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This is a list of accidents and disasters by death toll. It shows the number of fatalities associated with various explosions, structural fires, flood disasters, coal mine disasters, and other notable accidents caused by negligence connected to improper architecture, planning, construction, design, and more. Purposeful disasters, such as military or terrorist attacks, are omitted.
While all of the listed accidents caused immediately massive numbers of lives lost, further widespread deaths were connected to many of these incidents, often the result of prolonged or lingering effects of the initial catastrophe. This was the case particularly in such cases as exposure to contaminated air, toxic chemicals or radiation, some years later due to lung damage, cancer, etc. Some numbers in the table below reflect both immediate and delayed deaths related to accidents, while many do not.
Deaths | Date | Incident |
---|---|---|
20,000 | 30 May 1626 | Wanggongchang Explosion in Beijing, China, in the Wanggongchang Gunpowder Factory, destroys part of the city and kills 20,000 people[1] |
3,000 | 18 August 1769 | A lightning bolt caused the Brescia Explosion of a gunpowder depot in Brescia, Italy, destroying one-sixth of the city[2][3] |
3,000? | 1 November 1948 | Boiler and ammunition explosion aboard an unidentified merchant ship evacuating troops of the Republic of China Army from Yingkou, China, for Taiwan in early November 1948.[4][disputed – discuss] Other sources suggest this figure is inaccurate.[5] |
1,400–2,280 | 6 March 1862 | Ammunition warehouse explodes and kills almost all of Oaxaca brigade, in San Andrés Chalchicomula, Mexico, during the first days of Second French intervention in Mexico[6] |
1,950 | 6 December 1917 | Halifax Explosion in Nova Scotia, Canada[7] |
1,500 | 5 June 1941 | Smederevo Fortress explosion of stockpiled ammunition at Smederevo Fortress near Belgrade in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia[8] |
256–1,500+ | 16 September 1732 | Military warehouse explodes and kills up to two-thirds of the population of Campo Maior district of Portalegre, Portugal[9][10] |
1,300+ | 7 August 1956 | Ammunition trucks explode near a railway station in Cali, Colombia[11] |
1,200 | 16 October 1926 | Explosion of ammunition on the Chinese troopship Kuang Yuang, near Kiukiang, China[12] |
1,121 | 8 June 1943 | Japanese battleship Mutsu, at Hashirajima harbor, 1943, due to magazine explosion; ship sank on 9 June |
1,100 | 27 January 2002 | Lagos Armoury Explosion, in Lagos, Nigeria; many deaths were from drowning during the resulting panic |
1,082 | 18 October 1998 | Jesse pipeline explosion, near Lagos, Nigeria |
1,007 | 18 November 1918 | Ammunition transporter explosion in Hamont, Belgium |
1,000+ | 31 August 1794 | Explosion of a gunpowder factory in Grenelle, France |
843 | 9 July 1917 | Propellant explosion of the British dreadnought battleship HMS Vanguard |
800 | 14 April 1944 | Bombay Docks Explosion in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India |
741 | 26 November 1914 | British pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Bulwark destroyed due to a magazine explosion |
700 | 17 August 1989 | Iraqi military plant with facilities explode at Al Hillah, Babil, Iraq |
621 | 27 February 1925 | Explosion of a dynamite depot in Brazil.[13] |
600+ | 28 March 1943 | Explosion of the Caterina Costa, at port of Naples; over 3000 were also injured |
590 | 3 November 1893 | Explosion of dynamite cargo on the steamship Cabo Machichaco, in at the port of Santander, Spain, with more than 2,000 injured.[14] |
581 | 16 April 1947 | Texas City disaster in the Port of Texas City, Texas, USA; over 5,000 were also injured. |
575 | 4 June 1989 | Ufa train disaster in Ufa, Soviet Union. |
565 | 21 September 1921 | Oppau explosion at a BASF plant in Germany; possibly as many as 1,500 were killed |
542 | 9 April 1945 | SS Charles Henderson ammunition explosion at Bari, Italy; 1,800 injured |
508 | 25 February 1984 | A gasoline pipeline exploded in the favela of Vila Sao Jose, Cubatão, Brazil[15][16] |
500+ | 19 November 1984 | San Juanico disaster, in Mexico City, Mexico |
372 | 10 November 1944 | Ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbor, killing 372 and injuring 371 |
370+ | 27 July 1816 | Powder magazine in Negro Fort in Spanish Florida exploded during battle with United States forces. |
339 | 11 September 1905 | Japanese battleship Mikasa explosion of magazine (artillery) while at port |
320 | 17 July 1944 | Port Chicago disaster at Port Chicago, California, United States |
300+ | 4 March 2012 | Brazzaville arms dump blasts at Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo |
296+ | 18 March 1937 | New London School explosion at New London, Texas, United States |
291 | 29 December 2001 | Fireworks stand explosion in Lima, Peru. 235 bodies recovered, 144+ taken to hospital due to burns.[17] |
286 | 25 September 1911 | An explosion occurred on the French battleship Liberté |
256 | 4 June 2015 | Gas station explosion in Accra, Ghana |
150–240 | 18 July 1806 | Gunpowder magazine explosion, Birgu, Malta |
234 | 23 December 2003 | PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Chongqing, China |
230+ | 2 July 2010 | 2010 South Kivu fuel tank explosion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
228 | 20 October 1916 | Russian battleship Imperatritsa Mariya magazine explosion |
220 | 11 December 1944 | Gunpowder explosion on the train doing Japanese military and civilian transportation, Itoman, Okinawa, Japan[18][better source needed] |
219 | 25 June 2017 | Bahawalpur explosion, an oil truck exploded in Bahawalpur, Pakistan |
218 | 4 August 2020 | 2020 Beirut explosion, Beirut, Lebanon |
218 | 25 September 2023 | Filling station explosion in Berkadzor, Nagorno-Karabakh[19] |
215 | 11 July 1978 | Los Alfaques disaster, in Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain |
207 | 28 July 1948 | 1948 BASF tank car explosion, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany; 3,818 were also injured[20] |
206 | 22 April 1992 | Gas explosions in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico |
206 | 17 September 2015 | 2015 tanker explosion in Juba, South Sudan[21] |
200+ | 6 June 1991 | Gotera ammunition dump explosion in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
3,787–16,000 | 2–3 December 1984 | Bhopal disaster | Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals) factory, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India |
1,549 | 26 April 1942 | Benxihu Colliery explosion | China |
1,134 | 24 April 2013 | Rana Plaza collapse[22] | Dhaka District, Bangladesh |
1,099 | 10 March 1906 | Courrières mine disaster | Courrières, France |
687 | 15 December 1914 | Mitsubishi Hōjō coal mine disaster | Kyūshū, Japan |
682 | 9 May 1960 | Laobaidong colliery coal dust explosion | Datong, China |
581 | 16 April 1947 | Texas City disaster | Texas City, Texas, U.S. |
512 | 28 August 1899 | Sumitomo Besshi bronze mine area, landslide with debris flow disaster | Niihama, Shikoku, Japan |
500+ | 19 November 1984 | San Juanico Disaster[23] | Mexico City, Mexico |
476–1,000 | 1931 | Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster | Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, United States |
458 | 9 November 1963 | Mitsui Miike Coal Mine disaster[24] | Mitsui Miike, Ōmuta, Fukuoka, Japan |
439 | 14 October 1913 | Senghenydd Colliery Disaster | Senghenydd, Wales |
437 | 21 January 1960 | Coalbrook mining disaster | Coalbrook, South Africa |
427 | 6 June 1972 | Wankie coal mine disaster | Wankie, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe |
422 | 28 November 1914 | Mine explosion caused by Methane gas | New Yubari Yūbari, Hokkaidō, Japan |
405 | 20 February 1946 | Bergkamen mining disaster | Bergkamen, West Germany |
388 | 12 December 1866 | Oaks Colliery | Barnsley, England |
376 | 21 December 1917 | Onoura, Kirino, Kyūshū, Japan | |
375 | 28 May 1965 | Mine explosion caused by Methane gas[25] | Dhanbad Bihar, India |
372 | 27 December 1975 | Chasnala mining disaster | Sudamdih Colliery Dhanbad, India |
365 | 20 July 1907 | Hokoku, Itoda, Kyūshū, Japan | |
362 | 6 December 1907 | Monongah Mining disaster | Monongah, West Virginia, U.S. |
344 | 21 December 1910 | Pretoria Pit Disaster | Westhoughton, England |
319 | 31 May 1892 | Marie ore mine fire | Příbram, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic) |
301 | 13 May 2014 | Soma mine disaster | Manisa, Turkey |
300+ | 9 May 1993 | Nambija mine disaster, landslide destroying several mines and buildings | Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador |
299[26] | 7 February 1962 | Luisenthal mine disaster | Saarland, West Germany |
290 | 23 June 1894 | Fire and explosion | Albion Colliery, Wales |
289 | 11 September 2012 | Karachi factory fire | Karachi, Pakistan |
277 | 8 September 2008 | 2008 Shanxi mudslide caused by collapse of a mine landfill[27] | Xiangfen, Linfen, Shanxi, China |
270 | 25 January 2019 | Brumadinho dam disaster caused by the collapse of a mining dam | Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
268 | 11 September 1878 | Abercarn colliery disaster | Abercarn, Wales |
266 | 22 September 1934 | Gresford Disaster | Gresford, Wales |
263 | 22 October 1913 | Dawson, New Mexico | U.S. (first disaster) |
263 | 3 March 1992 | Incirharmani, Kozlu, Zonguldak, Turkey | |
262 | 8 August 1956 | Marcinelle, Belgium | |
259 | 13 November 1909 | 1909 Cherry Mine disaster | Cherry, Illinois, U.S. |
254 | 11 November 1937 | Kogushi sulfur mine collapse | western Gunma, Japan |
243 | 5 August 1909 | Onoura, Kirino, Kyūshū, Japan | |
243 | 23 December 2003 | PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion[28] | Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China |
239 | 19 December 1907 | Darr Mine Disaster | Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
236 | 1 June 1965 | Chikuho Yamano, Kyūshū, Japan | |
235 | 14 June 1894 | Larisch's mines (Jan and Františka) | Karviná, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic) |
220 | 28 March 1965 | El Cobre tailing dam and copper mine failure by earthquake | Chile |
216 | 19 May 1902 | Fraterville Mine disaster | Fraterville, Tennessee, U.S. |
214 | 15 February 2005 | 2005 Sunjiawan mine disaster | Sunjiawan, Fuxin, Liaoning, China |
210 | 15 June 1899 | Hokoku, Itoda, Kyūshū, Japan | |
204 | 16 January 1862 | Hartley Colliery Disaster | New Hartley, Northumberland, England |
202 | 25 May 1917 | Bolevec ammunition factory explosion | Pilsen, Bohemia, now in Czech Republic |
200+ | 1 May 1900 | Scofield Mine disaster | Scofield, Utah, U.S. |
200+ | 27 February 1908 | Mina Rosita Vieja disaster | San Juan de Sabinas, Coahuila, Mexico |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
200–6,000 | 29 September 1957 | Mayak nuclear waste storage tank explosion. 270,000 people were exposed to dangerous radiation levels.[29] | Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union |
100–240 | 10 October 1957 | Windscale fire | Windscale, Seascale, Cumbria (now Sellafield), England. [There were no deaths due to deterministic effects (i.e., people receiving a high dose of radiation, rapidly becoming ill, and dying); the 100–240 figure is an estimate of the number of people who died later in life due to cancer caused by radiation from the accident[30]]. |
95–4,000+[31][32] | 26 April 1986 | Chernobyl disaster. The official report is 31 immediate deaths, 64 recorded cancer deaths by 2008, and potentially up to, but no more than, 4,000 total cancer deaths.[33] Far-higher death toll estimates have been made, but these are disputed. | Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
17 | August 2000 – March 2001 | Instituto Oncológico Nacional, patients receiving treatment for cancer receive lethal doses of radiation.[34][35] | Panama City, Panama |
13 | 1996 | 1996 San Juan de Dios radiotherapy accident, 114 patients received an overdose of radiation.[36] | San José, Costa Rica |
11 | December 1990 | Clinic of Zaragoza radiotherapy accident, (27 patients were injured)[37] | Zaragoza, Spain |
10 | 10 August 1985 | Soviet submarine K-431 accident, (49 people suffered radiation injuries)[38] | near Vladivostok, Russia |
10 | 1974–1976 | Columbus radiotherapy accident, 88 injuries[35][39] | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
26,000–240,000 | 8 August 1975 | Failure of Banqiao Dam and 60 other dams in Ru River basin.[40] Figure includes subsequent diseases and hunger-related deaths. | Zhumadian, China |
20,000+ | AD 27 | Amphitheater collapse | Fidenae, Italy |
11,300 | 11 September 2023 | 2023 Derna dam collapse | Derna, Libya |
1,800–25,000 | 11 August 1979 | 1979 Machchhu dam failure | Morbi, India |
2,208 | 31 May 1889 | Johnstown Flood | Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States |
1,134 | 24 April 2013 | Rana Plaza collapse | Savar Upazila, Bangladesh |
1,000+ | 19 August 1917 | Tigra Dam failure | Gwalior, India |
1,000 | 12 July 1961 | Panshet Dam failure[41] | Pune, India |
941 | 3 May 1868 | Iruka Lake Dam failure | Inuyama, Japan |
500–1500 | 20 September 1807 | Eitai Bridge collapse | Tokyo, Japan |
608 | 30 April 1802 | Puentes dam collapsed flooding | Lorca, Spain |
502 | 29 June 1995 | Sampoong Department Store collapse | Seoul, South Korea |
400–600+ | 12 March 1928 | St. Francis Dam failure | Los Angeles County, California, United States |
423 | 2 December 1959 | Malpasset Dam failure | |
356 | 1 December 1923 | Gleno Dam failure | Bergamo, Italy |
250–434 | 18 August 2008 | Koshi Barrage failure | Koshi River, Nepal |
270+ | 25 January 2019 | Failure of tailings dam on Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine[42] | Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
268 | 19 July 1985 | Val di Stava dam collapse | Tesero, Italy |
244 | 11 March 1864 | Dale Dike Reservoir dam failure | Sheffield, England, United Kingdom |
238 | 10 June 1972 | Dam failure caused by 1972 Black Hills flood | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
107–500 | 1 May 1966 | Dam failure[43][44] | Vratsa, Bulgaria |
226 | 16 April 1850 | Angers Bridge collapse | Angers, France |
200+ | 31 October 2017 | Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site tunnel collapse | North Korea |
~200 | 20 January 1980 | Collapse of wooden bleachers at Corralejas bullring/stadium[45] | Sincelejo, Colombia |
169 | 17 November 1981 | Manila Film Center collapse | Pasay, Philippines |
~160 | 10 December 2016 | Uyo church collapse | Uyo, Nigeria |
120–180 | 20 April 1986 | Kantale Dam failure | Kantale, Sri Lanka |
145 | 10 January 1860 | Pemberton Mill collapse | Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States |
144 | 9 January 1959 | Vega de Tera disaster | Ribadelago, Spain |
141 | 30 October 2022 | 2022 Morbi bridge collapse | Morbi, India |
140 | 19 November 1974 | Makahali River bridge collapse | Baitadi, Nepal |
139 | 16 May 1874 | Mill River dam failure | Williamsburg, Massachusetts, United States |
139 | 13 September 1976 | Apartment building collapse | Karachi, Pakistan |
135 | 13 August 1993 | Collapse of the Royal Plaza Hotel | Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand |
128 | 28 July 1983 | Guavio hydroelectric project dam collapse | Bogota, Colombia |
125 | 26 February 1972 | Buffalo Creek flood | Logan County, West Virginia, United States |
125 | 8 November 1984 | Rope bridge collapse | Munnar, India |
120 | 1 February 1963 | Nuns' school chapel collapse | Biblian, Ecuador |
117 | 1951 | Heiwa Lake Dam failure | Kameoka, Japan |
115 | 12 September 2014 | 2014 Synagogue Church Building Collapse | Lagos State, Nigeria |
114 | 17 July 1981 | Hyatt Regency walkway collapse | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
111 | 11 September 2015 | Mecca crane collapse | Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
111 | 13 August 1935 | Dam failure | Molare, Italy |
108 | 1951 | Taisho Lake Dam failure | Ide, Japan |
100+ | 1 December 2000 | Dongguan Mall collapse[46][47] | Dongguan, China |
100 | 21 February 1890 | Walnut Grove Dam failure | Wickenburg, Arizona, United States |
100 | 16 June 1990 | Saque Comprehensive College collapse | Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
2,000–3,000 | 8 December 1863 | Church of the Company Fire | Santiago, Chile |
1,700–2,845+[48] | 2 September 1949 | Chongqing Waterfront Fire – "9–2 Fire" | Chongqing, China |
1,670 | 25 May 1845 | Theater fire | Canton, China |
900 | June 1871 | Theater fire | Shanghai, China |
800 | 30 December 1836 | Lehman Theater fire | St. Petersburg, Russia |
694 | 18 February 1977 | Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire | Xinjiang, China |
658 | 13 February 1937 | Antoung Movie Theater fire | Nantong, China |
614 | 26 February 1918 | Happy Valley Racecourse fire | Hong Kong |
602 | 30 December 1903 | Iroquois Theatre fire | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
600 | 20 May 1872 | Theater fire | Tientsin, China |
538 | 23 December 1995 | Dayananda Anglo Vedic private school fire | Mandi Dabwali, Haryana, India |
530 | 17 March 2000 | Kanungu church fire | Kanungu, Uganda |
500 | 17 December 1961 | Gran Circus Norte-Americano – Niterói circus fire | Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
492 | 28 November 1942 | Cocoanut Grove fire | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
448 | 8 December 1881 | Ringtheater fire | Vienna, Austria |
430 | 13 January 1883 | Circus Ferroni fire | Berdichev, Ukraine |
400 | 17 December 1778 | Coliseo theater fire | Zaragoza, Spain |
396 | 1 August 2004 | Paraguay supermarket fire | Asunción, Paraguay |
377–470+ | 19 August 1978 | Cinema Rex fire | Abadan, Iran |
360 | 14 February 2012 | Comayagua prison fire | Comayagua, Honduras |
326+ | 30 June 1900 | 1900 Hoboken Docks fire | Hoboken, New Jersey, United States |
324 | 10 December 1994 | 1994 Karamay fire | Karamay, China |
322 | 21 April 1930 | Ohio Penitentiary fire | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
322 | 22 May 1967 | L'Innovation Department Store fire | Brussels, Belgium |
312 | 1910 | Barn fire | Ököritófülpös, Hungary |
309 | 25 December 2000 | Dongdu Commercial shopping center fire | Luoyang, China |
291 | 29 December 2001 | Mesa Redonda fire | Lima, Peru |
289 | 28 October 1995 | 1995 Baku Metro fire | Baku, Azerbaijan |
289 | 11 September 2012 | 2012 Karachi garment factory fire | Karachi, Pakistan |
278+ | 5 December 1876 | Brooklyn Theatre fire | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
250 | 15 February 1909 | Flores Theater fire | Acapulco, Mexico |
242 | 27 January 2013 | Kiss nightclub fire in Santa Maria | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
234 | 27 November 1994 | Discothèque fire | Fuxin, China |
225 | 14 July 1960 | Mental hospital fire | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
209 | 23 April 1940 | Rhythm Club fire | Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
208 | 6 March 1943 | Hoteiza theater fire | Kucchan, Japan |
200 | 1847 | Carslruhe theater fire | St. Petersburg, Russia |
Deaths | Date | Attraction | Amusement park | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
28 | 14 February 2004 | Transvaal Park (entire facility affected); the roof of the indoor water park collapsed | Transvaal Park | Yasenevo, Moscow, Russia[49] |
27 | 25 May 2024 | Theme park in Rajkot (entire facility affected); fire at indoor theme park | Theme park in Rajkot | Rajkot, Gujarat, India[50] |
15 | 27 June 2015 | Formosa Fun Coast music stage; a dust explosion on a music stage; over 400 others injured | Formosa Fun Coast | Bali, New Taipei, Taiwan[51] |
8 | 11 May 1984 | Haunted Castle; a fire caused by a cigarette lighter igniting the flammable foam-rubber walls of the facility | Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States[52] |
7 | 9 June 1979 | Ghost Train; a fire at the park's ghost train ride caused by either faulty wiring or sabotage | Luna Park Sydney | Sydney, Australia[53] |
7 | 14 August 1981 | Skylab; a crane collided with the Skylab carousel; fifteen injured | Hamburger Dom | Hamburg, (Germany)[54][55] |
6 | 13 August 1944 | Virginia Reel; a fire at the facility; 125 injured | Palisades Amusement Park | Cliffside Park-Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States[56] |
6 | 29 June 2010 | Eco-Adventure Valley Space Journey; a malfunction at a rocket launch ride; ten injured | OCT East | Yantian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China[57] |
5 | 30 May 1972 | Big Dipper; the roller coaster broke free from its haulage rope; thirteen injured | Battersea Park | Battersea, London, England[58] |
5 | 13 August 2007 | Section of Ferris wheel failed causing people to fall. | World Carnival Busan | Busan, South Korea[59] |
5 | 23 June 2017 | Kuzuluk Aquapark swimming pool; five people died after being electrocuted in the swimming pool | Kuzuluk Aquapark | Akyazi, Turkey[60] |
4 | 24 July 1930 | Big Dipper; a bolt came loose from the roller coaster; seventeen injured | Krug Park | Omaha, Nebraska, United States[61][62] |
4 | 25 October 2016 | Thunder River Rapids Ride; one of the rafts at the ride flipped upside down and became wedged under a conveyor belt | Dreamworld | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia[63] |
3 | 14 June 1986 | Mindbender; one of the roller coaster carriages failed and crashed into a concrete pillar | Galaxyland | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada[64] |
3 | 26 July 1978 | Skyway; a gondola detached from its cable and plunged to the ground | Six Flags St. Louis | Eureka, Missouri, United States[65] |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
6,000 | 29 March 1809 | Ponte das Barcas disaster in Porto. Civilians fleeing the advancing French army tried to cross the Douro river over a fragile pontoon bridge, which collapsed.[citation needed] | Portugal |
4,000 | 5 June 1941 | Mass panic at air raid shelter, during Japanese bombing of Chongqing, most deaths caused by suffocation. | Chongqing, China |
2,400+ | 24 September 2015 | 2015 Mina stampede en route to the Stoning of the Devil ritual | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
1,426 | 3 July 1990 | 1990 Mecca tunnel tragedy inside a pedestrian tunnel | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
1,389 | 30 May 1896 | Khodynka Tragedy at coronation of Nicholas II (Moscow, 1896) | Khodynka Field, Moscow, Russia |
953 | 31 August 2005 | 2005 Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede (note: because the stampede was triggered by reports of a bombing, this figure is also included in the higher estimate for casualties of the War in Iraq) | Baghdad, Iraq |
800 | 3 February 1954 | 1954 Prayag Kumbh Mela stampede, crowd crush at religious festival | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
363 | 12 January 2006 | 2006 Hajj stampede | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
357 | 22 November 2010 | Phnom Penh stampede | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
354 | 23 October 1942 | Crowd crush during an attack by the RAF Bomber Command in World War II as they made their way into Galleria delle Grazie, a railway tunnel used as an air-raid shelter. | Genoa, Italy |
328 | 24 May 1964 | Estadio Nacional disaster | Lima, Peru |
270 | 23 May 1994 | 1994 Hajj stampede | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
258 | 25 January 2005 | Mandher Devi temple stampede | Wai, Maharashtra, India |
251 | 1 February 2004 | 2004 Hajj stampede | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
245 | 11 October 1711 | Bridge stampede | Lyon, France |
224 | 30 September 2008 | 2008 Jodhpur stampede disaster in Chamunda Devi temple | Jodhpur, India |
183 | 16 June 1883 | Victoria Hall theatre stairway crush | Sunderland, England |
173 | 3 March 1943 | Bethnal Green tube station panic | London, England |
162 | 3 August 2008 | Naina Devi Temple stampede | Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India |
159 | 29 October 2022 | Seoul Halloween crowd crush | Seoul, South Korea |
135 | 1 October 2022 | 2022 Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster | Malang, East Java, Indonesia |
130 | 23 November 1994 | 1994 Gowari stampede in Maharashtra State Legislature building | Nagpur, Maharastra, India |
126 | 9 May 2001 | Accra Sports Stadium disaster | Accra, Ghana |
124 | 1 January 1956 | 1956 Yahiko Shrine Stampede: New Year event stampede at Yahiko Shrine | Yahiko, Niigata, Japan |
123 | 2 July 2024 | 2024 Hathras crowd crush: A crowd crush caused by overcrowding during a satsang | Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
118 | 9 April 1998 | 1998 Hajj stampede | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
115 | 19 September 1902 | Shiloh Baptist Church stampede | Birmingham, Alabama |
115 | 13 October 2013 | 2013 Madhya Pradesh stampede | Ratangarh, India |
110 | 11 February 1823 | Carnival tragedy of 1823 | Valletta, Malta |
106 | 14 January 2011 | 2011 Sabarimala crowd crush, broken out during an annual pilgrimage | Sabarimala, Kerala, India |
105-200+ | 1–2 September 2024 | 2024 Makala jailbreak attempt: At least 129 (200+ per AP) people were killed while attempting to escape the Makala Central Prison. 24 were fatally shot | Selembao, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
105 | 10 October 1991 | Yingze Park lantern festival stampede | Taiyuan, Shanxi, China |
Deaths | Date | Incident |
---|---|---|
1,300 | Between 284 and 286 AD | Collapse of a wall of Circus Maximus (Rome, sometime within the reign of Diocletian)[66] |
1,112 | 140 AD | Collapse of the upper tier of the Circus Maximus (Rome, 140 AD)[67] |
614 | 26 February 1918 | Happy Valley Racecourse fire (Happy Valley, Hong Kong) |
328 | 24 May 1964 | Estadio Nacional disaster (Lima, Peru)[68] |
~200 | 20 January 1980 | Collapse of wooden bleachers at Corralejas bullring, Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia[45] |
135 | 1 October 2022 | 2022 Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster (Malang, East Java, Indonesia) |
127 | 9 May 2001 | Accra Sports Stadium disaster (Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana) |
97 | 15 April 1989 | Hillsborough stadium crush (Sheffield, England) |
93 | 12 March 1988 | Hailstorm & Stadium crush (Kathmandu, Nepal)[69] |
84 | 11 June 1955 | 1955 Le Mans disaster (motor racing accident) (Le Mans, France) |
83 | 16 October 1996 | Doroteo Guamuch Flores disaster (stadium crowd crush) (Guatemala City, Guatemala) |
79 | 1 February 2012 | Port Said Stadium disaster (Port Said, Egypt, 1 February 2012) |
71 | 23 June 1968 | Puerta 12 crush (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 23 June 1968)[70] |
66 | 2 January 1971 | Second Ibrox stadium disaster, stairway crowd crush (Glasgow, Scotland) |
66 | 20 October 1982 | Luzhniki disaster, stairway crowd crush on a stadium in Moscow, USSR[71] |
61 | 1 January 2013 | 2013 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium Disaster (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) |
56 | 11 May 1985 | Bradford City stadium fire (Bradford, England, 11 May 1985) |
43 | 17 September 1967 | Kayseri Atatürk Stadium disaster football stadium hooliganism (Kayseri, Central Anatolia, Turkey) |
43 | 11 April 2001 | Ellis Park Stadium disaster, football match crush (Johannesburg, South Africa) |
42 | 13 January 1991 | Oppenheimer Stadium disaster, football match crush (Orkney, South Africa) |
39 | 29 May 1985 | Heysel Stadium disaster football stadium hooliganism (Brussels, Belgium) |
32 | 3 October 2014 | 2014 Patna stampede (Patna, Bihar, India, 3 October 2014) |
33 | 9 March 1946 | Burnden Park disaster (Bolton, England, 9 March 1946) |
28 | 9 September 1928 | 1928 Italian Grand Prix, Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators killed when the driver crashed into a grandstand, (Monza, Italy) |
26 | 5 April 1902 | First Ibrox stadium disaster, terracing collapse (Glasgow, Scotland) |
22–24 | 15 November 1982 | Drunken football fans provoked a stampede at Deportivo Cali vs. América de Cali in Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero, Cali, Colombia[72][73] |
22 | 29 November 1900 | Spectators on the roof of a glass factory observing the Big Game college football game caused roof to collapse (San Francisco, US)[74] |
21 | 8 February 1981 | Gate 7 stampede at the old Karaiskakis Stadium after a football game between Olympiacos and AEK Athens (Piraeus, Greece)[75] |
21 | 22 May 2021 | Gansu ultramarathon disaster 21 out of 172 runners died in windy and cold weather in a 100k mountain running race in China.[76] |
19 | 29 March 2009 | 2009 Houphouët-Boigny stampede (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) |
18 | 18 November 1981 | A wall collapses at the regional stadium in Ibague, Colombia in a football match between Deportes Tolima and Deportivo Cali[72] |
18 | 5 May 1992 | Temporary grand stand collapsed, before French Cup semi-final match SC Bastia and Olympique Marseille, (Bastia, Corsica, France).[77] |
17 | 13–14 August 1979 | 1979 Fastnet yachting race storms (Fastnet Rock, Ireland, 1979) |
16 | 16 August 1980 | 16 Football Fans die of Stampede in a Kolkata Derby at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Recognized as the Football Lover's Day.[78][79] |
15 | 10 September 1961 | 1961 Italian Grand Prix: Wolfgang Von Trips and 14 spectators killed when the Formula 1 car flew into the crowd (Monza, Italy) |
13 | 12 May 1957 | 1957 Mille Miglia road race: driver Alfonso de Portago, his co-driver/navigator, Ed Nelson and 9 spectators were killed when they ploughed into spectators. (Guidizzolo, Mantua; Italy, 12 May 1957). Also includes 2 separate deaths earlier in the road race. (Reggio Emilia and Florence)[80][failed verification][81] |
13 | 18 January 1953 | 1953 Argentine Grand Prix: F1 driver Nino Farina ploughed into the crowds, killing 13 (Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez, Buenos Aires, Argentina) |
13 | 14 September 2008 | 2008 Congo football riots: DRC football league second division of Socozaki vs. Nyuki System at Matokeo stadium (Butembo, North Kivu, DR Congo) |
13 | 31 August 1952 | Grenzlandring, 13 killed and 42 injured including the racing driver when his car plunged into spectators, Wegberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany |
12 | 20 May 2023 | San Salvador crowd crush: 12 killed in a crowd crush during a football match at the Estadio Cuscatlán stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador |
12 | 2 March 1969 | Yellow River Dragstrip, a dragster crashed through a chain-link fence into spectators, killing 11. 12th person died later in hospital. (Covington, Georgia, US) |
12 | 8 August 1903 | Baker Bowl bleachers collapse (Philadelphia, US) |
11 | 16 September 1911 | Auto race at New York State Fairgrounds, when a car went through a rail fence into the crowd, (Syracuse, New York, US) |
11 | 16 September 2011 | 2011 Reno Air Races crash, 11 killed including pilot Jimmy Leeward who crashed into grandstand VIP booths (Reno Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada, US) |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
583 | 27 March 1977 | Tenerife airport disaster | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain[82] |
520 | 12 August 1985 | Japan Air Lines Flight 123 | Ueno, Japan[83] |
349 | 12 November 1996 | Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision | Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India[84][85] |
346 | 3 March 1974 | Turkish Airlines Flight 981 | Fontaine-Chaalis, France[86] |
301 | 19 August 1980 | Saudia Flight 163 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia[87] |
298 | 17 July 2014 | Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 | Hrabove, Ukraine[88] |
290 | 3 July 1988 | Iran Air Flight 655 | Bandar Abbas, Iran [citation needed][89] |
275 | 19 February 2003 | 2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash | Kerman, Iran[90] |
273 | 25 May 1979 | American Airlines Flight 191 | Des Plaines, Illinois, United States[91] |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
155 | 11 November 2000 | Kaprun disaster[92] | Kaprun, Austria |
42 | 9 March 1976 | 1976 Cavalese cable car crash[93] | Cavalese, Italy |
20 | 3 February 1998 | 1998 Cavalese cable car crash[94] | Cavalese, Italy |
20 | 1 July 1999 | Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy cable car crash[95] | Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy, France |
19 | 1 June 1990 | Tbilisi cable car crash[96] | Tbilisi, Georgia |
14 | 3 October 1999 | Maling River Gorge cable car crash[97] | Xingyi, Guizhou, China |
14 | 23 May 2021 | Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash[98] | Mottarone, Italy |
13 | 12 July 1972 | Bettmeralp cable car crash[99][100] | Bettmeralp, Switzerland |
12 | 29 June 2017 | Charra Pani cable car crash[101] | Charra Pani, Galyat, Pakistan |
11 | 13 February 1983 | Champoluc cable car crash[102] | Champoluc, Italy |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
104 | 10 May 1995 | Vaal Reefs mining disaster: A locomotive crashed through a safety barrier and fell into a mine shaft, hitting an elevator which was carrying 104 workers, and causing it to plunge to the bottom of the shaft.[103][104] | Orkney, South Africa |
62 | 31 August 1987 | A methane gas explosion at the St. Helena gold mine severed the cable of a double-deck elevator, causing it to fall 1.4 kilometers to the bottom of the mine shaft, killing all 52 people on board. 10 others who were not in the elevator were killed in the explosion.[105][106] | Welkom, South Africa |
31 | 27 March 1980 | A descending elevator became stuck in the Vaal Reefs mine shaft and then fell to the bottom of the shaft when it abruptly became unstuck, killing all 31 miners on board.[107][108] | Orkney, South Africa |
19 | 13 September 2012 | An elevator fell about 100 meters at a construction site, killing everyone on board.[109] | Wuhan, China |
19 | 10 October 1932 | A mine-shaft elevator carrying 20 people fell at the Bickershaw Colliery, killing all but one person.[110][111] | Leigh, England |
18 | 30 July 1973 | A mine-shaft elevator fell at the Markham Colliery.[112] | Chesterfield, England |
16 | 10 September 1918 | Protection Island mining disaster: A mine-shaft elevator cable snapped causing the elevator to plunge to the bottom of the mine.[113] | Protection Island near Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
13 | 27 November 2023 | A mine elevator fell 200m in the Impala Platinum mine shaft accident.[114][115] | Rustenburg, South Africa |
12 | 30 October 2008 | An elevator plunged to the ground at a construction site.[116] | Xiapu County, China |
12 | 2 June 1993 | An elevator plunged to the ground from the 20th floor at a construction site.[117] | North Point, Hong Kong |
11 | 25 April 2019 | An elevator fell at a construction site due to a snapped cable.[118] | Hengshui, China |
11 | 29 July 2011 | A mine-shaft elevator fell at the Bazhanov coal mine.[119] | Makiivka, Ukraine |
10 | 27 March 1964 | A steel cable hit a mine-shaft elevator at the Sachsen coal mine, killing 10 workers, including 5 Turkish nationals.[120] | Heeßen, West Germany |
10 | 6 September 2014 | An elevator plunged 32 stories at a construction site.[121] | Istanbul, Turkey |
Deaths | Date | Incident |
---|---|---|
4,385 | 20 December 1987 | MV Doña Paz (collision with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait, Philippines). Casualty estimates vary because of thousands of passengers not listed on the manifest.[122] |
1,863 | 26 September 2002 | MV Le Joola, Senegal |
1,573 | 10 September 2011 | MV Spice Islander I (Zanzibar Channel) |
1,547 | 27 April 1865 | Sultana (Mississippi River) |
1,514 | 15 April 1912 | RMS Titanic (North Atlantic) |
c. 1,500 | 6 February 1822 | Tek Sing (near the Belvidere Shoals in the South China Sea) |
1,500 | 27 January 1949 | Taiping (East China Sea) |
1,159 | 26 September 1954 | Tōya Maru (Tsugaru Strait) |
1,024 | 29 May 1914 | RMS Empress of Ireland (Saint Lawrence River) |
1,021 | 15 June 1904 | PS General Slocum (New York, United States) |
1,012 | 3 February 2006 | MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98, (Red Sea) |
1,000 | 22 September 1912 | SS Kiche Maru (off Honshu, Japan) |
1,000 | 22 April 1916 | SS Hsin-Yu (Zhoushan) |
c. 1,000 | 3 March 1921 | c.SS Hong Moh (South China Sea) |
900 | 16 September 1927 | Wusung (Kuril Islands, Empire of Japan)[123] |
900 | 4 October 1744 | c.HMS Victory (60 miles off Plymouth, England, near Black Rock) |
894 | 21 May 1996 | MV Bukoba (Lake Victoria, Tanzania) |
852 | 28 September 1994 | MS Estonia (Baltic Sea) |
464–850 | 14 December 1991 | MV Salem Express (Red Sea) |
844 | 24 July 1915 | SS Eastland (Chicago) |
832 | 21 June 2008 | MV Princess of the Stars (capsized by Typhoon Fengshen off Sibuyan Island, Philippines) |
829 | 15 February 1760 | HMS Ramillies (Devon, England) |
826 | 22 September 1857 | Lefort (Gulf of Finland) |
800+ | 29 August 1782 | HMS Royal George (Portsmouth, England) |
746 | 8 November 1888 | SS Vaitarna (lost in cyclonic storm of coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India)[124] |
741 | 12 December 1939 | SS Indigirka (Sarufutsu, Japan) |
737 | 6 May 1902 | SS Camorta (Irrawaddy Delta) |
736 | 26 November 1914 | HMS Bulwark (1899) (Sheerness, England) |
731 | 24 December 1811 | HMS St George (Ringkøbing, Denmark) |
702 | 1 January 1738 | Leusden (Marowijne, Suriname) |
673 | 17 March 1800 | HMS Queen Charlotte (Cabrera) |
c. 640 | 3 September 1878 | SS Princess Alice and SS Bywell Castle (River Thames) |
644 | 2 September 1819 | San Telmo (Drake Passage, Antarctica) |
627 | 28 June 1904 | SS Norge (Rockall) |
625 | 17 July 1947 | SS Ramdas (1947 Ramdas Ship Disaster, off Bombay, India) |
608 | 29 October 1955 | Novorossiysk (Sevastopol) |
600+ | 24 December 1811 | List of vessels lost on the Haak Sand on 24 December 1811 |
600+ | 3 September 1691 | HMS Coronation (West of Penlee Point, Rame, England) |
600 | 16 September 1782 – c. 17 September 1782 | c.HMS Glorieux (Newfoundland, Canada) |
600 | 25 May 1986 | 1986 Bangladesh MV Shamia ferry incident (Meghna River, southern Barisa, Bangladesh) |
583 | 24 December 1811 | HMS Defence (Jutland. Denmark) |
580 | 27 January 1981 | Indonesian passenger ship Tampomas II (caught fire and sank in Java Sea) |
575 | 9 January 1920 | SS Afrique (Bay of Biscay) |
570 | 22 December 1810 | HMS Minotaur (off Texel, Netherlands) |
565 | 4 July 1898 | SS La Bourgogne (Sable Island, Nova Scotia) |
564 | 17 March 1891 | SS Utopia (Bay of Gibraltar) |
558 | 5 March 1916 | SS Principe de Asturias (off Brazil) |
550 | 29 June 2000 | Cahaya Bahari (off Sulawesi, Indonesia)[125][126] |
546 | 1 April 1873 | RMS Atlantic (Nova Scotia) |
533 | 18 September 1890 | Ertuğrul (Kushimoto, Japan) |
530 | 8 July 2003 | MV Nasrin-1 (Chandpur, Bangladesh) |
520 | 14 April 1749 | HMS Namur (Tamil Nadu, India) |
500 | 1794-04 | c.HMS Ardent (Villefranche-sur-Mer, France) |
500–1,500 | 16 February 1993 | Ferry Neptune (Haiti) |
500–600 | 25 May 1986 | 1986 Bangladesh MV Shamia ferry incident (Meghna River, Bangladesh) |
500 | 29 January 1986 | Atlas Star (Dhaleswar River, Munshiganj, Bangladesh)[127][128] |
Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
---|---|---|---|
230 | 2 July 2010 | Sange road tanker explosion[142] | Sange, South Kivu, DRC |
219 | 25 June 2017 | Bahawalpur explosion[143] | Bahawalpur, Pakistan |
217 | 11 July 1978 | Los Alfaques disaster[144] | Tarragona, Spain |
207 | 15 February 1991 | Thung Maphrao truck explosion[145] | Thung Maphrao, Phang Nga, Thailand |
206 | 17 September 2015 | 2015 Juba tanker explosion[21] | Juba, South Sudan |
168–3,000 | 3 November 1982 | Salang Tunnel fire[144][146] | Salang Pass, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan |
154 | 5 November 2021 | Freetown fuel tanker explosion | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
125 | 6 December 1965 | Sotouba truck collision[144] | Sotouba, Togo |
121 | 12 July 2012 | Okobie road tanker explosion[147] | Okobie, Nigeria |
115 | 17 November 2016 | Caphiridzange tanker explosion[148] | Caphiridzange, Mozambique |
113 | 31 January 2009 | Molo road tanker fire | Molo, Kenya, Kenya |
110 | 12 March 1995 | Tamil Nadu truck collision[149] | Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India |
104 | 18 August 1968 | Gero bus crash[144] | Gero, Gifu, Japan |
100–200 | 5 November 2000 | Ibadan road tanker explosion[150] | Ibadan, Lagos, Nigeria |
100+ | 10 August 2019 | Morogoro fuel tanker explosion[151] | Morogoro, Tanzania |
98 | 28 March 2007 | Kagarko truck explosion | Kagarko, Kaduna, Nigeria |
96 | 12 July 1992 | Machakos bus crash[152] | Machakos, Kenya |
94 | 8 June 1999 | Karnataka bus crash[153] | Karnataka, India |
90 | 15 November 1976 | Mafeteng bus crash | Mafeteng, Lesotho |
90 | 29 June 1980 | Kashmir bus crash[144] | Kashmir, India |
90 | 24 June 2004 | Zahedan bus crash[154] | Zahedan, Iran |
90+ | 14 December 2021 | Cap-Haïtien tanker explosion[155] | Cap-Haïtien, Haiti |
81–115 | 6 January 1967 | Cavite bus crash[156] | Cavite, Philippines |
Deaths | Date | Incident |
---|---|---|
54–300 | 24 October 1960 | Nedelin catastrophe, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union – occurred on ground before launch |
53 | 9 August 1965 | 1965 Searcy missile silo fire, near Searcy, Arkansas, U.S. – occurred on ground before launch |
48 | 18 March 1980 | 1980 Plesetsk launch pad disaster, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Soviet Union – occurred on ground before launch |
21 | 22 August 2003 | 2003 Alcântara VLS accident, Alcântara, Brazil – occurred on ground before launch |
7 | 28 January 1986 | Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, crashed over Florida, U.S. |
7 | 1 February 2003 | Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, crashed over Texas and Louisiana, U.S. |
6-300+ | 15 February 1996 | Intelsat 708, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan, China, Launch vehicle veered off course immediately after liftoff and struck a nearby village, officially killing at least six people (although other estimates put the death count higher). |
3 | 27 January 1967 | Apollo 1, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, FL, U.S. – occurred on ground during a "plugs out" test. |
3 | 30 June 1971 | Soyuz 11, depressurized in space; only deaths in space as of 2024 |
1 | 24 April 1967 | Soyuz 1, southeast of Orenburg, Russia |
1 | 15 November 1967 | X-15 Flight 191, near Edwards AFB, California, U.S. |
1 | 31 October 2014 | VSS Enterprise crash, suborbital, Mojave Desert, California, U.S., other pilot survived |
Deaths | Date | Incident |
---|---|---|
12,000 | 5–9 December 1952 | The Great Smog of London (5–9 December 1952). Delayed fatalities rise from 10,000 to 12,000.[157] |
2,200 | 1880 | Coal smog (London, 1880).[158] |
1,000 | December 1956 | 1956 London smog.[159] |
780 | December 1873 | 1873 London smog[160] |
779 | December 1892 | 1892 London smog[161] |
700–800 | December 1948 | 1948 London smog[161] |
300–405 | January–February 1963 | 1963 New York City smog |
300–400 | December 1962 | 1962 London smog[159] |
220–240 | November 1953 | 1953 New York City smog |
168 | 23–25 November 1966 | 1966 New York City smog |
160 | 12–15 December 1991 | Smog (London, 12–15 December 1991)[162] |
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