How many people died at Hellfire Pass?
When the Japanese were not satisfied with the pace of work, prisoners were forced to endure atrocious physical punishment, and some 700 Allied prisoners died or were killed at Hellfire Pass.
What happened at Hellfire Pass?
Kanchanaburi, Thailand (CNN) — The steep rock walls of Thailand’s Hellfire Pass symbolize the slavery, starvation, torture and lost lives of thousands of POWs and Asian civilians during World War II, when Japan forced them to build the infamous Death Railway to boost its invasion of Burma.
Why is it called Death Railway?
It originated in Thailand and cut across to the Burmese war front to aid in the Japanese invasion of India. Originally called the Thailand-Burma Railway, it earned the nickname “Death Railway” because over one hundred thousand laborers died during its 16 month construction between 1942 and 1943.
How many died while building the Thai Burma Railway?
13,000
This breakneck speed of construction had a heavy toll for those who built it: around 13,000 Allied Prisoners of War (POW) died during the work, alongside 100,000 local workers from across the region. They perished in unimaginably horrific conditions – starved, overworked, sick and mistreated.
How to get to Hellfire Pass in Thailand?
Hellfire Pass is situated some 260 kilometers north west of Bangkok, we’ve taken the 0750 train from Thonburi station in Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, the closest major town. The train costs 100 Thai Baht (GBP 2.00, US$3.03) takes us around four and a half hours to get to Kanchanaburi – it stops everywhere and also in between.
Is the Hellfire Pass the same as the Death Railway?
It is known as the Death Railway. Nowadays, you can ride it through beautiful landscapes to a place called The Hellfire Pass. Both places are a painful reminder of the atrocities committed by people during the darkest times of our history.
What to do in Kanchanaburi with Hellfire Pass?
An Amazing 3 Days Tour of Kanchanaburi. Visit Hellfire Pass, The Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai as well as the Tiger Safari Park and the Elephant Sanctuary. A 1 day tour to the Tiger Safari Park and the Hellfire Pass Museum as well as the Elephant Camp and a train ride along the Thai-Burma Death Railway.
Where are the last stops on the Death Railway?
The last stop and most sobering reminder of what the laborers endured during the construction of the Death Railway is the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum and Walking Trail. This particular spot of the railway is home to the Konyu cutting, deemed the Hellfire Pass. This part of the railway construction that was by far the most physically demanding.
