Timeline of Events
July 1971
Summerland opens on the promenade in Douglas, the Isle of Man. The indoor leisure centre has seven floors and room for 5,000 people. Its futuristic design promises 'to set the architectural world alight.'
2nd August 1973
A blaze rips through Summerland, killing 50 holidaymakers - including 11 children - 80 are seriously injured. The fire is one of the deadliest on land since the Second World War.
19th November 1973
The Summerland Fire Commission, chaired by Mr Justice Joseph Cantley, begins its public inquiry into the disaster. The Commission will hear evidence from 91 witnesses over 49 days.
24th May 1974
The Summerland Fire Commission's report into the Summerland fire is published. It criticises:
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The architects - They cut corners, used deadly materials known to be a fire risk and had a cavalier attitude to safety. They 'made a right dog's dinner of the whole thing,' according to John Webb, then a young scientist and part of the team that investigated the fire.
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Isle of Man authorities (Douglas Corporation and Isle of Man local government board) - They agreed not to obey a key bylaw which would have stopped Summerland from being built the way it was. Bylaw39 required the external walls of public buildings to be non-combustible and have fire resistance of two hours.
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The designers - The open plan design meant the fire spread more quickly. Another fatal error was the use of Decalin, a highly flammable fibreboard, on an internal wall. There weren't nearly enough fire escapes.
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Senior management - Safety training didn't appear to be a company priority. Fire exits were locked. The fire brigade was not called for more than 20 minutes after the blaze took hold.
The report found 'errors and failures' and 'too much reliance on an "old boy network"'.
And yet: there were 'no villains.'
27th August 1974
The inquest into the Summerland disaster delivers a verdict of death by misadventure for the 50 victims.
1st June 2023
Launch of the Apologise for Summerland Campaign. Summerland fire survivors call on the Isle of Man government to apologise for '50 years of suffering.'
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The campaign is backed by a cross-party group of MPs and by Grenfell United, the pressure group made up of families of victims and survivors of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.
18th July 2023
LaAlf Cannan, the Isle of Man's chief minister, apologies 'for the pain and suffering and failings' in a statement to the Tynwald.
January 2024
Launch of Justice for Summerland campaign.