Three hurt in subway station fire

[M II A II R II K]

Three hurt in subway station fire

March 3, 2004

TORONTO -- Three people suffered injuries this morning when a small fire erupted in the city's subway system.

Trains were stopped at the downtown College station at about 7:45 a.m.

The Toronto Fire Department said it appears the fire started when the subway train went over a piece of metal, causing it to hit the third rail and fill the station with smoke.

"What we believe at this time is that it was one of the metal slats that we use in station ceilings that are about four inches wide,'' said Marilyn Bolton, spokeswoman for the Toronto Transit Commission.

"We believe one of them may have been jogged loose and fallen down to the track level and that may have been the source.''

Passengers were ordered to evacuate when smoke filled the station and a woman suffered a broken arm in the rush to get out. Two other people suffered minor smoke inhalation.

"This is probably the busiest time of the morning rush and you can be pretty sure the train was pretty full ... you're talking about 800 people,'' said Bolton.

She added the service resumed after about 40 minutes.

[Cotuit]

Scary!

I was waiting for the Commuter Rail in Boston today to take me home to Providence, when the platform lights went out. Everyone was very quiet for a second. But the train was due any minute, so we all just stayed there and waited for it. I don't think anyone in charge knew that we were all standing down there in the dark.

[M II A II R II K]

Plus if I started work at my regular time I would have been going passed that station at around about the same time

[monsoon]

[M II A II R II K]

Yea the last time that happened in our subway it reached 1200 C, and they reported that the train's ceiling was melted onto it's floor, luckily people were out by then in that particular incident.