Deadliest Incidents In History

St. Lucia's flood — Netherlands

St. Lucia's flood (Sint-Luciavloed) was a storm tide that affected the Netherlands and Northern Germany on 13/14 December 1287 (OS), St. Lucia Day and the day after, killing approximately 50,000 to 80,000 people in one of the largest floods

1922 Swatow typhoon — China

The 1922 Shantou Typhoon was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused thousands of deaths in the Chinese city of Shantou in August 1922. This death toll makes it one of the deadliest known typhoons in history.

Yōwa famine — Japan

The Yōwa famine (養和の飢饉, Yōwa no kikin), was a famine which affected Japan at the end of Heian period. It began in 1180, and lasted until 1182. It was named after the Yōwa era (1181–1182), during the reign of Emperor Antoku. The shogunate

1883 eruption of Krakatoa — Indonesia

Between 19 May and 21 October 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa (located in the Sunda Strait, then part of the Dutch East Indies—modern-day Indonesia) began erupting, lasting more than five months. On 27 August, the island had its most

Cecilia Flood — Germany

1902 eruption of Mount Pelée — France

The 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée was a volcanic eruption on the island of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc of the eastern Caribbean, which was one of the deadliest eruptions in recorded history. Eruptive activity began on 23 A

Hongerwinter — Netherlands

The Dutch famine of 1944–1945, also known as the Hunger Winter (from Dutch Hongerwinter), was a famine in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II. The famine impacted the people in the densely populated and urbanized western pro

Great Hurricane of 1780

The Great Hurricane of 1780 was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere. An estimated 22,000 people died throughout the Lesser Antilles when the storm passed through the islands from October 10 to October 16. Specifics on

All Saints' Flood — Netherlands

The All Saints' Flood of 1570 occurred on November 1–2, 1570 in the Spanish Netherlands, and is considered the worst North Sea flood disaster before the 20th century. It flooded the entire coast of the Netherlands and East Frisia. The effec

St. Elizabeth's flood — Netherlands

The St. Elizabeth's flood of 1421 was a flooding of the Grote Hollandse Waard, an area in what is now the Netherlands. It takes its name from the feast day of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary which was formerly 19 November. During the night of 18

St Julian flood — Netherlands

Wanggongchang Explosion — China

The Wanggongchang Explosion (Chinese: 王恭廠大爆炸), also known as the Great Tianqi Explosion (天啟大爆炸), Wanggongchang Calamity (王恭廠之變) or Beijing Explosive Incident in the late Ming dynasty (晚明北京爆炸事件), was a catastrophic explosion that occurred on

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami — Japan

On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 JST (05:46:24 UTC), a Mw 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region of Japan. It lasted approximately six minutes and c

Hurricane Mitch — Honduras

Hurricane Mitch was an extremely powerful, deadly and catastrophic tropical cyclone in 1998 that caused 11,374 fatalities in Central America, becoming the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. It was the deadliest hurricane in Cent

1999 İzmit earthquake — Turkey

An earthquake of moment magnitude 7.6 struck Kocaeli Province, Turkey on 17 August 1999. According to official figures, at least 18,373 people died and 48,901 people were injured during the earthquake, and 5,840 people were missing. At leas

Hong Kong Typhoon of 1874

The 1874 Hong Kong typhoon was the third-worst typhoon to ever hit Hong Kong, striking during the night of September 22, 1874 and the morning of September 23, 1874.

Hong Kong Typhoon of 1906 — China

The 1906 Hong Kong typhoon was a tropical cyclone that hit Hong Kong on 18 September 1906. The typhoon caused property damage exceeding a million pounds sterling, affected international trade, and took the lives of around 15,000 people.

1792 eruption of Mount Unzen — Japan

The 1792 Unzen landslide and tsunami was a volcanic megadisaster, occurring on 21 May 1792, during the Edo period. Triggered by the volcanic activity of Mount Unzen (on the Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan), it caused

Christmas flood of 1717 — Netherlands

The Christmas Flood of 1717 was the result of a northwesterly storm, which hit the coast area of the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia on Christmas night of 1717. In total, about 14,000 people drowned. It was the last large storm flood

Burchardi flood

The Burchardi flood (also known as the second Grote Mandrenke) was a storm tide that struck the North Sea coast of North Frisia, Dithmarschen (in modern-day Germany) and southwest Jutland (in modern-day Denmark) on the night between 11 and

Great Hong Kong Typhoon of 1937 — China

The 1937 Great Hong Kong Typhoon was one of the deadliest typhoons in Hong Kong history, with a death toll estimated between 11,000 and 13,000. Part of the 1937 Pacific typhoon season, the tropical cyclone originated on 24 August to the sou

1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone — India

The 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that hit Andhra Pradesh in November 1977, killing at least 10,000 people. The worst affected areas were in the Krishna River delta region. The island of Diviseema, which was

Finnish famine of 1866–1868 — Sweden

The Finnish famine of 1866–1868 was the last famine in Finland, and (along with the subsequent Swedish famine of 1867–1869) the last major famine in Northern Europe. In Finland, the famine is known as "the great hunger years", or suuret näl

Mist Hardships

Laki (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlaːcɪ] ) or Lakagígar ([ˈlaːkaˌciːɣar̥], Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of

South Thailand insurgency — Thailand

The Southern Thailand insurgency (Thai: ความไม่สงบในชายแดนภาคใต้ของประเทศไทย; Malay: Pemberontakan di Thailand Selatan) is an ongoing conflict centered in southern Thailand. It originated in 1948 as a separatist insurgency in the historical

1776 Pointe-à-Pitre hurricane

The List of Atlantic hurricanes in the 18th century encompasses all known Atlantic tropical cyclones from 1700 to 1799. Although not all of the data for every storm that occurred are available, some parts of the coastline were populated eno

1970 Yungay landslide — Peru

The 1970 Huascarán Debris Avalanche occurred on May 31 1970, when a debris avalanche and mudflow triggered by the Ancash earthquake destroyed the town of Yungay, Peru and 10 nearby villages, leaving up to 30,000 people dead. It is the deadl

2013 North India floods — India

In June 2013, a mid-day cloudburst centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. The rainfall received that month was far gr

Junyo Maru disaster

Storm Daniel — Libya

Storm Daniel, also known as Medicane Daniel or Cyclone Daniel, was a relatively weak yet catastrophic and erratic tropical cyclone that became the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in recorded history, as well as the second-cost

La Herradura naval disaster

The La Herradura Naval Disaster took place on October 19, 1562 in the bay of La Herradura, Almuñécar, Spain. A major storm sank 25 ships out of a fleet of 28 sheltering in the bay, and some 5,000 people were drowned. King Philip II of Spai

Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is

2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami — Indonesia

On 28 September 2018, a shallow, large earthquake struck in the neck of the Minahasa Peninsula, Indonesia, with its epicentre located in the mountainous Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi. The magnitude 7.5–7.6 quake was located 70 km (43 m

1928 Okeechobee hurricane

The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane and Florida's Forgotten Storm, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the fourth deadliest hurricane in t

Great Flood of 1862 — United States

The Great Flood of 1862 was the largest flood in the recorded history of California, Oregon, and Nevada, inundating the Western United States and portions of British Columbia and Mexico. It was preceded by weeks of continuous rains and snow

1949 Eastern Guatemalan Floods — Guatemala

On October 14–16, 1949, a series of violent and devastating floods killed an estimated 1,000 to 40,000 people in Central America, principally Guatemala. Estimates of the death toll ranged from 1,000 to 40,000, with reliable estimates sugges

1766 Istanbul earthquake — Turkey

The 1766 Istanbul earthquake was a strong earthquake with epicenter in the eastern part of the Sea of Marmara, in the Çınarcık Basin (or near the Princes' Islands, north of the basin) which occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning, 2

2023 Derna floods — Libya

The Derna dam collapses were the catastrophic failures of two dams in Derna, Libya, on the night of 10–11 September 2023, in the aftermath of Storm Daniel. The collapse of the Abu Mansour Dam and the Derna Dam released an estimated 30 milli

2010 China floods — North Korea

Floods in China in 2010 resulted in over 3,000 deaths. Three hundred and ninety-two people died, and a further 232 people were reported missing as of June 30, 2010, including 57 people in a landslide in Guizhou. Fifty-three of the deaths oc

1979 North Korea freight train gunpowder explosion — North Korea

September 11 attacks — United States

The September 11 attacks, colloquially known as 9/11, were a coordinated series of suicide attacks perpetrated by the Islamic terrorist organization al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. A total of 19 terrorists planned and subsequent

1962 Ranrahirca landslide — Peru

1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake — Papua New Guinea

The 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake occurred on July 17 with a moment magnitude of 7.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The event occurred on a reverse fault near the north coast region of Papua New Guinea, 25 km (16 mi)

Fleetwreck at Bornholm 1678 — Denmark

Sinking of the "Rigel" — Norway

1931 Belize hurricane — Belize

The 1931 British Honduras hurricane was the deadliest hurricane in the history of British Honduras (known as Belize since 1973), killing an estimated 2,500 people. The hurricane was first detected as a tropical wave off the west coast of Af

1831 Barbados hurricane — Barbados

The Great Barbados hurricane was an intense Category 4 hurricane that left cataclysmic damage across the Caribbean and Louisiana in 1831.

2015 Mina stampede — Saudi Arabia

On 24 September 2015, a fatal crowd crush resulted in the death of more than 2,000 individuals, many of whom were suffocated or crushed, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, making it the deadliest Hajj disaster i

Netherlands storm surge (838) — Netherlands

North Sea flood of 1953 — United Kingdom

The North Sea flood of 1953, also known as the Big Flood or East Coast Flood (in England) or as the Flood Disaster (Dutch: Watersnoodramp), was a flood caused by a heavy storm surge in the North Sea that struck low-lying coastal areas of th

1674 Ambon earthquake and megatsunami — Indonesia

The 1674 Ambon earthquake occurred on February 17 between 19:30 and 20:00 local time in the Maluku Islands. The resulting tsunami reached heights of up to 100 metres (330 ft) on Ambon Island killing over 2,000 individuals. It was the first

Johnstown Flood — United States

The Johnstown Flood, sometimes referred to locally as the Great Flood of 1889, occurred on Friday, May 31, 1889, after the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam, located on the south fork of the Little Conemaugh River, 14 miles (23 km)

Great Fire of Hakodate — Japan

The Great Fire of Hakodate (Japanese: 函館大火) is a fire that broke out in Hakodate, Hokkaido in Japan on 21 March 1934. It is considered one of the worst city fires in Japan's history. On 21 March 1934, a fire was started in a house located w

Awa Maru incident — China

Halifax explosion — Canada

On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc and the Norwegian vessel SS Imo collided in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Laden with high explosives, Mont-Blanc caught fire and detonated, devastating th

2024 Enga landslide — Papua New Guinea

On 24 May 2024, a landslide occurred in Mulitaka, Papua New Guinea. By 7 June, 12 bodies had been recovered, with thousands more buried and presumed dead, though estimates of the death toll vary greatly, with some estimating that only 160 h

Vajont dam disaster — Italy

The Vajont Dam or Vaiont Dam is a disused hydro-electric dam in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, in the municipality of Erto e Casso, 100 kilometres (60 mi) north of Venice, Italy. It is one of the tallest dams in the world,

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that affected the Southeastern United States in late August 2005, particularly in and around the city of New Orleans. Katrina became the United States' costliest

1941 Huaraz landslide — Peru

2004 Sri Lanka tsunami-rail disaster — Sri Lanka

On 26 December 2004, a crowded passenger train (#50 Matara Express) was destroyed on a coastal railway in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, by the tsunami that followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It is considered the largest rail disaster in his