |
On 28 October 1995, a fire broke out in the subway system of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, between the stations Ulduz and Nariman Narimanov. According to official figures, the fire killed 289 people: 286 passengers (including 28 children) and three rescue workers, while 270 people were injured.[1] The fire was deemed to have been caused by an electrical malfunction, but the possibility of sabotage was not excluded.
Although a number of people who evacuated the train survived,[2] the fire remains the world's deadliest subway disaster.[3] One person, Chingiz Babayev, was posthumously awarded the title of the National Hero of Azerbaijan for saving passengers' lives.[4]
- ^ "В Баку поминают жертв страшной трагедии в метро" (in Russian). Vestnik Kavkaza. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
- ^ Terje Andersen, Børre J. Paaske. "Railroad and Metro Tunnel Accidents". Lotsberg.net. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ Phil Reeves (31 October 1995). "Sabotage fear over metro fire". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ "Azərbaycanın milli qəhrəmanları" (PDF) (in Azerbaijani). National Library of Azerbaijan. 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2013.