Deadliest Incidents In History

Rana Plaza Building Collapse — Bangladesh

An eight-storey garment factory building collapsed a day after cracks appeared and workers were ordered back inside.

Sampoong Department Store Collapse — South Korea

A Seoul department store collapsed in 20 seconds after management ignored visible structural failure and kept the store open.

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

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)

2013 Savar building collapse — Bangladesh

The Rana Plaza collapse (also referred to as the Savar building collapse) occurred on 24 April 2013 in Savar Upazila, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, when the nine-story Rana Plaza commercial building collapsed due to a structural failure. The sear

Sampoong Department Store collapse — South Korea

On June 29, 1995, the Sampoong Department Store (Korean: 삼풍백화점; Hanja: 三豐百貨店) in Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea, collapsed due to a structural failure. The collapse killed 502 people and injured 937, making it the largest peacetime dis

Glena dam disaster — Italy

1989 North Korea highway bridge collapse — North Korea

St. Francis Dam disaster — United States

2008 Shanxi mudslide — China

The 2008 Shanxi mudslide was caused by the collapse of an unlicensed mine landfill in Xiangfen county, Linfen, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China which caused 277 dead, 4 missing and 33 injured. Around 8:00 a.m. on September 8, 200

Brumadinho dam disaster — Brazil

The Brumadinho dam disaster occurred on 25 January 2019 when a tailings dam at the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine suffered a catastrophic failure. The dam, located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of Brumadinho in Minas Gerais, Brazil, is owned

Val di Stava dam collapse — Italy

The Val di Stava Dam collapse occurred on 19 July 1985, when two tailings dams above the village of Stava, near Tesero, Italy, collapsed. It resulted in one of Italy's worst disasters, killing 268 people, destroying 63 buildings and demolis

Jet Set nightclub roof collapse — Dominican Republic

On 8 April 2025, the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic collapsed during a live performance by merengue musician Rubby Pérez. The structural failure occurred at approximately 12:44 a.m. AST, resulting in 236

1962 Huogudu tin tailings pond failure — China

Vega de Tera disaster — Spain

The Vega de Tera disaster, (also known as the Ribadelago disaster [Catástrofe de Ribadelago]) was a flood that occurred on the early morning of 9 January 1959 in the Province of Zamora, Spain. The flood was caused by the failure of a dam, r

2022 Morbi bridge collapse — India

On 30 October 2022, a pedestrian suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in the city of Morbi in Gujarat, India, collapsed, causing the deaths of at least 141 people and injuries to more than 180 others. The 19th-century bridge had reopen

Buffalo Creek Flood — United States

The Buffalo Creek flood was a disaster that occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, on February 26, 1972, when a coal slurry impoundment dam burst, causing significant loss of life and property damage. The impoundment dam, managed by Pitts

Kashirskoye Highway bombing — Russia

Weiguan Golden Dragon Building Collapse — Taiwan

Hyatt Regency walkway collapse — United States

On July 17, 1981, two overhead walkways in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, collapsed, killing 114 people and injuring 216. Loaded with partygoers, the concrete and glass platforms crashed onto a tea dance in the lobby. The

Mecca crane collapse — Saudi Arabia

A crawler crane collapsed over the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, around 5:10 p.m. on 11 September 2015, killing 111 people and injuring 394 others. The city was preparing for the Hajj pilgrimage. The collapse has been cited as the

Guryanova Street bombing — Russia

Surfside condominium collapse — United States

On June 24, 2021, at approximately 1:22 a.m. EDT, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, United States, partially collapsed, causing the deaths of 98 people. Four people were resc

Fatal Vespers — United Kingdom

The Fatal Vespers was a 1623 structural collapse at Hunsdon House in Blackfriars, London, England, the official residence of the French ambassador. There were 95 fatalities when the floor of an upper room collapsed under the weight of three

2025 Bangkok skyscraper collapse — Thailand

On 28 March 2025, a building under construction which was intended for the State Audit Office collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand, following a devastating earthquake that occurred in Myanmar. It resulted in 96 deaths and 9 injuries. Already topp

1971 Certej dam failure — Romania

The 1971 Certej dam failure was a flood due to the failure of a tailings dam at the Certej mine which led to the death of 89 people. It occurred on 30 October 1971 in Certeju de Sus commune, Hunedoara County, Romania.

destruction of the Kakhovka Dam — Ukraine

The Kakhovka Dam was breached in the early hours of 6 June 2023, causing extensive flooding along the lower Dnieper river, also called the Dnipro, in Kherson Oblast. The dam was under the control of the Russian military, which had seized it

2006 Mecca hostel collapse — Saudi Arabia

The 2006 Mecca hostel collapse occurred in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on 5 January 2006. A hostel housing Muslim pilgrims performing Hajj collapsed, killing 76 people and injuring 62.

Tay Bridge disaster — United Kingdom

The Tay Bridge disaster occurred during a violent European windstorm on Sunday 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed as a North British Railway (NBR) passenger train on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line travelling from Bur

Münchenstein rail disaster — Switzerland

The Münchenstein rail disaster on 14 June 1891 was historically the worst railway accident ever to affect Switzerland. A crowded passenger train fell through a girder bridge, killing more than seventy people and injuring many others. The ac

collision of Isias Otel — Turkey

The Grand Isias Hotel was a four-star hotel in Adıyaman, Turkey. It came to prominence when it was destroyed during an earthquake in February 2023. 72 people died in the aftermath of its collapse, including thirty-five members of two volley

2018 Laos dam collapse — Laos

The 2018 Laos dam collapse was the collapse of Saddle Dam D, part of a larger hydroelectric dam system under construction in southeast Laos's Champasak Province, on 23 July 2018. The dam collapse lead to widespread destruction and homelessn

Torrejón Disaster — Spain

1938 Tōkamachi cinema collapse — Japan

Basmanny market roof collapse — Russia

Basmanny market (known as Baumansky market until 1994) was a market in the Basmanny area of Moscow, located on Baumanskaya Street. The market operated from 1975 until 2006 when the roof of the market collapsed. This collapse and resulting f