List of disasters in Switzerland by death toll
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This list of Swiss disasters by death toll includes major disasters (excluding acts of war) that occurred on Swiss soil or involved Swiss citizens, in a definable incident, in which at least 10 fatalities occurred.
Within Switzerland
| Fatalities | Year | Article | Description | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24,449 | 1918-1919 | Spanish flu | Pandemic | Switzerland | [1] |
| 11,039 | 2020-2022 | COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland | Pandemic | Switzerland | |
| 2,000 | 1356 | 1356 Basel earthquake | Earthquake | Basel-Stadt | [2] |
| 1,000 | 2003 | 2003 European heatwave | Heatwave | Switzerland | [2] |
| 542 | 2023 | 2023 Summer Heat Wave | Heatwave | Switzerland | |
| 500 | 1515 | Biasca flash flood | Flash flood | Biasca, Ticino | [2] |
| 457 | 1806 | Goldau Landslide (Bergsturz von Goldau) | Landslide | Arth-Goldau, Schwyz | |
| 400 | 1798 | Days of terror in Nidwalden | French invasion of Switzerland | Nidwalden, Switzerland | |
| 320 | 1584 | 1584 Aigle earthquake | Earthquake, rockfall (Ovaille de 1584) and tsunami | Aigle, Vaud | [2] |
| 140 | 1595 | Bagnes flash flood | Flash flood | Bagnes, Valais | [2] |
| 115 | 1881 | Rockslide of Elm | Rockslide | Elm, Glarus | |
| 108 | 1973 | Invicta International Airlines Flight 435 | Plane crash | Hochwald, Solothurn | |
| 98 | 1951 | Winter of Terror | Avalanches | Switzerland | [2] · [3] |
| 88 | 1965 | Mattmark disaster during Mattmarksee construction | Glacier collapse of the Allalin Glacier | Saas Valley. | |
| 84 | 1940-1945 | Bombardments of neutral Switzerland during World War II | Aerial bombardments and accidents over Switzerland by Axis powers and the Allies | Different Areas in Switzerland. Mainly Schaffhausen, Zürich and Basel. | |
| 80 | 1963 | Swissair Flight 306 | Plane crash | Dürrenäsch, Aargau | |
| 76 | 1748 | 1748 Aargau floods | Floods | Aargau | [2] |
| 73 | 1891 | Münchenstein rail disaster | Rail disaster | Münchenstein, Basel-Landschaft | |
| 66 | 1808 | 1808 Avalanche winter | Avalanche season | Canton of Bern, Grisons | [2] |
| 63 | 1778 | Küsnacht flood (Küsnachter Überschwemmung 1778) | Flood | Küsnacht, Zürich | [2] |
| 51 | 1868 | 1868 flood | Flood | Switzerland | [4] |
| 50-90 | 1720 | 1720 Obergesteln avalanche | Avalanche | Obergesteln, Valais | [2] |
| 49 | 1888 | 1888 Avalanche winter | Avalanche season | Switzerland | |
| 48 | 1994 | 1994 Solar Temple massacres | Mass suicides in two villages | Cheiry, Fribourg and Granges-sur-Salvan, Valais | |
| 47 | 1970 | Swissair Flight 330 | Plane crash | Würenlingen, Aargau | |
| 46 | 1990 | Alitalia Flight 404 | Plane crash | Weiach, Zürich | |
| 45 | 1971 | Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 130 | Plane crash | Zurich Airport, Zürich | |
| 41 | 2026 | Crans-Montana bar fire | Fire in ski resort bar | Crans-Montana, Valais | |
| 39 | 1982 | Pfäffikon level crossing accident (Eisenbahnunfall von Pfäffikon ZH) | Level crossing accident | Pfäffikon, Zürich | |
| 30 | 1970 | 1970 Reckingen avalanche | Avalanche | Reckingen-Gluringen, Valais | [3] |
| 29 | 1999 | Storm Lothar | 14 direct fatalities and 15 indirect | Different locations mainly in the Swiss Plateau | |
| 28 | 2012 | Sierre coach crash | Bus crash | Sierre Tunnel, Valais | |
| 28 | 1971 | Burghölzli Psychiatric Hospitale fire | Structure fire | Zürich, Switzerland | |
| 24 | 2001 | Crossair Flight 3597 | Plane crash | Bassersdorf, Zürich | |
| 23 | 1871 | Train collision at Colombier Station | Train collision | Colombier, Neuchâtel | |
| 23 | 1956 | ČSA Flight 548 | Plane crash | Eglisau, Zürich | |
| 21 | 1948 | 1948 Wädenswil train crash (Eisenbahnunfall von Wädenswil) | Train derailment | Wädenswil, Zürich | |
| 21 | 1999 | Wilderswil Canyoning Disaster | 21 People die in a flash flood while canyoning in the Saxetbach | Wilderswil, Canton of Bern | |
| 20 | 2018 | 2018 Ju-Air Junkers Ju 52 crash | Plane crash | Piz Segnas, Glarus | |
| 18 | 2024 | 2024 Switzerland floods | Floods | Switzerland | |
| 17 | 1770 | Praettigau rockfall | Rockfall | Prättigau, Grisons | [2] |
| 16 | 2000 | 2000 Valais storm | Floods and landslides | Valais (especially the landslide in Gondo) | [2] |
| 16 | 1961 | Hergiswil Bus Accident | Bus accident | Hergiswil, Nidwalden | |
| 15 | 1924 | 1924 Bellinzona train collision (Eisenbahnunfall von Bellinzona) | Train collision | Bellinzona, Ticino | |
| 15 | 2001 | Zug Parliament Mass Shooting | Mass shooting | Zug, Switzerland | |
| 14 | 1891 | Zollikofen station train collision (Eisenbahnunfall von Zollikofen) | Train collision | Zollikofen, Bern | |
| 13 | 1932 | November 1932 Geneva shooting | The Swiss Army opened fire at protesters | Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 13 | 1935 | 1935 San Giacomo Douglas DC-2 crash | Plane crash | Mesocco, Graubünden | |
| 13 | 1968 | 1968 Saint-Léonard train collision (Eisenbahnunfall von St-Léonard) | Train collision | Saint-Léonard, Valais | |
| 13 | 1972 | Bettmeralp cable car crash | Cable car crash | Bettmeralp, Valais | |
| 13 | 1938 | Piz Cengalo Lufthansa crash | Plane crash | Piz Cengalo, Graubünden | [5] |
| 12 | 1941 | Hamberger Firework Factory explosion | Work related accident kills 12 factory workers | Oberried am Brienzersee, Canton of Bern | |
| 12 | 1999 | Evolène avalanche | Avalanche | Evolène, Valais | |
| 12 | 1985 | Uster indoor swimming pool roof collapse | The roof collapsed trapping 12 visitors in the pool which caused them to drown | Uster, Zurich | |
| 12 | 2005 | Orsières Bus Accident | Traffic accident | Orsières, Valais | |
| 11 | 2001 | Gotthard Road Tunnel disaster | Tunnel fire | Uri/Ticino | |
| 11 | 1887 | 1887 Zug slide | Slide | Zug, Zug | [2] |
| 11 | 1985 | 1985 Täsch-Zermatt avalanche | Avalanche | Täsch, Valais | [3] |
| 11 | 1941 | 1941 Wichtrach train collision | Train collision | Wichtrach, Bern | |
| 11 | 1942 | 1942 Tüscherz train collision (Eisenbahnunfall von Tüscherz) | Train collision | Tüscherz-Alfermée, Bern | |
| 11 | 1945 | 1945 Andermatt avalanche | Avalanche | Andermatt, Uri | [3] |
| 11 | 1970 | Bavaria Fluggesellschaft Jetstream crash | Plane crash | Bever, Graubünden | [6] |
| 10 | 1961 | 1961 Vaz/Obervaz avalanche | Avalanche | Vaz/Obervaz, Graubünden | [3] |
| 10 | 1947 | 1947 Einsiedeln train collision | Train collision | Einsiedeln, Schwyz | |
| 10 | 1959 | Hamberger Firework Factory explosion | The second fatal accident in this factory | Oberried am Brienzersee, Canton of Bern | |
| 10 | 1917 | Rhaetian Railway avalanche accident | Avalanche | Davos, Graubünden | |
| 10 | 2018 | 2018 accident in the Valais Alps | A storm kills seven ski tourers and mountaineers in several locations | Valais, Canton of Bern | |
| 10 | 2000 | Crossair Flight 498 | Plane crash | Niederhasli, Zürich | |
| several hundred | 563 | Tauredunum event | Landslide and tsunami | Lake Geneva |
Abroad
Below is a list of disasters involving Swiss nationals that occurred abroad. The number of fatalities includes only Swiss nationals.
| Fatalities | Year | Article | Description | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113 | 2004 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami | 113 Swiss citizens died in the disaster | Southeast Asia | |
| 48 | 1998 | Swissair Flight 111 | Plane crash | Offshore of Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 36 | 1997 | Luxor massacre | 62 People killed in total, 36 of them were Swiss tourists | Luxor, Egypt |