Mystery of ‘Ghost Train’ blaze where 6 boys & dad burned alive trapped in maze – & clue ignored by cops could crack case
ON a typically warm June evening dozens of thrill-seekers rushed to hop on Luna Park’s staple ride – the infamous ghost train.
But as carts full of excited youngsters and families rolled into its dark, labyrinth-like tunnel plumes of smoke started to emerge.
Towering flames engulfed the ride within a moment as screaming riders frantically tried to escape.
Six boys and a man were trapped inside the tunnel surrounded by a wall of flames and thick clouds of smoke as the fire ferociously spread.
The bodies of young brothers Craig and Damien Godson, their dad John and four school friends were found inside the charred wreckage at the park in Sydney, Australia.
It was the beginning of more than four decades of pain for their loved ones who still do not know what caused the disaster on June 9, 1979.
The investigation, as discussed below in an Australian documentary, was plagued with failings.
Notorious organised crime boss Abe Saffron – who earned himself the nickname Mr Sin – has long been linked to the disaster.
It’s claimed the gangster was behind a plot to start a fire at the park as he had his eye on the premium land plot.
Experts believe detectives could have uncovered the reason behind the fire if had been probed properly at the time.
This is the full story.
For 45 years, the devastating Ghost Train blaze at Australia’s Luna Park has been cloaked in mystery.
Conspiracy theories of arson and cover-ups have followed – adding to the torment of the victims’ families who still wait for answers.
Police have been accused of failing to properly investigate the cause of the horror theme park blaze.
Key clues that could have cracked the case were not probed – and witness statements never taken.
Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Newcastle, Australia, Dr Xanthé Mallet told The Sun there are “serious questions” about the original investigation.
The theme park’s prime waterside location in Sydney caught the eye of shady figures like Mr Sin.
On the fateful night of June 9, 1979, the smell of smoke emerged from the ride, but it was initially dismissed as part of the effects as the usual attendant was away.
Thick black smoke then started to pour out the entrance at around 10.15pm – sparking an immediate evacuation as piercing screams echoed around the park.
Terrified passengers were frantically whisked out of carriages before their cars entered the dark tunnel, while others were pulled out as soon as they exited.
Panicked riders in the black labyrinth desperately kicked down partition walls as a fire that started deep within the ride quickly became a roaring inferno.
Exploding in a huge fireball, the out-of-control fire engulfed the entire train and dwarfed horrified onlookers as they hoped everyone had narrowly escaped.
Tragically, the bodies of six boys and one man were found inside the burnt-out wreck of the ride, pictured below.
Among the victims were John Godson and his two children, Damien, six, and Craig, four, who were holidaying in the area.
They had been excited to visit Luna Park on what was supposed to be a fun family day out.
Jenny Godson, John’s wife and the boy’s mum, took a photo, seen below, of her beloved sons with actors at the park – not realising it would be the last image ever snapped of them.
With four ride tickets left they had earmarked them for the doomed Ghost Train.
Jenny, pictured below, made a last minute decision to get an ice cream instead of joining her family on the ride.
But as she went to meet her beloved husband and son, she was floored when she was instead confronted by a towering inferno.
Four school students, Jonathan Billings, Richard Carroll, Michael Johnson and Seamus Rahilly – pictured below in order – also failed to emerge from the wall of flames.
Friend Jason Holman was riding in the car behind them and was pulled out moments before he entered the tunnel.
He despaired when their cart arrived empty on the other side.
The students, aged 12 to 13, and the Godson family had scrambled out of their carriages in a bid to escape.
But the confusing, maze-like structure of the tunnel coupled with the thick smoke and flames would have made it incredibly difficult for them to ever find their way out.
Rescuers, seen below, initially thought everyone had been saved from the devastating blaze.
But seven bodies were found inside when the flames were eventually contained.
Here, a number marks where one of the bodies was tragically found.
Brothers Craig and Damien, pictured below, were among those found dead.
Police put the fire down to an electrical fault the next day – but a coronial inquest later that year was unable to determine the cause.
In the 45 years that have followed, the lack of clarity over what sparked the blaze has tortured victim’s families and survivors.
Their anguish has been made worse by claims the deadly fire could have been started on purpose.
Theories such as faulting wiring and a discarded cigarette have also been floated.
Years later, an Australian MP is still fighting for justice for the victims – and answers.
Investigations in the wake of the disaster also revealed Luna Park bosses had been told the ride was a hazard but failed to act.
They had been warned to install a sprinkler system inside the ride by the fire brigade in 1977, who noted the risks of the train’s wooden tunnel.
A fire inspector said in a report: “It [the tunnel] was a maze. It was timber, all painted black… as a matter of fact even with the light on I was bumping into the partitions and the wall.
“It was a timber ceiling, I would have got lost even with the lights on.
“The only way I could keep going was to follow the railway track.”
It was a timber ceiling, I would have got lost even with the lights on
Investigators
By 1979, park chiefs had not implemented fire protective measures and were given a 12 month deadline just four weeks before the tragedy.
Coroner Kevin Sidney Anderson said that year that Luna Park had failed in its duty of care to customers.
He said, however, their failings were not severe enough “to support a charge of criminal negligence”.
One of the most haunting theories of how the fire started is the claim it was orchestrated by Sydney gangster Abe Saffron.
Saffron dominated organised crime in Sydney from the 1940s to the 1980s.
His nicknames included Mr Sin, Mr Big of Australia crime and King of Kings Cross – which referred to the Kings Cross red-light district where he owned numerous businesses.
Saffron, who died in 2006 at the age of 86, was linked to a whole host of crimes over the decades, including alcohol sales, dealing in stolen goods, illegal gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, bribery and extortion.
But thanks to his connections, the notorious nightclub owner saw few prosections.
Nicknamed Mr Sin, the notorious crime kingpin is alleged to have had his eye on the amusement park’s land as it was one of the most prime spots on Sydney’s harbour.
It is claimed Saffron got away with masterminding the blaze as he was in cahoots with corrupt cops.
Two former senior police officers, Steve Bullock and Paul Egge, testified on camera to that they believed Saffron ordered the crime.
They claim it was swiftly covered up by shameful cops and government figures.
Witnesses at the time described the smell of kerosine at the scene and told of a group of men who spoke about setting the ride alight.
Whether the fire was started deliberately was not probed by police at the time.
Following the blaze, Luna Park paid tribute to the victims in a note seen below.
And children at the boys’ school laid flowers at the funeral at St Mary’s Cathedral on June 15, 1979.
45 years later, why do the families still have no answers?
Dr Mallett believes arson is one of the most likely causes of the blaze – and police failings at the time started the 45 year mystery.
She said: “Evidence was not collected.
“The witnesses stated they smelt kerosene, and others overheard the men who were acting suspiciously saying ‘I spread the kerosene out, and I lit it with a match.’
“If those statements had been followed up, the cause of the fire could have been confirmed, and the police would have investigated the incident as a crime.”
Dr Mallett said detectives were “very quick” to pin the fire on an electrical fault – a move that raised eyebrows and continues to.
Given there are a number of witnesses, many of whom have no connection to each other, telling similar stories certainly raises serious questions about the original investigation
She added: “As a result, the fire was not investigated as arson.
“Many witnesses who came forward were not contacted for statements.
“Others claim they were pressured to change their statements to remove any reference to the group of men they saw acting suspiciously.
“Given there are a number of witnesses, many of whom have no connection to each other, telling similar stories certainly raises serious questions about the original investigation.
“From the witness statements, who all describe a similar group of men – the way they were dressed, what they overheard them saying, even down to details such as a tattoo on one of their ears described as a ‘light blue star’ – and the smell of kerosene inevitably suggests the cause of the fire was indeed potentially arson.”
In 2007, Saffron’s niece Anne Buckingham told the Sydney Morning Herald that her uncle ordered the fire because “he liked to collect things”.
She added: “I don’t think people were meant to be killed.”
Anne later retracted her statement and denied blaming the blaze on her uncle.
Families of deceased loved ones never speak of closure, but learning the truth about their loved one’s death can help bring some resolution, to help them move forward
But Dr Mallett believes it is not too late for the case to be cracked as there is still time to collect important evidence.
She said: “Many of the original witnesses to the fire are still alive and for those who have since died, their statements still exist.
“Those witnesses gave very clear – and corroborating – accounts of a group of men/teenagers behaving conspicuously around the time the fire broke out.
“Those men/teenagers have never been tracked down. There’s still time.
“A $1 million reward has been offered, and other witnesses may yet come forward.
“A second inquest, if one is called, could help elicit more information that could assist the police.
“And with all eyes on them following the issues with the original investigation, they will be highly motivated to do everything by the book.”
Here, then State Emergency Services Minister David Elliott shares more details about the $1 million reward in 2021.
At the heart of the disaster remains the families of the victims who have waited decades for closure.
Dr Mallett added: “I’ve worked with families of victims for years, and they always want to know answers to the same questions – what happened, why, and who is responsible.
“Families of deceased loved ones never speak of closure, but learning the truth about their loved one’s death can help bring some resolution, to help them move forward.”