This list of French disasters by death toll includes major disasters (excluding acts of war) that occurred on French soil (including overseas territories) or involved French citizens, in a definable incident, where the loss of life was 10 or more.
200 or more deaths
FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments5,000,000-10,000,0001347-1352Black Death in FrancePandemicMetropolitan France168,0912020–presentCOVID-19 pandemic in FrancePandemicNationwide30,00019021902 eruption of Mount PeléeVolcanic eruptionMartinique~6,00017761776 Pointe-à-Pitre hurricaneHurricaneGuadeloupe~5,0001219Flood of Grenoble (1219)FloodGrenoble, Isère2,025+2026–present2026 European heatwavesHeatwaveMetropolitan France1,7771884EpidemicMarseille, Bouches-du-Rhône1,20319281928 Okeechobee hurricaneHurricaneGuadeloupe and Martinique1,1501796Sinking of the SéduisantShipwreckBay of Biscay1,0991906Courrières mine disasterMine explosionCourrières, Pas-de-Calais871+1944ExplosionBrest, FinistèreLowest estimate including German troops.6931855Sinking of the French frigate SémillanteShipwreckOffshore of Corsica6751917Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailmentTrain derailmentSaint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Savoie5681920Sinking of the SS AfriqueShipwreckOffshore of Île de Ré, Charente-Maritime5621898SS La Bourgogne disasterShip collisionAtlantic Ocean off of Newfoundland, Canada542 (French)20042004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamiTsunamiThailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka530-6501794ExplosionGrenelle, Paris50015641564 Roquebillière earthquakeEarthquakeRoquebillière, Alpes-Maritimes~5001678ShipwrecksLas Aves Archipelago, Venezuela4761875FloodHaute-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, and Lot-et-Garonne467+1931Saint-Philibert disasterShipwreckOff of Noirmoutier, Vendée4231959Malpasset Dam collapseDam collapsenear Fréjus, Var380+1810Sinking of the ElizabethShipwreckOffshore of Dunkirk, Nord3461974Turkish Airlines Flight 981Plane crashFontaine-Chaalis, Oise32320092009 swine flu pandemic in FrancePandemicMetropolitan France300-4,00018391839 Martinique earthquakeEarthquakeMartinique2861911Loss of the French battleship LibertéShip explosionToulon, Var230+1930FloodSouthwest France2261873ShipwreckNorth Atlantic Ocean2251788Disappearance of the French frigates Astrolabe and La BoussoleShipwrecksVanikoro Island, Solomon Islands2201866Sinking of the SS LondonShipwreckBay of Biscay2141933Lagny-Pomponne rail accidentTrain collisionPomponne, Seine-et-Marne2032005-2006EpidemicRéunion2001850Angers Bridge collapseBridge collapseAngers, Maine-et-Loire~2001856FloodMetropolitan France
100 to 199 deaths
FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments1961939Explosion of the Minelayer PlutonShip explosionCasablanca, Morocco1801981Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308Plane crashAjaccio, Corsica1561910ShipwreckOff of Menorca, Spain151 (French)2005West Caribbean Airways Flight 708Plane crashMachiques, Venezuela1502015Germanwings Flight 9525Plane crash (suicide by pilot)Prads-Haute-Bléone, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence1461970Club Cinq-Sept fireNightclub fireSaint-Laurent-du-Pont, Isère1461854EpidemicMontbrehain, Aisne1301962Air France Flight 007Plane crashOrly, Val-de-Marne12618971897 Bazar de la CharitéBuilding fireParis1261953ShipwreckBetween Maré and Grande Terre, New Caledonia125+1909Sinking of the SS HildaShipwreckSaint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine1231973Varig Flight 820Plane crashOrly, Val-de-Marne1201907Iéna disasterShip fireToulon, Var1171966Air India Flight 101Plane crashMont Blanc, Haute-Savoie1132000Air France Flight 4590Plane crashGonesse, Val-d'Oise1131962Air France Flight 117Plane crashGuadeloupe1081972Vierzy tunnel disasterTunnel collapseVierzy, Aisne1071601AvalancheChèze, Hautes-Pyrénées1041916ExplosionLille, NordOccurred during German occupation in the First World War. Whether the explosion was an accident or caused by sabotage is unknown.1001918ExplosionSaint-Martin-de-Crau, Bouches-du-Rhône~1001952Health disasterMetropolitan France, especially Brittany
50 to 99 deaths
FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments941968Air France Flight 1611Plane crashMediterranean Sea931869Sinking of the French corvette GorgoneShipwreckPierres Noires, Finistère891867Third Cinq Sous Mine Disaster Mine explosionMontceau-les-Mines, Saône-et-Loire8819671967 Air Ferry DC-4 accidentPlane crashCanigó, Pyrénées-Orientales881999Cyclone LotharCycloneNorthern France871992Air Inter Flight 148Plane crashVosges Mountains, Bas-Rhin861895Dam collapseVosges861911Ship collisionStrait of Gibraltar841903Paris Métro train fireTrain fireParis8419551955 Le Mans disasterMotor racing crashLe Mans, Sarthe841887Opéra-Comique fireBuilding fireParis8219491949 Landes forest fireForest fireLandes forest80+1871Train explosionOllioules, Var791912La Clarence mine disasterMine explosionsDivion, Pas-de-Calais781973Pan Am Flight 816Plane crashnear Papeete, French Polynesia76 (French)1918Loss of the French minesweepers Inkerman and CerisolesShipwrecksLake Superior7518451845 Montville tornadoTornadoSeine-Maritime7419431943 Ripault powder factory explosionExplosionMonts, Indre-et-Loire741918Train collisionTendu, Indre731938Building fireMarseille, Bouches-du-Rhône711970Plateau d'Assy disasterLandslidePassy, Haute-Savoie691939Loss of the French submarine PhénixSubmarine accidentSouth China Sea6819731973 Nantes mid-air collisionMid-air collisionNantes, Loire-Atlantique631968Air France Flight 212 (1968)Plane crashLa Grande Soufrière, Guadeloupe621932Sinking of the French submarine ProméthéeSubmarine accidentOffshore of Cape Lévi, Manche61 (French)2009Air France Flight 447Plane crashSouth Atlantic Ocean601972Air Inter Flight 696YPlane crashNoirétable, Loire5819501950 Tête de l'Obiou C-54 crashPlane crashIsère571970Eurydice disasterSubmarine accidentOffshore of Saint-Tropez, Var571918Collision between the French destroyer Catapulte and the WarrimooShip collisionMediterranean Sea off of Bizerte, Tunisia561988Gare de Lyon rail accidentTrain collisionParis551842Versailles rail accidentTrain derailmentMeudon, Hauts-de-Seine541959TAI Flight 307Plane crashBordeaux–Mérignac Airport, Gironde531936Saint-Chamas powder factory explosionExplosionSaint-Chamas, Bouches-du-Rhône531982Beaune coach crashBus accidentBeaune, Côte-d’Or521968Sinking of the French submarine MinerveSubmarine accidentOffshore of Toulon, Var512010Cyclone XynthiaCycloneMetropolitan France511950Sinking of the weather ship LaplaceShipwreckOffshore of Cap Fréhel, Côtes-d'ArmorSunk by a mine remaining from World War II, not considered an act of war.501940Flood of 1940 in FranceFloodPyrénées-Orientales
10 to 49 deaths