THINKING ABOUT:
Paddington rail crash October 5, 1999
TWO decades on from the catastrophe that claimed 31 lives, Donal MacIntyre and James Nesbitt have unpicked the failures that caused one of Britain’s deadliest rail crashes.
It’s one of six tragedies the pair have examined for HISTORY series James Nesbitt: Disasters that Changed Britain, including the King’s Cross Fire and Grenfell.
Donal explains why these events shouldn’t be forgotten...
“When it happened, I was working at the BBC which was just down the road from the crash site. People heard the noise of the impact.
“Outside of a warzone, it was the closest to a disaster I’ve ever been. It was so strange to see something like this in suburban London – commuters whose day had started just like any other, then their lives were changed forever.
“From the Piper Alpha oil rig, to Zeebrugge and the Munich Air Disaster, there were combinations of failures that ended up in catastrophic outcomes.
“How can this happen in an organised society? In each case you see the common themes of cash, time pressure, bullying and deadlines adding up. These disasters could have been prevented.
“Only by dissecting them can we help prevent future tragedies.”