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Fire shuts down Seattle monorail indefinitely

The fire, apparently caused by an electrical short, was the first in the system's 42-year history.

May 31, 2004
1 min to read


A monorail fire outside of a Seattle museum trapped as many as 100 people on Monday and caused the rail line to be shut down indefinitely. The fire, apparently caused by an electrical short, was the first in the 42-year history of the monorail, said city spokesman Perry Cooper. Firefighters evacuated dozens of passengers by ladder from the fire outside the Seattle Center's Experience Music Project, a rock 'n roll museum. Nine people were treated and released from a hospital, but no one was seriously injured, reported The Associated Press. The monorail will be closed indefinitely pending further investigation. The system, originally built for the 1962 World's Fair, travels a one-mile route between the Seattle Center and downtown.

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