List of accidents and disasters by death toll
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Engineering
Explosions
| Deaths | Date | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 | 30 May 1626 | The Wanggongchang Explosion in the Wanggongchang Gunpowder Factory, Beijing, China, destroyed part of the city and killed 20,000 people[1][2][3] |
| ~6,000 | 1 November 1948 | Boiler and ammunition explosion aboard an unidentified merchant ship that was evacuating Republic of China Army troops from Yingkou, China, to Taiwan in early November 1948. Other sources suggest this figure is inaccurate[4][5] |
| 400-6,000 | 18 August 1769 | A lightning bolt caused the explosion of a gunpowder depot in Brescia, Italy, destroying one-sixth of the city. The official death toll is 400 but later estimates put it at around 3,000[6][7][8] |
| 1,300-4,000 | 7 August 1956 | Ammunition trucks exploded near a railway station in Cali, Colombia. Approximately 4,000 more were injured[9][10] |
| 2,500 | 5 June 1941 | The Smederevo Fortress explosion of stockpiled ammunition occurred at Smederevo Fortress near Belgrade in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia[11][12] |
| 1,950 | 6 December 1917 | The Halifax Explosion in Nova Scotia, Canada, was caused by a collision between two ships, one of which was carrying explosives as well as benzole[13] |
| 1,082-2,280 | 6 March 1862 | An ammunition warehouse in San Andrés Chalchicomula, Mexico, exploded and killed almost all of the Oaxaca brigade during the first days of the Second French intervention in Mexico[14][15] |
| 1,500+ | 18 November 1918 | An ammunition transporter exploded in Hamont, Belgium[16] |
| 1,200 | 16 October 1926 | The explosion of ammunition on the Chinese troopship Kuang Yuang, near Kiukiang, China[17] |
| 1,121 | 8 June 1943 | The Japanese battleship Mutsu, was severely damaged while at Hashirajima harbor due to a magazine explosion; it sank on 9 June[18] |
| 1,100+ | 27 January 2002 | The Lagos Armoury Explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, led to a stampede as people escaped; many deaths were from drowning as people fell into a hidden canal during the resulting panic[19][20][21] |
| 1,082 | 18 October 1998 | The Jesse pipeline explosion, near Lagos, Nigeria, was caused by the pipeline rupturing; the cause is debated [22][23] |
| 800-1,300 | 14 April 1944 | The Bombay Docks Explosion in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India, was caused by a fire on the SS Fort Stikine.[24] The total number of dead is unknown[25] |
| 1,000+ | 31 August 1794 | The explosion of a gunpowder factory in Grenelle, France[26][27] |
| 843 | 9 July 1917 | A propellant explosion occurred on the British dreadnought battleship HMS Vanguard[28][29] |
| 788 | 26 November 1914 | The British pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Bulwark was destroyed due to a magazine explosion[30][31] |
| 700 | 17 August 1989 | An Iraqi military plant exploded at Al Hillah, Babil, Iraq[32][33] |
| 256–1,000+ | 16 September 1732 | A military warehouse exploded, killing up to two-thirds of the population of the Campo Maior district of Portalegre, Portugal[34][35][36][37] |
| 621 | 27 February 1925 | A dynamite depot exploded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[38] |
| 600+ | 28 March 1943 | The Caterina Costa, exploded while at port of Naples; over 3000 were also injured[39] |
| 590 | 3 November 1893 | Dynamite being transported on the steamship Cabo Machichaco, exploded at the port of Santander, Spain. More than 2,000 were injured[40] |
| 581 | 16 April 1947 | The first Texas City disaster in the Port of Texas City, Texas, USA; over 5,000 were also injured[41][42] |
| 575 | 4 June 1989 | The Ufa train disaster in Ufa, Bashkir ASSR (now Russia), occurred due to a build-up of flammable gases[43][44] |
| 565 | 21 September 1921 | The Oppau explosion at a BASF plant in Germany was caused by a fertilizer explosion; the total number of dead is unknown[45] |
| 542 | 9 April 1945 | Ammunition exploded on the SS Charles Henderson while it was at Bari, Italy; 1,800 more were injured[46] |
| 508 | 25 February 1984 | A gasoline pipeline exploded in the favela of Vila Sao Jose, Cubatão, Brazil[47][48] |
| 500+ | 19 November 1984 | The San Juanico disaster was a series of explosions at an LPG tank farm in Mexico City, Mexico; at least 5,000 more were injured[49][50] |
| 372 | 10 November 1944 | The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbor, Manus. 371 others were injured and 10 other ships were severely damaged [51] |
| 370+ | 27 July 1816 | A powder magazine in Negro Fort in Spanish Florida exploded during battle with United States forces[52] |
| 339 | 11 September 1905 | The Japanese battleship Mikasa's magazine exploded while at port[53][54] |
| 320 | 17 July 1944 | The Port Chicago disaster at Port Chicago, California, United States, occurred when munitions exploded while being loaded onto a cargo ship[55][56] |
| ~300 | 4 March 2012 | The Brazzaville arms dump blasts were caused by a fire in an arms depot in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo[57][58] |
| 298+ | 18 March 1937 | The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, United States, was caused by a gas leak[59] |
| 291 | 29 December 2001 | A fireworks stand explosion led to a fire in the Mesa Redonda shopping center in Lima, Peru. 235 bodies were recovered and over 144 were taken to hospital due to burns[60][61][62] |
| 286 | 25 September 1911 | An explosion occurred on the French battleship Liberté due to a smokeless powder ignition. The exact number of dead is unknown[63] |
| 256 | 4 June 2015 | A gas station exploded in Accra, Ghana. It was being used as a shelter from the ongoing rainfall and floods, which spread the fuel, and fire, to nearby buildings[64][65] |
| 243 | 23 December 2003 | An explosion occurred in the PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field in Guoqiao, Chongqing, China[66][67] |
| 230+ | 2 July 2010 | A tanker truck exploded in Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as locals tried to collect fuel from a truck that had overturned[68][69] |
| 228 | 20 October 1916 | The magazine in the Russian battleship Imperatritsa Mariya exploded while anchored in Sevastopol[70] |
| 220 | 11 December 1944 | Gasoline stored on a train transporting Japanese military, ammunition and civilians exploded near Itoman, Okinawa, Japan[71][better source needed] |
| 219 | 25 June 2017 | An oil truck exploded in Bahawalpur, Pakistan as locals tried to collect fuel from an overturned truck[72] |
| 218 | 4 August 2020 | A grain silo storing ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut, Lebanon[73] |
| 218 | 25 September 2023 | A fuel depot exploded in Berkadzor, Nagorno-Karabakh[74][75] |
| 215 | 11 July 1978 | The Los Alfaques disaster occurred in Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain, when a tanker truck exploded near a campsite[76] |
| 207 | 28 July 1948 | A BASF tank car exploded near Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany; 3,818 were also injured[77] |
| 206 | 22 April 1992 | A series of gas explosions took place in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico due to pipe corrosion[78] |
| 206 | 17 September 2015 | A tanker exploded in Juba, South Sudan[79][80] |
| 200+ | 6 June 1991 | The Gotera ammunition dump in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, exploded[81] |
| 150–240 | 18 July 1806 | A gunpowder magazine exploded in Birgu, Malta, due to negligence when transferring shells from the magazine[82] |
Industrial
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,787–16,000 | 2–3 December 1984 | Bhopal disaster.[83] The official death toll was 3,787; the total number is unknown[84] | Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals) factory, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| 1,549 | 26 April 1942 | Benxihu Colliery explosion[85] | Benxi, Liaoning, Manchukuo (now China) |
| 1,099 | 10 March 1906 | Courrières mine disaster[86] | Courrières, France |
| 476–1,000 | 1931 | Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster[87] | Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, United States |
| 687 | 15 December 1914 | Mitsubishi Hōjō coal mine disaster[88] | Kyūshū, Japan |
| 682 | 9 May 1960 | Laobaidong colliery coal dust explosion[89][90] | Datong, China |
| 581 | 16 April 1947 | Texas City disaster[41] | Texas City, Texas, U.S. |
| 512 | 28 August 1899 | Sumitomo Besshi bronze mine landslide and debris flow[91] | Niihama, Shikoku, Japan |
| 500+ | 19 November 1984 | San Juanico Disaster[92] | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 458 | 9 November 1963 | Mitsui Miike Coal Mine disaster[93][94] | Mitsui Miike, Ōmuta, Fukuoka, Japan |
| 439 | 14 October 1913 | Senghenydd Colliery Disaster[95] | Senghenydd, Wales |
| 437 | 21 January 1960 | Coalbrook mining disaster[96] | Coalbrook, South Africa |
| 428 | 6 June 1972 | Wankie coal mine disaster[97] | Wankie, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) |
| 422 | 28 November 1914 | Mine explosion caused by methane gas[98] | New Yubari Yūbari, Hokkaidō, Japan |
| 405 | 20 February 1946 | Bergkamen mining disaster[99] | Bergkamen, Germany |
| 400+ | 28 January 2026 | 2026 Rubaya mine collapse[100] | Rubaya mines, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| 372 | 27 December 1975 | Chasnala mining disaster. Some sources claim the death toll was 375[101][102] | Sudamdih Colliery, Dhanbad, India |
| 369 | 21 December 1917 | Coal mine disaster at Kaijima-kirino mine[103][104] | Miyata, Fukuoka Japan |
| 365 | 20 July 1907 | Hokoku mine gas explosion[105] | Hokoku, Itoda, Kyūshū, Japan |
| 362 | 6 December 1907 | Monongah Mining disaster[106] | Monongah, West Virginia, U.S. |
| 361 | 12 December 1866 | Oaks Colliery mining disaster. The official death toll is 361 but the actual number is uncertain[107] | Barnsley, England |
| 344 | 21 December 1910 | Pretoria Pit Disaster[108] | Westhoughton, England |
| 319 | 31 May 1892 | Marie ore mine fire[109] | Příbram, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic) |
| 301 | 13 May 2014 | Soma mine disaster[110] | Manisa, Turkey |
| 300+ | 9 May 1993 | Nambija mine disaster. As the total number of residents is unknown, a definitive death toll may never be established.[111] | Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador |
| 299 | 7 February 1962 | Luisenthal mine disaster[112] | Saarland, West Germany |
| 290 | 23 June 1894 | Coal dust ignition led to a firedamp explosion[113] | Albion Colliery, Wales |
| 289 | 11 September 2012 | Pakistan factory fires[114][115] | Karachi, Pakistan |
| 277 | 8 September 2008 | 2008 Shanxi mudslide caused by collapse of a mine landfill[116] | Xiangfen, Linfen, Shanxi, China |
| 270 | 25 January 2019 | Brumadinho dam disaster caused by the collapse of a mining dam[117] | Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| 268 | 28 May 1965 | 1965 Dhanbad coal mine disaster. The official death toll is 268, although some sources place it at 375 [118][119] | Dhanbad, Bihar, India |
| 268 | 11 September 1878 | Abercarn colliery disaster[120] | Abercarn, Wales |
| 266 | 22 September 1934 | Gresford disaster[121] | Gresford, Wales |
| 263 | 22 October 1913 | Stag Canyon Mine No. 2 explosion[122] | Dawson, New Mexico, U.S. |
| 263 | 3 March 1992 | Kozlu mine disaster[123] | Incirharmani, Kozlu, Zonguldak, Turkey |
| 262 | 8 August 1956 | Marcinelle mining disaster[124] | Marcinelle, Belgium |
| 259 | 13 November 1909 | Cherry Mine disaster[125] | Cherry, Illinois, U.S. |
| 259 | 24 November 1909 | Onoura Kirino coal mine explosion[126] | Miyata, Kyūshū, Japan |
| 254 | 11 November 1937 | Kogushi sulfur mine collapse[127] | Tsumagoi, Western Gunma, Japan |
| 247 | 28 March 1965 | El Cobre disaster: an earthquake caused the copper mine's tailing dams to fail, washing away the village[128][129] | El Soldado mine, Valparaiso, Chile |
| 243 | 23 December 2003 | PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion[66][130] | Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China |
| 239 | 19 December 1907 | Darr Mine Disaster[131] | Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 237 | 1 June 1965 | Yamano mine explosion[132] | Chikuho coalfield, Kyūshū, Japan |
| 235 | 14 June 1894 | Karviná Colliery Disaster[133] | Karviná, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic) |
| 216 | 19 May 1902 | Fraterville Mine disaster[134] | Fraterville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| 214 | 15 February 2005 | Sunjiawan mine disaster[135][136] | Sunjiawan, Fuxin, Liaoning, China |
| 210 | 15 June 1899 | Hokoku mine gas explosion[105] | Hokoku, Itoda, Kyūshū, Japan |
| 204 | 16 January 1862 | Hartley Colliery Disaster[137] | New Hartley, Northumberland, England |
| 202 | 25 May 1917 | Bolevec Disaster[138][139] | Pilsen, Bohemia, now in Czech Republic |
| 200+ | 1 May 1900 | Scofield Mine disaster[140] | Scofield, Utah, U.S. |
| 200+ | 27 February 1908 | Mina Rosita Vieja disaster[141] | San Juan de Sabinas, Coahuila, Mexico |
Nuclear and radiation
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200–6,000 | 29 September 1957 | Mayak nuclear waste storage tank explosion. No immediate cases of acute radiation sickness were recorded, but, since 270,000 people were exposed to dangerous radiation levels, the long term effects, such as excess relative risk of various cancers, are still being studied.[142][143] | Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union |
| 100–240 | 10 October 1957 | Windscale fire. 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.[144][145] | Windscale (now Sellafield), Cumbria, England. |
| 95–4,000+[146][147] | 26 April 1986 | Chernobyl disaster. Official reports logged 31 immediate deaths,[148] approximately 64 recorded cancer deaths by 2008,[149] and potentially up to, but no more than, 4,000 total cancer deaths.[150][151] Far higher death toll estimates have been made, but these are disputed.[152] | Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| 18 | August 2000 – March 2001 | Patients receiving treatment for cancer at the Instituto Oncológico Nacional received lethal doses of radiation.[153][154][155] | Panama City, Panama |
| 13 | 1996 | 1996 San Juan de Dios radiotherapy accident. 114 patients received an overdose of radiation.[156][157] | San José, Costa Rica |
| 11 | December 1990 | Clinic of Zaragoza radiotherapy accident. 27 other patients were injured.[158] | Zaragoza, Spain |
| 10 | 10 August 1985 | Soviet submarine K-431 accident. 49 other people received radiation injuries, 10 of whom suffered acute radiation sickness.[159][160] | near Vladivostok, Russia |
| 10 | 1974–1976 | Columbus radiotherapy accident. 88 other patients were severely injured.[161][162][163] | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
Structural collapses
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26,000–240,000 | 8 August 1975 | Failure of Banqiao Dam and 60 other dams in the Ru River basin.[164] The official death toll was 26,000, but Human Rights Watch later estimated it to be 230,000, and Discovery Channel estimated 240,000.[165] This figure includes subsequent disease- and hunger-related deaths.[166] | Zhumadian, China |
| 20,000+ | AD 27 | Amphitheater collapse[167] | Fidenae, Italy |
| 11,300 | 11 September 2023 | Derna dam collapses. The official death toll was 4,540.[168] The UN initially estimated 11,300 (though they later retracted it)[169] and the Sadiq Institute suggested 14,000 to 24,000.[170] | Derna, Libya |
| 1,800–25,000 | 11 August 1979 | Machchhu dam failure[171] | Morbi, India |
| 2,208 | 31 May 1889 | Johnstown Flood[172] | Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States |
| 1,134 | 24 April 2013 | Rana Plaza collapse[173][174] | Savar Upazila, Bangladesh |
| 1,000+ | 19 August 1917 | Tigra Dam failure | Gwalior, India |
| 1,000 | 12 July 1961 | Panshet Dam failure[175] | Pune, India |
| 500–1500 | 20 September 1807 | Eitai Bridge collapse[176] | Tokyo, Japan |
| 941 | 3 May 1868 | Iruka Lake Dam failure[177] | Inuyama, Japan |
| 608 | 30 April 1802 | Puentes Dam collapse and flooding[178] | Lorca, Spain |
| 502 | 29 June 1995 | Sampoong Department Store collapse[179] | Seoul, South Korea |
| 400–600+ | 12 March 1928 | St. Francis Dam failure[180] | Los Angeles County, California, United States |
| 423 | 2 December 1959 | Malpasset Dam failure[181] | Fréjus, France |
| 356 | 1 December 1923 | Gleno Dam failure[182] | Bergamo, Italy |
| 250–434 | 18 August 2008 | Koshi Barrage failure[183] | Koshi River, Nepal |
| 270+ | 25 January 2019 | Failure of tailings dam on Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine[184] | Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| 268 | 19 July 1985 | Val di Stava dam collapse[185] | Tesero, Italy |
| 244 | 11 March 1864 | Dale Dike Reservoir dam failure after the Great Sheffield Flood[186] | Sheffield, England, United Kingdom |
| 238 | 10 June 1972 | Dam failure caused by 1972 Black Hills flood[187] | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
| 236 | 8 April 2025 | Jet Set nightclub roof collapse[188] | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| 107–500 | 1 May 1966 | Mir-Plakalnitsa tailings dam failure. The official death toll was 107[189][190] | Vratsa, Bulgaria |
| 226 | 16 April 1850 | Angers Bridge collapse[191] | Angers, France |
| 200+ | 31 October 2017 | Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site tunnel collapse[192] | North Korea |
| 200+ | 28 July 1983 | Landslide during construction of the Guavio River hydroelectric dam[193] | Bogotá, Colombia |
| ~200 | 20 January 1980 | Collapse of wooden bleachers at a bullring during corralejas[194][195] | Sincelejo, Colombia |
| 7-169 | 17 November 1981 | Manila Film Center collapse. The official death toll was 7, but witnesses and later reports claimed up to 169.[196][197] | Pasay, Philippines |
| ~160 | 10 December 2016 | Uyo church collapse[198] | Uyo, Nigeria |
| 150+ | 10 September 2024 | Alau Dam collapse which led to the Borno State flooding[199] | Borno State, Nigeria |
| 148+ | 24 August 2024 | Arbaat Dam collapse[200] | Port Sudan, Sudan |
| 120–176 | 20 April 1986 | Kantale Dam failure[201] | Kantale, Sri Lanka |
| 145 | 10 January 1860 | Pemberton Mill collapse[202] | Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States |
| 144 | 9 January 1959 | Vega de Tera disaster[203] | Ribadelago, Spain |
| 141 | 30 October 2022 | 2022 Morbi bridge collapse[204] | Morbi, India |
| 140 | 19 November 1974 | Makahali River bridge collapse | Baitadi, Nepal |
| 139 | 16 May 1874 | Mill River dam failure[205] | Williamsburg, Massachusetts, United States |
| 139[citation needed] | 13 September 1976 | Apartment building collapse[206] | Karachi, Pakistan |
| 137 | 13 August 1993 | Collapse of the Royal Plaza Hotel[207] | Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand |
| 125 | 26 February 1972 | Buffalo Creek flood[208] | Logan County, West Virginia, United States |
| 125[citation needed] | 8 November 1984 | Rope bridge collapse[209] | Munnar, India |
| 120 | 1 February 1963 | Nuns' school chapel collapse[210] | Biblian, Ecuador |
| 116 | 12 September 2014 | Synagogue Church hotel collapse[211] | Lagos State, Nigeria |
| 114 | 1951 | Heiwa Lake Dam failure[212] | Kameoka, Japan |
| 114 | 17 July 1981 | Hyatt Regency walkway collapse[213] | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| 111 | 11 September 2015 | Mecca crane collapse[214] | Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 111 | 13 August 1935 | Sella Zerbino dam failure[215] | Molare, Italy |
| 105 | 1951 | Taisho Lake Dam failure[216] | Ide, Japan |
| 100+ | 1 December 2000 | Dongguan Mall collapse[217][218] | Dongguan, China |
| 100+ | 21 February 1890 | Walnut Grove Dam failure[219] | Wickenburg, Arizona, United States |
| 100+ | 16 June 1990 | Saque Comprehensive College collapse[220] | Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
Structural fires
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000–3,000 | 8 December 1863 | Church of the Company Fire[221] | Santiago, Chile |
| 1,700–2,845+ | 2 September 1949 | Chongqing Waterfront Fire. Also known as the "9–2 Fire"[222][223] | Chongqing, China |
| 2,000-2,300 | 25 May 1845 | Canton Theater fire[224][225] | Canton (now Guangzhou), China |
| 1,195-2,000+ | 2 August 1893 | Kamli theater fire[226][227] | Kamli, Japan |
| 900 | June 1871 | Theater fire | Shanghai, China |
| 800 | 2 February 1836 | Lehman Theater fire. The official death toll was 126, but rumors and later reports put it much higher.[228][229] | St. Petersburg, Russia |
| 694 | 18 February 1977 | Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire[230][231] | Xinjiang, China |
| 670 | 26 February 1918 | Happy Valley Racecourse fire[232] | Hong Kong |
| 658 | 13 February 1937 | Antoung Movie Theater fire[233] | Nantong, China |
| 602 | 30 December 1903 | Iroquois Theatre fire[234] | 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[235] | Kanungu, Uganda |
| 500 | 17 December 1961 | Gran Circus Norte-Americano – Niterói circus fire[236] | Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 492 | 28 November 1942 | Cocoanut Grove fire[237] | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| 448 | 8 December 1881 | Ringtheater fire. The official death toll was 386[238] but later reports placed it to 448,[239] 875[229] or "nearly 1,000" .[240] | Vienna, Austria |
| 430 | 13 January 1883 | Circus Ferroni fire[241] | Berdichev, Ukraine |
| 424 | 1 August 2004 | Paraguay supermarket fire[242] | Asunción, Paraguay |
| 400[citation needed] | 17 December 1778 | Coliseo theater fire[243] | Zaragoza, Spain |
| 377–470+ | 19 August 1978 | Cinema Rex fire[244][245] | Abadan, Iran |
| ~360 | 14 February 2012 | Comayagua prison fire. The exact death toll is unknown[246] | Comayagua, Honduras |
| 326+ | 30 June 1900 | 1900 Hoboken Docks fire[247] | Hoboken, New Jersey, United States |
| 325 | 22 May 1967 | L'Innovation Department Store fire[248] | Brussels, Belgium |
| 323 | 10 December 1994 | 1994 Karamay fire[230] | Karamay, China |
| 322 | 21 April 1930 | Ohio Penitentiary fire[249] | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
| 312 | 27 March 1910 | Ököritófülpös barn fire[250] | Ököritófülpös, Hungary |
| 309 | 25 December 2000 | Dongdu Commercial shopping center fire[231] | Luoyang, China |
| 291 | 29 December 2001 | Mesa Redonda fire[60] | Lima, Peru |
| 289 | 28 October 1995 | 1995 Baku Metro fire[251] | Baku, Azerbaijan |
| 289 | 11 September 2012 | 2012 Karachi garment factory fire[114] | Karachi, Pakistan |
| 278+ | 5 December 1876 | Brooklyn Theatre fire. The official death toll was 278, although one coroner's report listed 283 fatalities [252] | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| 250-300 | 15 February 1909 | Flores Theater fire[253] | Acapulco, Mexico |
| 242 | 27 January 2013 | Kiss nightclub fire in Santa Maria[254] | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| 233 | 27 November 1994 | Discothèque fire[255] | Fuxin, China |
| 209 | 23 April 1940 | Rhythm Club fire[256] | Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
| 208 | 6 March 1943 | Hoteiza theater fire[257] | Kucchan, Japan |
| 200+ | 14 July 1960 | Mental hospital fire[258] | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
Recreation
Amusement parks
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Amusement park | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 14 February 2004 | The roof of the indoor water park collapsed. Approximately 200 more were injured[259][260] | Transvaal Park | Yasenevo, Moscow, Russia |
| 15 | 27 June 2015 | A dust explosion at the music stage caused a fire that also injured over 400 others[261] | Formosa Fun Coast | Bali, New Taipei, Taiwan |
| 8 | 11 May 1984 | A cigarette lighter ignited the flammable foam-rubber walls of the Haunted Castle[262] | Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States |
| 7 | 9 June 1979 | Either faulty wiring or sabotage caused a fire at the park's ghost train ride[263][264] | Luna Park Sydney | Sydney, Australia |
| 7 | 14 August 1981 | A crane collided with the Skylab carousel. Fifteen more were injured[265][266] | Hamburger Dom | Hamburg, Germany |
| 6 | 13 August 1944 | A spark ignited a fire in the Virginia Reel ride, which also injured over 100 others[267][268][269] | Palisades Amusement Park | Cliffside Park-Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States |
| 6 | 29 June 2010 | Eco-Adventure Valley Space Journey, a rocket launch ride, malfunctioned, injuring ten others[270][271] | OCT East | Yantian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China |
| 5 | 30 May 1972 | The Big Dipper roller coaster broke free from its haulage rope. Thirteen others were injured[272][273] | Battersea Park | Battersea, London, England |
| 5 | 13 August 2007 | Two gondolas on a Ferris wheel collided, causing people to fall. Eleven others were injured[274] | World Carnival Busan | Busan, South Korea |
| 5 | 23 June 2017 | The water in the swimming pool became electrified[275] | Kuzuluk Aquapark | Akyazi, Turkey |
| 4 | 24 July 1930 | A bolt came loose from the Big Dipper roller coaster. Seventeen more were injured[276][277][278] | Krug Park | Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
| 4 | 25 October 2016 | One of the Thunder River Rapids Ride rafts flipped upside down and became wedged under a conveyor belt[279] | Dreamworld | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia |
| 3 | 14 June 1986 | One of the Mindbender carriages failed and crashed into a concrete pillar. Twenty others were injured[280] | Galaxyland | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| 3 | 26 July 1978 | A Skyway gondola detached from its cable and plunged to the ground, seriously injuring one other person[281] | Six Flags St. Louis | Eureka, Missouri, United States |
Crowd crushes
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,000 | 29 March 1809 | Porto Boat Bridge disaster. Civilians fleeing the advancing French army tried to cross the Douro river over a fragile pontoon bridge, which collapsed[282][283] | Porto, Portugal |
| 992-2,500 | 5 June 1941 | Mass panic at air raid shelter, during Japanese bombing of Chongqing. Most deaths were caused by suffocation. The official death toll was 992 but some news articles put it at 2,500[284][285] | Chongqing, China |
| 2,411+ | 24 September 2015 | Crowd crush en route to the Stoning of the Devil ritual. The official death toll was 769[286] | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 1,426 | 3 July 1990 | Crowd crush inside the Mo'essem pedestrian tunnel[287] | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 1,386+ | 30 May 1896 | Khodynka Tragedy. A crowd crush at the coronation of Nicholas II. The official death toll was 1,386 but it may as have been as high as 4,000[288][289] | Khodynka Field, Moscow, Russian Empire |
| 965 | 31 August 2005 | Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede. 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[290] | Baghdad, Iraq |
| 316-800 | 3 February 1954 | Prayag Kumbh Mela stampede which took place at a religious festival. The official death toll was 316[291][292] | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| 363 | 12 January 2006 | 2006 Hajj stampede[293] | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 357 | 22 November 2010 | Phnom Penh stampede occurred as people crossed a bridge during the Water Festival[294] | 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[295] | Genoa, Italy |
| 328 | 24 May 1964 | Estadio Nacional disaster. This count does not include anyone killed by gunfire during the stampede[296] | Lima, Peru |
| 270 | 23 May 1994 | 1994 Hajj stampede[297] | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 258 | 25 January 2005 | Mandher Devi temple stampede[298] | Wai, Maharashtra, India |
| 251 | 1 February 2004 | 2004 Hajj stampede[299] | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 241 | 11 October 1711 | Pont de la Guillotière stampede caused by revellers getting stuck at an overturned carriage[300] | Lyon, France |
| 224 | 30 September 2008 | Stampede at the Chamunda Devi temple[301] | Jodhpur, India |
| 183 | 16 June 1883 | Victoria Hall theatre stairway crush[302] | Sunderland, England |
| 173 | 3 March 1943 | Bethnal Green tube station panic[303] | London, England |
| 159 | 29 October 2022 | Seoul Halloween crowd crush. This count includes a survivor who later took their own life[304] | Seoul, South Korea |
| 146 | 3 August 2008 | Naina Devi Temple stampede[305] | Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| 135 | 1 October 2022 | Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster following a football match[306] | Malang, East Java, Indonesia |
| 130 | 23 November 1994 | Gowari stampede in the Maharashtra State Legislature building[307] | Nagpur, Maharastra, India |
| 126 | 9 May 2001 | Accra Sports Stadium disaster[308] | Accra, Ghana |
| 124 | 1 January 1956 | Yahiko Shrine Stampede at a New Year event[309] | Yahiko, Niigata, Japan |
| 121-123 | 2 July 2024 | Hathras crowd crush caused by overcrowding during a satsang[310][311] | Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| 118 | 9 April 1998 | 1998 Hajj stampede. The unofficial death toll may be up to 150[312] | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| 115 | 19 September 1902 | Shiloh Baptist Church stampede[313] | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 115 | 13 October 2013 | Madhya Pradesh stampede during Navaratri[314] | Ratangarh, India |
| 94-110 | 11 February 1823 | Crowd crush during Carnival at the Franciscan Church of St Mary of Jesus[315] | Valletta, Malta |
| 106 | 14 January 2011 | Sabarimala crowd crush during an annual pilgrimage[316] | Sabarimala, Kerala, India |
| 105-200+ | 1–2 September 2024 | Makala jailbreak attempt. A crowd crush occurred while inmates were attempting to escape the Makala Central Prison. 24 more were fatally shot[317][318] | Selembao, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| 105 | 10 October 1991 | Yingze Park lantern festival stampede[319] | Taiyuan, Shanxi, China |
Sporting events
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20,000 | 27 AD | Fidenae Stadium disaster[167] | Fidenae, italy |
| 13,000 | Between 284 and 286 AD | Collapse of a wall of Circus Maximus[320] | Rome, Italy |
| 1,112 | 140 AD | Collapse of the upper tier of the Circus Maximus[321][322] | Rome, Italy |
| 670 | 26 February 1918 | Happy Valley Racecourse fire[232] | Happy Valley, Hong Kong |
| 328 | 24 May 1964 | Estadio Nacional disaster[296][323] | Lima, Peru |
| ~200 | 20 January 1980 | Collapse of wooden bleachers at Corralejas bullring[194] | Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia |
| 135 | 1 October 2022 | 2022 Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster[306] | Malang, East Java, Indonesia |
| 127 | 9 May 2001 | Accra Sports Stadium disaster[308] | Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana |
| 97 | 15 April 1989 | Hillsborough stadium crush[324] | Sheffield, England |
| 93 | 12 March 1988 | Dasharath Stadium disaster following a hailstorm[325] | Kathmandu, Nepal[326] |
| 83 | 16 October 1996 | Doroteo Guamuch Flores disaster[327] | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| 82 | 11 June 1955 | Le Mans disaster[328] | Le Mans, France |
| 74-79 | 1 February 2012 | Port Said Stadium disaster. The official death toll is 74[329][330] | Port Said, Egypt |
| 71 | 23 June 1968 | Puerta 12 crush. Some reports put the death toll as high as 200[331][332][333] | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| 66 | 2 January 1971 | Second Ibrox stadium disaster[334] | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 66 | 20 October 1982 | Luzhniki disaster. The official death toll is 66 but some reports claim it was 340[335][336] | Moscow, USSR |
| 61 | 1 January 2013 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium Disaster[337] | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| 56–140 | 1 December 2024 | 2024 Nzérékoré stampede. The official death toll is 66 but human rights organizations put it at 140[338] | Nzérékoré, Guinea |
| 56 | 11 May 1985 | Bradford City stadium fire[339] | Bradford, England |
| 43 | 11 April 2001 | Ellis Park Stadium disaster[340] | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 42 | 13 January 1991 | Oppenheimer Stadium disaster[341] | Orkney, South Africa |
| 40-42 | 17 September 1967 | Kayseri Atatürk Stadium disaster[342][343] | Kayseri, Central Anatolia, Turkey |
| 39 | 29 May 1985 | Heysel Stadium disaster[344] | Brussels, Belgium |
| 33 | 9 March 1946 | Burnden Park disaster[345] | Bolton, England |
| 32 | 3 October 2014 | Patna stampede[346] | Patna, Bihar, India |
| 23-28 | 9 September 1928 | 1928 Italian Grand Prix. Emilio Materassi and over 20 spectators were killed when the driver crashed into a grandstand. The number of spectators killed has been reported as somewhere between 22 and 27[347][348] | Monza, Italy |
| 25 | 5 April 1902 | First Ibrox stadium disaster[349] | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 22–24 | 15 November 1982 | Drunken football fans provoked a stampede at a Deportivo Cali vs. América de Cali game at Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero[350][351] | Cali, Colombia |
| 22 | 29 November 1900 | Thanksgiving Day Disaster. Spectators on the roof of a glass factory observing the Big Game caused the roof to collapse[352] | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| 21 | 8 February 1981 | Karaiskakis Stadium disaster. A crowd crush at Gare 7 of the old Karaiskakis Stadium after a football game between Olympiacos and AEK Athens[353][354] | Piraeus, Greece |
| 21 | 22 May 2021 | Gansu ultramarathon disaster. 21 out of 172 runners died in windy and cold weather in a 100k mountain running race[355] | Jingtai County, Gansu, China |
| 19-22 | 29 March 2009 | 2009 Houphouët-Boigny stampede[356][357] | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| 18 | 18 November 1981 | A wall collapsed at the regional stadium in a football match between Deportes Tolima and Deportivo Cali[350] | Ibague, Colombia |
| 18 | 5 May 1992 | Furiani disaster. A temporary grand stand collapsed before the French Cup semi-final match between SC Bastia and Olympique Marseille[358] | Bastia, Corsica, France |
| 16 | 16 August 1980 | Stampede at the Kolkata Derby. Now commemorated by Football Lovers' Day[359][360] | Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India |
| 15 | 13–14 August 1979 | 1979 Fastnet yachting race storms. As well as the 15 sailors, two spectators and four others who were shadowing the race died.[361][362] | Fastnet Rock, Ireland |
| 15 | 10 September 1961 | Wolfgang Von Trips and 14 spectators killed when the Formula 1 car flew into the crowd during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix[363] | Monza, Italy |
| 13 | 12 May 1957 | 1957 Mille Miglia road race. Driver Alfonso de Portago, ploughed into spectators, killing himself, his co-driver/navigator, Ed Nelson and 9 spectators. Two unrelated deaths occurred earlier in the road race[364][365] | Guidizzolo, Mantua; Reggio Emilia; Florence[366][failed verification] |
| 13 | 14 September 2008 | 2008 Congo football riots. Occurred after a DRC football league second division game between US Socozaki and AS Nyuki at Matokeo stadium[367] | Butembo, North Kivu, DR Congo |
| 13 | 31 August 1952 | 13 killed and 42 injured, including the racing driver, when his car plunged into spectators[368] | Grenzlandring, Wegberg, Mönchengladbach, West Germany |
| 12-13 | 18 January 1953 | F1 driver Nino Farina ploughed into the crowds, killing either 9 or 10 spectators, during the 1953 Argentine Grand Prix. Three more people were killed in unrelated accidents[369][370] | Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| 12 | 20 May 2023 | San Salvador crowd crush[371] | Estadio Cuscatlán stadium, San Salvador, El Salvador |
| 12 | 2 March 1969 | A dragster crashed through a chain-link fence into spectators. 11 were killed during the crash, and a 12th person died later in hospital[372][373] | Yellow River Dragstrip, Covington, Georgia, US |
| 12 | 8 August 1903 | Baker Bowl bleachers collapse[374] | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 11 | 16 September 1911 | A car went through a rail fence into the crowd during a race[375] | New York State Fairgrounds, 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[376] | Reno Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada, US |
| 11 | 4 June 2025 | Bengaluru crowd crush during a cricket match[377][378] | Bengaluru, India. |
Transportation
Aviation
Cable cars
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 9 March 1976 | 1976 Cavalese cable car crash[442] | Cavalese, Italy |
| 20 | 3 February 1998 | 1998 Cavalese cable car crash[443] | Cavalese, Italy |
| 20 | 1 July 1999 | Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy cable car crash[444][445] | Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy, France |
| 19 | 1 June 1990 | Tbilisi cable car crash[446][447] | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| 14 | 3 October 1999 | Maling River Gorge cable car crash[448] | Xingyi, Guizhou, China |
| 14 | 23 May 2021 | Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash[449] | Mottarone, Italy |
| 13 | 12 July 1972 | Bettmeralp cable car crash[450][451] | Bettmeralp, Switzerland |
| 12 | 29 June 2017 | Charra Pani cable car crash[452] | Charra Pani, Galyat, Pakistan |
| 11 | 13 February 1983 | Champoluc cable car crash[453][454] | Champoluc, Italy |
Elevators
| 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.[455][456] | 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.[457][458] | 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.[459][460] | Orkney, South Africa |
| 19 | 13 September 2012 | An elevator fell about 100 meters at a construction site, killing everyone on board.[461] | Wuhan, China |
| 19 | 10 October 1932 | A mine-shaft elevator carrying 20 people fell at the Bickershaw Colliery, killing all but one person.[462][463] | Leigh, England |
| 18 | 30 July 1973 | A mine-shaft elevator fell at the Markham Colliery.[464] | 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.[465] | Protection Island near Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
| 13 | 27 November 2023 | Impala Platinum mine shaft accident: a mine elevator fell 200m.[466][467][468] | Rustenburg, South Africa |
| 12 | 30 October 2008 | An elevator plunged to the ground at a construction site.[469] | Xiapu County, China |
| 12 | 2 June 1993 | An elevator plunged to the ground from the 20th floor at a construction site.[470] | North Point, Hong Kong |
| 11 | 25 April 2019 | An elevator fell at a construction site due to a snapped cable.[471] | Hengshui, China |
| 11 | 29 July 2011 | A mine-shaft elevator fell at the Bazhanov coal mine.[472] | 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.[473] | Heeßen, West Germany |
| 10 | 6 September 2014 | An elevator plunged 32 stories at a construction site.[474] | Istanbul, Turkey |
Peacetime maritime
| Deaths | Date | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 4,386+ | 20 December 1987 | MV Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector (in the Tablas Strait, Philippines). Casualty estimates vary because thousands of passengers were not listed on the manifest.[475][476][477] |
| 3,000–4,000 | 3 December 1948 | SS Kiangya (Huangpu River, China) sank due to unidentified explosion, possibly a naval mine. Casualties estimated between 3,000 and 4,000[478][479][480] |
| 1,863 | 26 September 2002 | MV Le Joola (Senegal) capsized off the coast of The Gambia. The majority of passengers were Senegalese. There were 64 survivors.[481][482][483][484] |
| 1,500+ | 27 January 1949 | Taiping (East China Sea)[485] |
| ~1,500 | 15 April 1912 | Sinking of the Titanic (North Atlantic)[486] |
| ~1,500 | 6 February 1822 | Tek Sing (near the Belvidere Shoals in the South China Sea)[487][488] |
| ~1,500 | 16 February 1993 | Ferry Neptune (off Miragoane, Haiti)[489][490] |
| 1,169–1,547 | 27 April 1865 | Sultana (Mississippi River). As the number of passengers is unknown, the total number of dead is also unknown.[491][492] |
| 1,153-1,172 | 26 September 1954 | Tōya Maru (Tsugaru Strait, Japan)[493][494] |
| 1,000-1,100 | c. 4 October 1744 | HMS Victory (60 miles off Plymouth, England, near Black Rock)[495][496] |
| 1,021 | 15 June 1904 | PS General Slocum (New York, United States)[497] |
| 1,012 | 29 May 1914 | RMS Empress of Ireland (Saint Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada)[498] |
| 1,012 | 3 February 2006 | MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98 (Red Sea)[499] |
| 1,000+ | 22 September 1912 | SS Kiche Maru (off Honshu, Japan)[500] |
| 470-1,000 | 14 December 1991 | MV Salem Express (Red Sea) struck a reef and sank within 10–20 minutes at midnight between 14 and 15 December, while on a voyage from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. It had at least 644 passengers, the majority of whom were Moroccan-French. Most were returning from pilgrimage to Mecca.[501][502] The official death toll was 470, though some evidence suggests that the ship was overcrowded and the true death toll may have been much greater.[503] |
| 970 | 22 April 1916 | SS Hsin-Yu (Zhoushan, China)[504] |
| ~900 | c. 3 March 1921 | SS Hong Moh (South China Sea)[505] |
| 900 | 16 September 1927 | Wusung (Kuril Islands, Empire of Japan)[506] |
| 894 | 21 May 1996 | MV Bukoba (Lake Victoria, Tanzania)[507] |
| 852 | 28 September 1994 | MS Estonia (Baltic Sea)[508] |
| ~850 | 24 December 1811 | HMS St George (Ringkøbing, Denmark)[509] |
| 844 | 24 July 1915 | SS Eastland (Chicago, Illinois)[510] |
| 829 | 15 February 1760 | HMS Ramillies (Devon, England)[511] |
| 826 | 22 September 1857 | Lefort (Gulf of Finland)[512] |
| 814 | 21 June 2008 | MV Princess of the Stars (off Sibuyan Island, Philippines), capsized by Typhoon Fengshen[513] |
| 800+ | 29 August 1782 | HMS Royal George (Portsmouth, England)[514] |
| 746 | 8 November 1888 | SS Vaitarna (coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India), lost in cyclonic storm[515] |
| 745 | 12 December 1939 | SS Indigirka (Sarufutsu, Japan)[516][517] |
| 741 | 26 November 1914 | HMS Bulwark (1899) (Sheerness, England)[30][518] |
| 739 | 6 May 1902 | SS Camorta (Irrawaddy Delta, Burma (now Myanmar))[519] |
| ~690 | 17 July 1947 | SS Ramdas (off Bombay, India)[520] |
| 673 | 17 March 1800 | HMS Queen Charlotte (Cabrera, Spain)[521] |
| 664 | 1 January 1738 | Leusden (Marowijne, Suriname)[522][523] |
| 600-700 | 3 September 1878 | SS Princess Alice and SS Bywell Castle (River Thames, England)[524] |
| 644 | 2 September 1819 | San Telmo (Drake Passage, Antarctica)[525] |
| 627 | 28 June 1904 | SS Norge (Rockall, North Atlantic Ocean)[526] |
| 617 | 29 October 1955 | Novorossiysk (Sevastopol, Crimea)[527] |
| 600+ | 24 December 1811 | HMS Hero, HMS Grasshopper and five civilian vessels (Haak Sand, near Texel, the Netherlands)[528][529] |
| 600+ | 3 September 1691 | HMS Coronation (West of Penlee Point, Rame, England)[530][531] |
| 600 | c. 16 September 1782 – c. 17 September 1782 | HMS Glorieux (Newfoundland, Canada)[532] |
| 600 | 25 May 1986 | 1986 Bangladesh MV Shamia ferry incident (Meghna River, southern Barisa, Bangladesh)[533] |
| 583 | 24 December 1811 | HMS Defence (Jutland, Denmark)[534] |
| 568 | 9 January 1920 | SS Afrique (Bay of Biscay)[535] |
| 562 | 17 March 1891 | SS Utopia (Bay of Gibraltar)[536] |
| 533-587 | 18 September 1890 | Ertuğrul (Kushimoto, Japan)[537][538][539] |
| 550-562 | 1 April 1873 | RMS Atlantic (Nova Scotia, Canada)[540][541] |
| 431-666 | 27 January 1981 | Tampomas II (Java Sea). The total number of passengers - and thus fatalities - is unknown[542][543] |
| 530 | 8 July 2003 | MV Nasrin-1 (Chandpur, Bangladesh)[544] |
| 520[citation needed] | 15 May 1932 | MS Georges Philippar (Gulf of Aden, Yemen)[545] |
| 520 | 14 April 1749 | HMS Namur (Tamil Nadu, India)[546] |
| ~500 | 4 July 1898 | SS La Bourgogne (Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada)[547] |
| ~500 | 29 June 2000 | Cahaya Bahari (off Sulawesi, Indonesia)[548][549] |
| 500 | c. April 1794 | HMS Ardent (Villefranche-sur-Mer, France)[550] |
| 500 | 29 January 1986 | Atlas Star (Dhaleswar River, Munshiganj, Bangladesh)[551][552] |
| 400-500 | 22 December 1810 | HMS Minotaur (off Texel, Netherlands)[553][554] |
| 445+ | 5 March 1916 | SS Principe de Asturias (off Brazil)[555] |
Rail
Road
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 230 | 2 July 2010 | Sange road tanker explosion[602][603] | Sange, South Kivu, DRC |
| 219 | 25 June 2017 | Bahawalpur explosion[604][605] | Bahawalpur, Pakistan |
| 215 | 11 July 1978 | Los Alfaques disaster[76] | Tarragona, Spain |
| 209 | 15 October 2024 | Majiya fuel tanker explosion[606] | Majiya, Jigawa State, Nigeria |
| 206 | 17 September 2015 | 2015 Juba tanker explosion[79][80] | Juba, South Sudan |
| 168–3,000 | 3 November 1982 | Salang Tunnel fire[607][608][609] | Salang Pass, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan |
| 154 | 5 November 2021 | Freetown fuel tanker explosion[610] | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| 100–200 | 5 November 2000 | Ibadan road tanker explosion[611][612] | Ibadan, Lagos, Nigeria |
| 122 | 15 February 1991 | Thung Maphrao truck explosion[613][614] | Thung Maphrao, Phang Nga, Thailand |
| 121 | 12 July 2012 | Okobie road tanker explosion[615] | Okobie, Nigeria |
| 111+ | 31 January 2009 | Molo road tanker fire[616] | Molo, Kenya |
| 110 | 12 March 1995 | Tamil Nadu truck collision[617][618] | Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India |
| 104 | 18 August 1968 | Gero bus crash[607][619][620] | Gero, Gifu, Japan |
| 100+ | 6 December 1965 | Sotouba truck collision[607][621] | Sotouba, Togo |
| 100+ | 18 January 2025 | Suleja fuel tanker explosion[622] | Near Suleja, Niger State, Nigeria |
| 100+ | 10 August 2019 | Morogoro fuel tanker explosion[623] | Morogoro, Tanzania |
| 99 | 28 March 2007 | Kagarko truck explosion[624] | Kagarko, Kaduna, Nigeria |
| 81–115 | 6 January 1967 | Cavite bus crash[625][626] | Cavite, Philippines |
| 96 | 12 July 1992 | Machakos bus crash[627][628] | Machakos, Kenya |
| 73-115 | 17 November 2016 | Caphiridzange tanker explosion[629][630] | Caphiridzange, Mozambique |
| 94 | 8 June 1999 | Karnataka bus crash[631] | Karnataka, India |
| 90 | 15 November 1976 | Mafeteng bus crash | Mafeteng, Lesotho |
| 90 | 29 June 1980 | Kashmir bus crash[607] | Kashmir, India |
| 90 | 24 June 2004 | Zahedan bus crash[632][633] | Zahedan, Iran |
| 90+ | 14 December 2021 | Cap-Haïtien tanker explosion[634] | Cap-Haïtien, Haiti |
Spaceflight
| Deaths | Date | Incident | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–300+ | 15 February 1996 | Intelsat 708's launch vehicle veered off course immediately after liftoff and struck a nearby village. The official death toll is six people, although other estimates put it significantly higher.[635][636] | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan, China |
| 78 | 24 October 1960 | Nedelin catastrophe – a prototype R-16 ICBM exploded while it was still being prepared on the launch pad, killing, among others, lead Soviet official Mitrofan Nedelin.[637] | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union |
| 53 | 9 August 1965 | Searcy missile silo fire – a Titan II ICBM caught fire whilst the silo it was in was being renovated.[638][639] | Near Searcy, Arkansas, United States |
| 48 | 18 March 1980 | Plesetsk launch pad disaster – a Vostok-2M rocket blew up after being fueled up ahead of the launch.[640] | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Soviet Union |
| 21 | 22 August 2003 | 2003 Alcântara VLS accident – the rocket ignited its engines onto the launch pad three days before the launch was scheduled, engulfing the nearby mobile launch tower in smoke and gases heated up to 3,000 °C (5,430 °F).[641] | Alcântara, Brazil |
| 7 | 28 January 1986 | Space Shuttle Challenger disaster – the right SRB exploded 73 seconds into the flight due to a failed O-ring seal. The remains of the orbiter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.[642] | Offshore Florida, United States |
| 7 | 1 February 2003 | Space Shuttle Columbia disaster – a piece of foam from the shuttle's external tank struck the orbiter's left wing during liftoff, which later caused the orbiter to disintegrate during its reentry 15 days later.[643] | Above Texas and Louisiana, United States |
| 3 | 27 January 1967 | Apollo 1's crew capsule was engulfed by a rapidly-spreading fire during a pre-launch rehearsal. Due to the plug door hatch design that was being used at the time, the astronauts could not be rescued from the capsule and were killed in the fire.[644] | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States |
| 3 | 30 June 1971 | Soyuz 11 uncontrollably depressurized in space prior to reentry. To date, these remain the only deaths that have occurred above the Kármán line.[645] | Outer space |
| 1 | 24 April 1967 | Soyuz 1 crashed into the ground at 140 km/h (87 mph) due to a parachute malfunction.[646] | Southeast of Orenburg, Russia |
| 1 | 15 November 1967 | X-15 Flight 191broke apart ten minutes after launch of the suborbital test flight due to various technical difficulties.[647] | Near Edwards Air Force Base, California, United States |
| 1 | 31 October 2014 | VSS Enterprise crash – the suborbital test flight disintegrated mid-launch due to the craft's air brake being prematurely deployed, killing one of the two test pilots onboard.[648] | Mojave Desert, California, United States |
Other
Smog
| Deaths | Date | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 4,000-12,000 | 5–9 December 1952 | The Great Smog of London. The original death toll was 4,000 but later studies estimated it at 12,000.[649][650] |
| 2,200 | 1880 | 1870 London coal smog.[651] |
| 1,000 | January 1956 | 1956 London smog.[652] [653] |
| 780 | December 1873 | 1873 London smog.[654] |
| 779 | December 1892 | 1892 London smog.[655][656] |
| 700–800 | December 1948 | 1948 London smog.[655][656] |
| 300–750 | December 1962 | 1962 London smog.[652][657] |
| 300–405 | January–February 1963 | 1963 New York City smog.[658] |
| 220–240 | November 1953 | 1953 New York City smog.[659] |
| 168 | 23–25 November 1966 | 1966 New York City smog.[660] |
| 160 | 12–15 December 1991 | 1991 London Smog.[661][662] |