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Events on Sunday 8 May 1842 2
1842Great Fire of HamburgFire destroys about a third of the old cityA fire broke out on Deichstraße and burned for four days, destroying about a third of Hamburg's old town. Around 51 people died and some 20,000 were left homeless. The rebuilding brought a modern sewer system designed by William Lindley.
1842Versailles rail accidentFrance's first major railway disasterA train returning from Versailles to Paris derailed near Meudon when a locomotive axle broke, and the carriages caught fire. Passengers locked inside could not escape, and at least 55 people died, including the explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. After the disaster, the practice of locking passengers into carriages was abandoned.