Today marks exactly 40 years since the tragedy that occurred at the English "Bradford" stadium during the 1984/85 football season.
On May 11, 1985, a match of the third English division between "Bradford" and "Lincoln City" was to take place. About 11 thousand spectators attended the game. At the end of the first half, fire suddenly broke out in one of the sectors. The flames spread very quickly as the structure of the stands was wooden, and the weather was windy. As a result, the fire engulfed the stands in a matter of minutes.
Panic broke out as expected. Those who decided to run onto the football field survived. The others rushed to the designated exit from the sector, and there, in the chaos, 56 people died—most of them suffocated. Among the deceased were children and elderly people. More than two hundred people suffered burns but survived.
According to the findings of the investigation, the main theory of the fire was a discarded cigarette butt/match. The catalyst for the process was the accumulated rubbish under the stand, which ignited instantly.
It should be noted that "Bradford" restored their stadium within a year. In the current season, the team played in the fourth-ranking division of England, took third place, and together with it—a place in the third division.
