1903 August 10th. France, Paris, Subway Station Couronnes: More than 100 people died in the underground station when an empty subway train caught fire

1982 November 3th. Afghanistan, Salang Tunnel: gas tanker exploded, approximately 176 people died

1987 November 18th. U.K., London, Subway Station King's Cross: a wooden escalator caught fire in the huge underground complex of 2 Train-Stations and five subway lines; 30 people died including one firefighter; hundreds of people evacuated to other stations via subway trains.

1999 March France/Italy, Mont Blanc tunnel: truck fire in the 8-mile tunnel; 39 people died

2001 October 24th. Switzerland, Goeschnenen/Italy, Airolo, Gotthard Alpine Tunnel: A fiery head-on collision of two trucks 1,000 yards from the southern end of the 10-mile (16 km) tunnel claimed 11 lives. Temperatures reached up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, but caused only superficially damage and collapse along a 230 yard stretch of the roof. Heat and smoke and later the threat of cave-ins along the tunnel kept rescuers from reaching the accident site.

People abandoned more than 100 cars inside the single-bore, two-lane tunnel while fleeing through the parallel escape route, which is accessible every 250 yards.

The tunnel with an average of 19,000 vehicles a day is one of Europe's busiest north-south routes and will be closed for months.

2003 February 18th - South Korea, Daegu, Chungang-ro Subway Station: a 56-year-old mentally unstable man ignited a liquid inside a subway train; the fire eventually spread to another train and toxic smoke from burning plastics and composites filled the tunnels and the subway station; at least 124 people died and approximately 150 were injured.