Deadliest Incidents In History

Mount Tambora Eruption — Indonesia

The largest eruption in recorded history caused a global "year without a summer" and widespread famine.

Krakatoa Eruption — Indonesia

One of the loudest sounds in recorded history, followed by tsunamis that killed tens of thousands around the Sunda Strait.

Mount Pelée Eruption — France

A pyroclastic flow destroyed Saint-Pierre, Martinique in minutes, killing almost the entire population.

Nevado del Ruiz Eruption and Armero Lahar — Colombia

A modest eruption melted a glacier, sending mudflows that buried the town of Armero — history's deadliest lahar.

2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption — New Zealand

On 9 December 2019, Whakaari / White Island, an active stratovolcano island in New Zealand's northeastern Bay of Plenty region, explosively erupted. The island was a popular tourist destination, known for its volcanic activity, and 47 peopl

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

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

1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo — Philippines

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines' Luzon Volcanic Arc was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, behind only the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska. Eruptive activity began on April 2 as a series o

1888 eruption of Mount Bandai — Japan

The 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai was a major volcanic eruption which occurred during the Meiji period of the Empire of Japan. The eruption occurred on July 15, 1888, pyroclastic flows buried villages on the northern foot of the mountain, a

2018 Sunda Strait tsunami — Indonesia

The 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami (Indonesian: Tsunami Selat Sunda 2018) occurred on 22 December 2018 at around 21:38 local time after large parts of the southwestern side of Anak Krakatoa collapsed onto its caldera. The landslide spawned a tsu

An'ei eruption — Japan

1926 eruption of Mount Tokachi — Japan

1979 Dieng eruption — Indonesia

During the night of 20 February 1979, the Sinila volcano of the Dieng Volcanic Complex erupted on the Indonesian island of Java in Central Java province. Over 175 people died, mainly due to gas poisoning in villages on the plateau near the

1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera — New Zealand

A violent volcanic eruption occurred in the early hours of 10 June 1886 at Mount Tarawera, near Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island. The eruption reached an estimated volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 5 and killed an estimated 120 peopl

Sakurajima 1914 eruptions — Japan

2014 eruption of Mount Ontake — Japan

A volcanic eruption of Mount Ontake (御嶽山, Ontake-san) took place on September 27, 2014, killing 63 people. Mount Ontake is a volcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu around 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Nagoya and around 200 k

1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens — United States

On May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m., Mount St. Helens in Skamania County, Washington experienced a catastrophic explosive eruption which had a volcanic explosivity index of 5. It was the first to occur in the contiguous United States since the mu

2021 Semeru eruption — Indonesia

An eruption of Mount Semeru, a volcano in East Java province of the Indonesian island of Java, began on 4 December 2021. The eruption began after heavy precipitation caused the collapse of the lava dome at the summit. Pyroclastic flows and

2021 Mont Nyiragongo eruption — DR Congo

On 22 May 2021, Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began erupting. As of 25 May, 32 people died as a result of the eruption and 1,000 homes were destroyed.

2018 Volcán de Fuego eruption — Guatemala

The 2018 Volcán de Fuego eruption was an eruption of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala on Sunday 3 June 2018. The eruption produced a large ash plume fed by continuous explosions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars. Pyroclastic flows descended the La

2023 eruption of Mount Marapi — Indonesia

On 3 December 2023, Mount Marapi, a complex volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, erupted, sending ash as high as 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) into the air, and depositing large amounts of volcanic ash in nearby districts. Twenty-four hi

2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami — Tonga

In December 2021, an eruption began on Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, a submarine volcano in the Tongan archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. The eruption reached a very large and powerful climax nearly four weeks later, on 15 January 2022

May 2026 eruption of Dukono — Indonesia

Dukono is an active volcano located in the northern part of Halmahera island, the largest of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. It has a broad profile and is capped by compound craters. During the major eruption in 1550, a lava flow filled in

2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption — Spain

An eruption at the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge, comprising the southern half of the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, took place between 19 September and 13 December 2021. It was the first volcanic eruption on the island sin

2023 Fagradalsfjall eruption — Iceland

1986 Piton de la Fournaise eruption — France

2015 Kuchinoerabu eruption — Japan

2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption — Iceland

2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull — Iceland

Between March and June 2010 a series of volcanic events at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland caused enormous disruption to air travel across Western Europe. The disruptions started over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional loca

2011-2012 El Hierro eruption — Spain

The 2011–2012 El Hierro eruption occurred just off the island of El Hierro, the second smallest and farthest south and west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. The island