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Stardust Horror
Stardust Horror
Forty one years ago
On lovers day
A day of fire and calamity
Eight hundred and forty one youths
Enjoying the thrill of the chase
And the embrace of a lover
It wasn't the heat of passion
Or that spark
When two souls recognise each other.
It wasn't the flame of new love
No, nor was it the heat of cupids arrow.
It wasn't Whitney's "power of love" or"running up that hill"
That brought the house down
In a flaming inferno that burned Forty eight alive, injured two hundred and fourteen others
And caused twenty five suicides in the following years
No
No
No
It was all down to human error and carelessness
There was little though of fire prevention
Back then,
Or of fire retarding measures or material
It started in a room containing Forty five gallon drums of cooking oil
An electrical spark sparked off the nightmare
It was called a "flashover" fire
It travelled the ceiling
Causing a blackout mayhem
Windows were barred
Emergency doors had chains and locks
All to prevent people not paying to get in
For the privillage of
Being
BURNED
ALIVE
Tradgety that shouldn't ever have happened
Even now, all these years later
The story still continues
Court cases, hearings and more heartache
Will there be no rest
No peace for those survivors
Let us never forget the Stardust tradgety
Forty one years ago
On lovers day
A day of fire and calamity
Eight hundred and forty one youths
Enjoying the thrill of the chase
And the embrace of a lover
It wasn't the heat of passion
Or that spark
When two souls recognise each other.
It wasn't the flame of new love
No, nor was it the heat of cupids arrow.
It wasn't Whitney's "power of love" or"running up that hill"
That brought the house down
In a flaming inferno that burned Forty eight alive, injured two hundred and fourteen others
And caused twenty five suicides in the following years
No
No
No
It was all down to human error and carelessness
There was little though of fire prevention
Back then,
Or of fire retarding measures or material
It started in a room containing Forty five gallon drums of cooking oil
An electrical spark sparked off the nightmare
It was called a "flashover" fire
It travelled the ceiling
Causing a blackout mayhem
Windows were barred
Emergency doors had chains and locks
All to prevent people not paying to get in
For the privillage of
Being
BURNED
ALIVE
Tradgety that shouldn't ever have happened
Even now, all these years later
The story still continues
Court cases, hearings and more heartache
Will there be no rest
No peace for those survivors
Let us never forget the Stardust tradgety
Published 13th Feb 2022
Author's Note
14-02-1981, 1.30am
841 people were as good as locked in to that dance hall.
The windows and emergency doors were locked, chained, barred, to prevent people going in without paying.
The firebrigade couldn't pull the bars from the windows with the fire engine and chains, they were concreted in so well..
I'm sure there are many similar tradgetys around the world, but this is our one.
I would ask you to say a prayer for these poor lost souls, but that would make me a hypocrite.
Let's just hope history doesn't repeat itself anywhere ever again
841 people were as good as locked in to that dance hall.
The windows and emergency doors were locked, chained, barred, to prevent people going in without paying.
The firebrigade couldn't pull the bars from the windows with the fire engine and chains, they were concreted in so well..
I'm sure there are many similar tradgetys around the world, but this is our one.
I would ask you to say a prayer for these poor lost souls, but that would make me a hypocrite.
Let's just hope history doesn't repeat itself anywhere ever again
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14th Feb 2022 3:34am
I never heard of this tragedy before, I'm grateful for this writing to open my eyes. Building codes are certainly novel to infrastructure as a whole, among other things like bridges and roads. Thanks for sharing this!
14th Feb 2022 6:27am
Hi dear Ashley
Yes building codes, fire safety, crowd limitations were science fiction back then.
It was normal to pack as many people into a dance hall as you could get into them.
I was part of that culture, experienced it and dearly loved every second of it.
I was 18 then and pretty wild myself.
But that horror was further worsened by what the owners had done.
Barring up the windows, putting chains and locks on any emergency doors.
It was a nightmare worsened by the owners greed for more money. If I remember correctly it would have been normal back then for other dance halls to do the same.
But what a thrill it was, to be part of that, music so loud, not even shouting would make you heard.
Amazing music, not this modern crap.
Thank you for reading and commenting Ashley.
Love n peace
💜💜💜🙏🙏🙏
Yes building codes, fire safety, crowd limitations were science fiction back then.
It was normal to pack as many people into a dance hall as you could get into them.
I was part of that culture, experienced it and dearly loved every second of it.
I was 18 then and pretty wild myself.
But that horror was further worsened by what the owners had done.
Barring up the windows, putting chains and locks on any emergency doors.
It was a nightmare worsened by the owners greed for more money. If I remember correctly it would have been normal back then for other dance halls to do the same.
But what a thrill it was, to be part of that, music so loud, not even shouting would make you heard.
Amazing music, not this modern crap.
Thank you for reading and commenting Ashley.
Love n peace
💜💜💜🙏🙏🙏
