It was certainly '
one of' the problems, I'm not sure it was '
the' problem. As with many disasters, it was a combination of circumstances, any of which could have been removed or should have been foreseen. Padlocked exits were one of the main causes of death at the Summerland tragedy here on the Isle of Man in 1973. There was a corridor that lead to a fire exit. When people found the doors locked, they couldn't turn back due to the pressure of people behind them. 50 people died in this blaze and it remains the worst loss of life in an 'enclosed' British building since the war.
A Radio Lancashire programme about that incident.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/ram/200 ... erland.ramA 'glow' in the sky was actually visible from Morecambe Promenade that evening.
Lessons could have been learned.
Apparently Bradford fire brigade had already warned the club regarding the accumulation of combustible debris but the warning wasn't acted upon. Smoking in a wooden structure. Even the fact that stewards weren't trained in evacuation procedures as they are now. Despite the fact that people escaped the Bradford fire by going on to the pitch, it took another massive loss of life before cages were removed and this became a part of the evacuation plan.
If I'm staying in a hotel, I always walk to the fire exit before I settle down for the evening so that in my mind, I always have two exits without thinking about it. Having your own plan can make all the difference, be that in a night club, concert, a football match or even on an aircraft.
Individually we can learn from other people's tragedy.