Overview
- Kaprun holds 25th‑anniversary commemorations, including an ecumenical service, with the mayor noting the tragedy still defines the community’s memory.
- Investigators found a defective household electric heater in the attendant’s cabin ignited leaking hydraulic oil, triggering a fast‑moving tunnel fire.
- Rescuers deployed roughly 500 firefighters, 22 helicopters and 100 ambulances but halted tunnel operations due to the risk of the cable failing as toxic smoke rose to the upper station.
- A 2004 criminal trial ended with acquittals for 16 defendants, and families received about €13.9 million in a civil settlement that victims’ lawyers criticize as insufficient.
- Attorney Gerhard Podovsovnik says families he represents are prepared to pursue a U.S. civil action before 2030, as survivors and first responders recount losses and the limits of the rescue effort.