List of accidents and disasters by death toll

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

DeathsDateIncident20,000The Wanggongchang Explosion in the Wanggongchang Gunpowder Factory, Beijing, China, destroyed part of the city and killed 20,000 people~6,000Boiler 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 inaccurate400-6,000A 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 3,0001,300-4,000Ammunition trucks exploded near a railway station in Cali, Colombia. Approximately 4,000 more were injured2,500The Smederevo Fortress explosion of stockpiled ammunition occurred at Smederevo Fortress near Belgrade in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia1,950The Halifax Explosion in Nova Scotia, Canada, was caused by a collision between two ships, one of which was carrying explosives as well as benzole1,082-2,280An ammunition warehouse in San Andrés Chalchicomula, Mexico, and killed almost all of the Oaxaca brigade during the first days of the Second French intervention in Mexico1,500+An ammunition transporter in Hamont, Belgium1,200The explosion of ammunition on the Chinese troopship Kuang Yuang, near Kiukiang, China1,121The Japanese battleship Mutsu, was severely damaged while at Hashirajima harbor due to a magazine explosion; it sank on 9 June1,100+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 panic1,082The Jesse pipeline explosion, near Lagos, Nigeria, was caused by the pipeline rupturing; the cause is debated 800-1,300The Bombay Docks Explosion in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India, was caused by a fire on the SS Fort Stikine. The total number of dead is unknown1,000+The explosion of a gunpowder factory in Grenelle, France843A propellant explosion occurred on the British dreadnought battleship 788The British pre-dreadnought battleship was destroyed due to a magazine explosion700An Iraqi military plant exploded at Al Hillah, Babil, Iraq256–1,000+A military warehouse exploded, killing up to two-thirds of the population of the Campo Maior district of Portalegre, Portugal621A dynamite depot exploded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil600+The Caterina Costa, exploded while at port of Naples; over 3000 were also injured590Dynamite being transported on the steamship , exploded at the port of Santander, Spain. More than 2,000 were injured581The first Texas City disaster in the Port of Texas City, Texas, USA; over 5,000 were also injured575The Ufa train disaster in Ufa, Bashkir ASSR (now Russia), occurred due to a build-up of flammable gases565The Oppau explosion at a BASF plant in Germany was caused by a fertilizer explosion; the total number of dead is unknown542Ammunition exploded on the SS Charles Henderson while it was at Bari, Italy; 1,800 more were injured508A gasoline pipeline exploded in the favela of Vila Sao Jose, Cubatão, Brazil 500+The San Juanico disaster was a series of explosions at an LPG tank farm in Mexico City, Mexico; at least 5,000 more were injured372The ammunition ship exploded at Seeadler Harbor, Manus. 371 others were injured and 10 other ships were severely damaged 370+A powder magazine in Negro Fort in Spanish Florida exploded during battle with United States forces339The Japanese battleship Mikasa's magazine exploded while at port320The Port Chicago disaster at Port Chicago, California, United States, occurred when munitions exploded while being loaded onto a cargo ship~300The Brazzaville arms dump blasts were caused by a fire in an arms depot in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo298+The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, United States, was caused by a gas leak291A 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 burns286 An explosion occurred on the French battleship Liberté due to a smokeless powder ignition. The exact number of dead is unknown256A 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 buildings243An explosion occurred in the PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field in Guoqiao, Chongqing, China230+A tanker truck exploded in Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as locals tried to collect fuel from a truck that had overturned228The magazine in the Russian battleship Imperatritsa Mariya exploded while anchored in Sevastopol220Gasoline stored on a train transporting Japanese military, ammunition and civilians near Itoman, Okinawa, Japan219An oil truck exploded in Bahawalpur, Pakistan as locals tried to collect fuel from an overturned truck218A grain silo storing ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut, Lebanon218A fuel depot exploded in Berkadzor, Nagorno-Karabakh215The Los Alfaques disaster occurred in Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain, when a tanker truck exploded near a campsite207A BASF tank car near Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany; 3,818 were also injured206A series of gas explosions took place in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico due to pipe corrosion206A tanker exploded in Juba, South Sudan200+The Gotera ammunition dump in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, exploded150–240A gunpowder magazine exploded in Birgu, Malta, due to negligence when transferring shells from the magazine

Industrial

DeathsDateIncidentLocation3,787–16,0002–3 December 1984Bhopal disaster. The official death toll was 3,787; the total number is unknown Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals) factory, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India1,54926 April 1942Benxihu Colliery explosion Benxi, Liaoning, Manchukuo (now China)1,09910 March 1906Courrières mine disaster Courrières, France476–1,0001931Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, United States68715 December 1914Mitsubishi Hōjō coal mine disaster Kyūshū, Japan6829 May 1960 Datong, China58116 April 1947Texas City disaster Texas City, Texas, U.S.51228 August 1899Sumitomo Besshi bronze mine landslide and debris flow Niihama, Shikoku, Japan500+19 November 1984San Juanico Disaster Mexico City, Mexico4589 November 1963Mitsui Miike Coal Mine disaster Mitsui Miike, Ōmuta, Fukuoka, Japan43914 October 1913Senghenydd Colliery Disaster Senghenydd, Wales43721 January 1960Coalbrook mining disaster Coalbrook, South Africa4286 June 1972Wankie coal mine disaster Wankie, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)42228 November 1914Mine explosion caused by methane gas New Yubari Yūbari, Hokkaidō, Japan40520 February 1946Bergkamen mining disaster Bergkamen, Germany400+28 January 20262026 Rubaya mine collapseRubaya mines, Democratic Republic of the Congo37227 December 1975Chasnala mining disaster. Some sources claim the death toll was 375 Sudamdih Colliery, Dhanbad, India36921 December 1917 Coal mine disaster at Kaijima-kirino mine Miyata, Fukuoka Japan36520 July 1907Hokoku mine gas explosion Hokoku, Itoda, Kyūshū, Japan3626 December 1907Monongah Mining disaster Monongah, West Virginia, U.S.36112 December 1866Oaks Colliery mining disaster. The official death toll is 361 but the actual number is uncertain Barnsley, England34421 December 1910Pretoria Pit Disaster Westhoughton, England31931 May 1892Marie ore mine fire Příbram, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic)30113 May 2014Soma mine disaster Manisa, Turkey300+9 May 1993Nambija mine disaster. As the total number of residents is unknown, a definitive death toll may never be established. Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador2997 February 1962Luisenthal mine disaster Saarland, West Germany29023 June 1894Coal dust ignition led to a firedamp explosion Albion Colliery, Wales28911 September 2012Pakistan factory fires Karachi, Pakistan2778 September 20082008 Shanxi mudslide caused by collapse of a mine landfill Xiangfen, Linfen, Shanxi, China27025 January 2019Brumadinho dam disaster caused by the collapse of a mining dam Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil26828 May 19651965 Dhanbad coal mine disaster. The official death toll is 268, although some sources place it at 375 Dhanbad, Bihar, India26811 September 1878Abercarn colliery disaster Abercarn, Wales26622 September 1934Gresford disaster Gresford, Wales26322 October 1913Stag Canyon Mine No. 2 explosion Dawson, New Mexico, U.S.2633 March 1992 Incirharmani, Kozlu, Zonguldak, Turkey2628 August 1956Marcinelle mining disaster Marcinelle, Belgium25913 November 1909Cherry Mine disaster Cherry, Illinois, U.S.25924 November 1909Onoura Kirino coal mine explosion Miyata, Kyūshū, Japan25411 November 1937Kogushi sulfur mine collapse Tsumagoi, Western Gunma, Japan24728 March 1965El Cobre disaster: an earthquake caused the copper mine's tailing dams to fail, washing away the village El Soldado mine, Valparaiso, Chile24323 December 2003PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China23919 December 1907Darr Mine Disaster Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania, U.S.2371 June 1965Yamano mine explosion Chikuho coalfield, Kyūshū, Japan23514 June 1894Karviná Colliery Disaster Karviná, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic)21619 May 1902Fraterville Mine disaster Fraterville, Tennessee, U.S.21415 February 2005Sunjiawan mine disaster Sunjiawan, Fuxin, Liaoning, China21015 June 1899Hokoku mine gas explosion Hokoku, Itoda, Kyūshū, Japan20416 January 1862Hartley Colliery Disaster New Hartley, Northumberland, England20225 May 1917Bolevec Disaster Pilsen, Bohemia, now in Czech Republic200+1 May 1900Scofield Mine disaster Scofield, Utah, U.S.200+27 February 1908Mina Rosita Vieja disaster San Juan de Sabinas, Coahuila, Mexico

Nuclear and radiation