No matter how far scientific and technological progress goes, disasters have happened, are happening and will probably continue to happen for a long time. Some of them could have been avoided, but most of the worst events in the world were inevitable because they happened at the behest of Mother Nature.
The worst plane crash
Collision of two Boeing 747s
Humanity does not know of a more terrible plane crash than the one that occurred on March 27, 1977 on the island of Tenerife, which belongs to the Canary group. On this day, at Los Rodeo airport, two Boeing 747s collided, one of which belonged to KLM, the other to Pan American. This terrible tragedy claimed 583 lives. The reasons that led to this disaster are a fatal and paradoxical combination of circumstances.
Los Rodeos airport was seriously overloaded on this ill-fated Sunday. The dispatcher spoke with a strong Spanish accent, and the radio communications suffered from serious interference. Because of this, the Boeing commander, KLM, misinterpreted the command to abort the flight, which became the fatal cause of the collision of two maneuvering aircraft.
Only a few passengers managed to escape through the holes created in the Pan American plane. The wings and tail of another Boeing fell off, which led to a fall one hundred and fifty meters from the accident site, after which it was dragged for another three hundred meters. Both flying cars caught fire.
There were 248 passengers on board the Boeing KLM, none of whom survived. The Pan American plane became the site of the death of 335 people, including the entire crew, as well as the famous model and actress Eve Meyer.
The worst man-made disaster
On July 6, 1988, the worst disaster known to the history of oil production occurred in the North Sea. It happened on the Piper Alpha oil platform, which was built in 1976. The number of victims was 167 people, the company suffered a loss of about three and a half billion dollars.
The most offensive thing is that the number of victims could have been much lower if not for ordinary human stupidity. There was a large gas leak, followed by an explosion. But instead of stopping the oil supply immediately after the accident began, the maintenance personnel waited for management's command.
The countdown went on for minutes, and soon the entire platform of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation was engulfed in fire, even the living quarters caught fire. Those who could have survived the blast were burned alive. Only those who managed to jump into the water survived.
Worst water accident ever
When the topic of tragedies on the water is raised, one involuntarily recalls the film “Titanic”. Moreover, such a catastrophe really happened. But this shipwreck is not the worst in the history of mankind.
Wilhelm Gustloff
The sinking of the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff is rightfully considered the biggest disaster that occurred on the water. The tragedy occurred on January 30, 1945. Its culprit was a submarine of the Soviet Union, which hit a ship that could accommodate almost 9,000 passengers.
This, at that time, a perfect product of shipbuilding, was made in 1938. It seemed unsinkable and housed 9 decks, restaurants, a winter garden, climate control, gyms, theaters, dance floors, swimming pools, a church and even Hitler’s rooms.
Its length was more than two hundred meters, it could sail half the planet without refueling. The ingenious creation could not sink without outside intervention. And it happened in the person of the crew of the submarine S-13, commanded by A. I. Marinesko. Three torpedoes were fired at the legendary ship. In a matter of minutes he found himself in the abyss of the Baltic Sea. All crew members were killed, including about 8,000 representatives of the German military elite who were evacuated from Danzig.
Wreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff (video)
The greatest environmental tragedy
Shrunken Aral Sea
Among all environmental disasters, the leading place is occupied by the drying out of the Aral Sea. At its best, it was the fourth largest lake in the world.
The disaster occurred due to the unreasonable use of water used to water gardens and fields. The drying out was due to the ill-considered political ambitions and actions of the leaders of those times.
Gradually, the coastline moved far into the sea, which led to the extinction of most species of flora and fauna. In addition, droughts began to become more frequent, the climate changed significantly, shipping became impossible, and more than sixty people were left without work.
Where did the Aral Sea disappear: strange symbols on the dry bottom (VIDEO)
Nuclear disaster
What could be worse than a nuclear disaster? The lifeless kilometers of the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl region are the embodiment of these fears. The accident occurred in 1986, when one of the power units of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded early on an April morning.
Chernobyl 1986
This tragedy claimed the lives of several hundred tow truck workers, and thousands died over the next ten years. And only God knows how many people were forced to leave their homes...
The children of these people are still born with developmental anomalies. The atmosphere, land and water around the nuclear power plant are contaminated with radioactive substances.
Radiation levels in this region are still thousands of times higher than normal. No one knows how long it will take for people to settle in these places. The scale of this disaster is still not fully known.
Chernobyl accident 1986: Chernobyl, Pripyat - liquidation (VIDEO)
Disaster over the Black Sea: Tu-154 of the Russian Ministry of Defense crashed
Crash of Tu-154 of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Not long ago there was a crash of a Tu-154 aircraft of the Russian Ministry of Defense en route to Syria. It claimed the lives of 64 talented artists of the Alexandrov ensemble, nine famous leading TV channels, the head of a charitable organization - the famous Doctor Lisa, eight military personnel, two civil servants, and all crew members. A total of 92 people died in this terrible plane crash.
On this tragic morning in December 2016, the plane refueled in Adler, but unexpectedly crashed just after takeoff. The investigation took a long time, because it was necessary to know what the cause of the Tu-154 crash was.
The commission that investigated the causes of the accident named overloading of the plane, fatigue of the crew and low professional level of training and organization of the flight among the circumstances leading to the disaster.
Results of the investigation into the Tu-154 crash of the Russian Ministry of Defense (VIDEO)
Submarine "Kursk"
Submarine "Kursk"
The sinking of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, in which 118 people on board were killed, occurred in 2000 in the Barents Sea. This is the second largest accident in the history of the Russian submarine fleet after the disaster on the B-37.
On August 12, as planned, preparations for training attacks began. The last written confirmed actions on the boat were recorded at 11.15.
A few hours before the tragedy, the crew commander was informed about the cotton, which he did not pay attention to. Then the boat shook violently, which was attributed to the activation of the radar station antenna. After that, the boat captain no longer contacted us. At 23.00 the situation on the submarine was declared as an emergency, which was reported to the leadership of the fleet and the country. The next morning, as a result of search operations, the Kursk was found at the bottom of the sea at a depth of 108 m.
The official version of the cause of the tragedy is the explosion of a training torpedo, which occurred as a result of a fuel leak.
Submarine Kursk: what really happened? (VIDEO)
Wreck of the ship "Admiral Nakhimov"
The wreck of the passenger ship "Admiral Nakhimov" occurred in August 1981 near Novorossiysk. There were 1,234 people on board the ship, 423 of whom lost their lives on that fateful day. It is known that Vladimir Vinokur and Lev Leshchenko were late for this flight.
At 23:12, the ship collided with the dry cargo ship "Petr Vasev", as a result of which the electric generator was flooded and the light went out on the "Nakhimov". The ship became uncontrollable and continued to move forward by inertia. As a result of the collision, a hole of up to eighty square meters was formed in the starboard side. Panic began among the passengers; many climbed onto the left side and thus descended into the water.
Almost a thousand people ended up in the water, and they were also dirty with fuel oil and paint. Eight minutes after the collision, the ship sank.
Steamship Admiral Nakhimov: shipwreck - Russian Titanic (VIDEO)
Oil platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico
The worst environmental disasters in the world in 2010 were joined by another one that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, eighty kilometers from Louisiana. This is one of the most dangerous man-made accidents for the environment. It happened on April 20 on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.
As a result of pipe rupture, about five million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.
A spot measuring 75,000 square meters formed in the bay. km, which amounted to five percent of its total area. The disaster took the lives of 11 people and injured 17.
Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (VIDEO)
Concordia crash
On January 14, 2012, the list of the worst incidents in the world was supplemented with one more. Near Italian Tuscany, the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran into a rock outcropping, leaving a hole seventy meters in size. At this time, most of the passengers were in the restaurant.
The right side of the liner began to submerge in the water, then it was thrown onto a sandbank 1 km from the crash site. There were more than 4,000 people on the ship who were evacuated throughout the night, but not everyone was saved: 32 people were still killed and a hundred were injured.
Costa Concordia – the crash through the eyes of eyewitnesses (VIDEO)
Eruption of Krakatoa in 1883
Natural disasters show how insignificant and helpless we are in the face of natural phenomena. But all the worst disasters in the world are nothing compared to the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, which occurred in 1883.
On May 20, a large smoke column could be seen above the Krakatoa volcano. At that moment, even at a distance of 160 kilometers from him, the windows of houses began to tremble. All the nearby islands were covered with a thick layer of dust and pumice.
Eruptions continued until August 27. The final explosion culminated in sound waves that circled the entire planet several times. At that moment, the compasses on the ships sailing in the Sunda Strait stopped showing correctly.
These explosions led to the submersion of the entire northern part of the island. The seabed rose as a result of the eruptions. Much ash from the volcano remained in the atmosphere for another two to three years.
The tsunami, which was thirty meters high, washed away about three hundred settlements and killed 36,000 people.
The most powerful eruption of Krakatoa Volcano (VIDEO)
Earthquake in Spitak in 1988
On December 7, 1988, the list of “Best Disasters in the World” was replenished with another one that occurred in the Armenian Spitak. On this tragic day, tremors literally “wiped” this city from the face of the earth in just half a minute, destroying Leninakan, Stepanavan and Kirovakan beyond recognition. In total, twenty-one cities and three hundred and fifty villages were affected.
In Spitak itself, the earthquake had a force of ten, Leninakan was struck by a force of nine, and Kirovakan was struck by a force of eight, and almost the rest of Armenia was hit by a force of six. Seismologists estimate that this earthquake released the energy equivalent to the force of ten exploding atomic bombs. The wave that this tragedy caused was recorded by scientific laboratories almost all over the world.
This natural disaster deprived 25,000 people of their lives, 140,000 of their health, and 514,000 of their homes. Forty percent of the republic's industry was out of order, schools, hospitals, theaters, museums, cultural centers, roads and railways were destroyed.
Military personnel, doctors, and public figures throughout the country and abroad, both near and far, were called to help. Humanitarian aid was actively collected around the world. Tents, field kitchens and first aid stations were set up throughout the area affected by the tragedy.
The saddest and most instructive thing about this situation is that the scale and casualties of this terrible disaster could have been many times smaller if the seismic activity of the region had been taken into account and all buildings had been built taking these features into account. The lack of preparedness of the rescue services also contributed.
Tragic days: earthquake in Spitak (VIDEO)
2004 Tsunami Indian Ocean - Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka
In December 2004, a devastating tsunami of terrible force caused by an underwater earthquake hit the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and other countries. Huge waves devastated the area and killed 200,000 people. The most annoying thing is that most of the dead are children, since in this region there is a high proportion of children to the population, moreover, children are physically weaker and less able to resist water than an adult.
Aceh province in Indonesia suffered the greatest losses. Almost all buildings there were destroyed, 168,000 people died.
Geographically, this earthquake was simply huge. Up to 1200 kilometers of rock have moved. The shift occurred in two phases with an interval of two to three minutes.
The number of victims was so high because there was no common warning system along the entire Indian Ocean coast.
There is nothing worse than disasters and tragedies that deprive people of life, shelter, health, destroy industry and everything that a person has worked on for many years. But it often turns out that the number of casualties and destruction in such situations could have been much less if everyone had been conscientious about their professional responsibilities; in some cases, it was necessary to provide in advance an evacuation plan and a warning system for local residents. Let's hope that in the future humanity will find a way to avoid such terrible tragedies or reduce the damage from them.
Tsunami in Indonesia 2004 (VIDEO)
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For centuries, natural disasters have haunted humanity. Some happened so long ago that scientists cannot estimate the scale of the destruction. For example, the Mediterranean island of Stroggli is believed to have been wiped off the map by a volcanic eruption around 1500 BC. The tsunami caused destroyed the entire Minoan civilization, but no one knows even the approximate number of deaths. However, the 10 worst known disasters, mostly earthquakes and floods, killed an estimated 10 million people.
10. Aleppo earthquake - 1138, Syria (Victims: 230,000)
One of the most powerful earthquakes known to mankind, and the fourth largest in the number of victims (estimated at over 230 thousand dead). The city of Aleppo, a large and populous urban center since antiquity, is geologically located along the northern part of a system of major geological faults, which also includes the Dead Sea Trench, and which separate the Arabian and African tectonic plates, which are in constant interaction. The Damascus chronicler Ibn al-Qalanisi recorded the date of the earthquake - Wednesday, October 11, 1138, and also indicated the number of victims - over 230 thousand people. Such a number of casualties and destruction shocked contemporaries, especially the Western crusader knights, since at that time in northwestern Europe, where most of them were from, there was a rare city with a population of 10 thousand inhabitants. After the earthquake, the population of Aleppo recovered only at the beginning of the 19th century, when the city again recorded a population of 200 thousand inhabitants.
9. Indian Ocean Earthquake - 2004, Indian Ocean (Victims: 230,000+)
The third, and according to some estimates the second most powerful, is the underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean that took place on December 26, 2004. It caused a tsunami, which caused most of the damage. Scientists estimate the earthquake's magnitude to be between 9.1 and 9.3. The epicenter was underwater, north of the island of Simeulue, northwest of Indonesian Sumatra. Huge waves reached the shores of Thailand, southern India and Indonesia. Then the wave height reached 15 meters. Many areas suffered enormous destruction and casualties, including Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which is 6,900 km from the epicenter. The exact number of victims is unknown, but it is estimated from 225 to 300 thousand people. The true figure can no longer be calculated, since many bodies were simply carried away into the sea. It is curious, but several hours before the arrival of the tsunami, many animals reacted sensitively to the impending disaster - they left the coastal zones, moving to higher ground.
8. Banqiao Dam Failure - 1975, China (Victims: 231,000)
There are different estimates of the number of victims of the disaster. The official figure, about 26,000 people, only takes into account those directly drowned in the flood itself; Taking into account those who died from epidemics and famine that spread as a result of the disaster, the total number of victims is, according to various estimates, 171,000 or even 230,000. The dam was designed in such a way as to survive the largest floods that occur once every thousand years (306 mm of precipitation per day). However, in August 1975, the largest flooding in 2,000 years occurred as a consequence of the powerful Typhoon Nina and several days of record storms. The flood caused a huge wave of water 10 kilometers wide, 3-7 meters high. The tide moved 50 kilometers from the coast in an hour and reached the plains, creating artificial lakes there with a total area of 12,000 sq. km. Seven provinces were flooded, including thousands of square kilometers of countryside and countless communications lines.
7. Tangshan earthquake - 1976, China (Victims: 242,000)
The second most powerful earthquake also occurred in China. On July 28, 1976, the Tangshan earthquake occurred in Hebei province. Its magnitude was 8.2, which allows us to consider the event the largest natural disaster of the century. The official death toll was 242,419. However, most likely the figure was underestimated by the PRC authorities by 3-4 times. This suspicion is based on the fact that according to Chinese documents, the strength of the earthquake is indicated as only 7.8 points. Tangshan was almost immediately destroyed by powerful tremors, the epicenter of which was located at a depth of 22 km below the city. Even Tianjin and Beijing, which are located 140 kilometers from the epicenter, were destroyed. The consequences of the disaster were terrible - 5.3 million houses were destroyed and damaged to such an extent that they were uninhabitable. The number of victims increased due to the subsequent series of tremors to 7.1. Today in the center of Tangshan there is a stele that reminds of the terrible disaster, and there is an information center dedicated to those events. It is a unique museum on this topic, the only one in China.
6. Kaifeng Flood - 1642, China (Victims: 300,000)
Long-suffering China again. Formally, this disaster can be considered natural, but it was caused by human hands. In 1642, a peasant uprising took place in China, led by Li Zicheng. The rebels approached the city of Kaifeng. In order to prevent the rebels from capturing the city, the command of the Ming Dynasty troops gave the order to flood the city and surrounding area with the waters of the Yellow River. When the water receded and the famine caused by the artificial flood ended, it turned out that of the 600,000 people in the city and surrounding area, only half survived. At that time it was one of the bloodiest punitive actions in history.
5. Indian Cyclone - 1839, India (Victims: 300,000+)
Although the photograph of the cyclone does not date back to 1839, it can be used to appreciate the full power of this natural phenomenon. The Indian cyclone of 1839 was not destructive in itself, but it produced powerful tidal waves that killed 300,000 people. Tidal waves completely destroyed the city of Coringa and sank 20,000 ships that were in the city's bay.
4. Great Chinese Earthquake - 1556 (Victims: 830,000)
In 1556, the most destructive earthquake in human history took place, called the Great Chinese Earthquake. It happened on January 23, 1556 in Shaanxi province. Historians believe the disaster killed about 830,000 people, more than any other similar event. Some areas of Shaanxi were completely depopulated, and in the rest more than half the people died. Such a huge number of victims was explained by the fact that most of the inhabitants lived in loess caves, which immediately collapsed during the first shocks or were subsequently flooded by mudflows. According to modern estimates, this earthquake was assigned a category of 11 points. One of the eyewitnesses warned his descendants that when a disaster begins, they should not rush headlong into the street: “When a bird’s nest falls from a tree, the eggs often remain unharmed.” Such words are evidence that many people died while trying to leave their homes. The destructiveness of the earthquake is evidenced by the ancient steles of Xi'an, collected in the local Beilin Museum. Many of them were crumbling or cracked. During the cataclysm, the Wild Goose Pagoda located here survived, but its foundation sank by 1.6 meters.
3. Bhola Cyclone - 1970 (Casualties: 500,000 - 1,000,000)
A destructive tropical cyclone that struck the territories of East Pakistan and Indian West Bengal on November 12, 1970. The deadliest tropical cyclone and one of the most destructive natural disasters in modern history. About half a million people lost their lives when the storm surge flooded many of the low-lying islands of the Ganges delta. It was the sixth storm cyclone of the 1970 North Indian Ocean hurricane season and the strongest of the year.
The cyclone formed over the central part of the Bay of Bengal on November 8, after which it began to move northward, gaining strength. It reached its peak power on the evening of November 12, and made contact with the East Pakistan coastline that same night. The storm surge devastated numerous offshore islands, sweeping away entire villages and destroying the region's farmland in its wake. In the worst-affected area of the country, Tazumuddin upazila, more than 45% of the 167,000 population died.
Political consequences
The unwieldy pace of rescue efforts only increased anger and resentment in East Pakistan and contributed to the local resistance movement. Subsidies were slow to arrive, and transport was slow to deliver desperately needed supplies to storm-ravaged areas. In March 1971, tensions steadily increased; foreign specialists began to leave the province, fearing outbreaks of violence. Subsequently, the situation continued to deteriorate and escalated into the War of Independence, which began on March 26. Later, in December of the same year, this conflict expanded into the Third Indo-Pakistani War, which culminated in the creation of the state of Bangladesh. The events that took place can be considered one of the first cases in which a natural phenomenon provoked a civil war, subsequent external intervention by a third power and the disintegration of one country into two independent states.
2. Yellow River Valley Flood - 1887, China (Victims: 900,000 - 2,000,000)
One of the worst floods in modern human history, which, according to various sources, claimed from 1.5 to 7 million human lives, happened in the late spring of 1887 in the northern provinces of China, in the Yellow River Valley. Heavy rains throughout almost all of Hunan that spring caused the river to flood. The first flood occurred at a sharp bend, in the vicinity of the city of Zhangzhou.
Day after day, bubbling waters invaded the cities, destroying and devastating them. In total, 600 cities along the river's banks were affected by the flood, including the walled city of Hunan. The rapid flow continued to wash away fields, animals, cities and people, flooding an area 70 km wide with water that reached a depth of 15 meters.
The water, often against the wind and tide, slowly flooded terrace after terrace, on each of which 12 to 100 families accumulated. Of the 10 houses, only one or two survived. Half of the buildings were hidden under water. People lay on the roofs of houses, and old people who did not die of hunger died of cold.
The tops of the poplars that once stood along the roads stuck out of the water like algae. Here and there, strong men held onto old trees with thick branches and called for help. In one place, a box containing a dead child, whom his parents had placed there for safety, was nailed to a tree. The box contained food and a note with a name. In another place a family was discovered, all the members of which had died, the child was placed on the highest place ... well covered with clothes."
The destruction and devastation left after the waters subsided was simply terrible. Statistics have never been able to cope with the task of counting. By 1889, when the Yellow River finally returned to its course, disease was added to the misfortunes of the flood. It is estimated that half a million people died from cholera.
1. Great Flood - 1931, China (Victims: 1,000,000 - 4,000,000)
The summer monsoon period of 1931 was unusually stormy. Heavy rains and tropical cyclones raged across river basins. The dams withstood intense rain and storms for weeks, but they eventually gave way and collapsed in hundreds of places. Approximately 333,000 hectares of land were flooded, at least 40,000,000 people lost their homes, and crop losses were enormous. Over large areas, the water did not recede for three to six months. Diseases, food shortages, and lack of shelter led to the death of a total of 3.7 million people.
One of the epicenters of the tragedy was the city of Gaoyou in the northern province of Jiangsu. A powerful typhoon hit China's fifth largest lake, Gaoyu, on August 26, 1931. Its water level has already risen to record heights as a result of heavy rains in previous weeks. A squally wind raised high waves that crashed against the dams. After midnight the battle was lost. The dams were broken in six places, and the largest gap reached almost 700 m. A stormy stream swept through the city and the province. In one morning alone, about 10,000 people died in Gaoyu.
Environmental disasters have their own specifics - during them not a single person may die, but at the same time very significant damage to the environment will be caused. Nowadays, the culprit of environmental disasters is mainly man. The growth of industrial and agricultural production not only brings material benefits, but is also slowly killing our habitat. Therefore, the biggest environmental disasters in the world are imprinted in human memory for a long time.
1. Oil leakage from the Prestige tanker
The Bahamian-flagged single-hull tanker Prestige was built by the Japanese shipyard Hitachi to transport crude oil and launched in 1976. In November 2002, while passing through the Bay of Biscay, the tanker encountered a strong storm off the coast of Galicia, as a result of which it received a 35 m long crack, from which about a thousand tons of fuel oil began to leak per day.
Spanish coast services refused to allow the dirty ship to enter the nearest port, so they tried to tow it to Portugal, but a similar refusal was received there. In the end, the restless tanker was towed to the Atlantic. On November 19, it sank completely, splitting into two parts, which sank to the bottom to a depth of about 3,700 m. Since it was impossible to repair the damage and pump out the oil products, over 70,000 cubic meters of oil ended up in the ocean. A spot more than a thousand kilometers long formed on the surface along the coastline, causing enormous damage to the local fauna and flora.
For Europe, this was the most catastrophic oil spill in history. The damage from it was estimated at 4 billion euros, and 300,000 volunteers worked to eliminate its consequences.
2. Exxon Valdez tanker wreck
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On March 23, 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker, fully loaded with oil, sailed from a terminal in the Alaskan port of Valdez, bound for the Californian port of Long Beach. Having taken the ship out of Valdez, the pilot handed over control of the tanker to Captain Joseph Jeffrey, who by that time was already “tipsy.” There were icebergs in the sea, so the captain was forced to deviate from the course, notifying the coast guard. Having received permission from the latter, he changed course, and at 23 o'clock he left the wheelhouse, leaving control of the ship to the third mate and the sailor, who had already served their watch and needed a 6-hour rest. In fact, the tanker was controlled by an autopilot, guided by a navigation system.
Before leaving, the captain instructed the mate that two minutes after passing abeam the island it was necessary to change course. The assistant conveyed this order to the sailor, but either he himself was late, or his execution was late, but at half past one on the night of March 24, the tanker crashed into Blythe Reef. As a result of the disaster, 40,000 cubic meters of oil spilled into the ocean, and environmentalists believe that much more. 2,400 km of coastline were polluted, making the accident one of the world's most significant environmental disasters.
Hazardous natural phenomena mean extreme climatic or meteorological phenomena that occur naturally in that area...
3. Chernobyl disaster
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All people born in the USSR are notorious for the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Its consequences are still in effect today and will continue to haunt us for many years to come. On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, completely destroying the reactor, and tons of radioactive materials were released into the environment. At the time of the tragedy itself, 31 people died, but this is only the tip of the iceberg - it is simply impossible to calculate the number of victims and injured from this accident.
Officially, about 200 people who were directly involved in its liquidation are considered to have died from the accident; all of them were killed by radiation sickness. The nature of all of Eastern Europe suffered enormous damage. Tens of tons of radioactive uranium, plutonium, strontium and cesium were dispersed into the atmosphere and began to slowly settle to the ground, carried by the wind. The authorities’ desire not to widely publicize what happened so that panic would not start among the population contributed to the tragedy of the unfolding events around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Therefore, many thousands of residents of cities and villages who were not included in the alienated 30-kilometer zone carelessly remained in their places.
In subsequent years, there was a surge in cancer among them, mothers gave birth to thousands of deformities, and this is still observed. In total, due to the spread of radioactive contamination in the area, the authorities had to evacuate over 115,000 people living within a 30-kilometer zone around the nuclear power plant. More than 600,000 people took part in the elimination of this accident and its lingering consequences, and enormous amounts of money were spent. The territory directly adjacent to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is still a restricted area because it is unsuitable for habitation.
Throughout the history of mankind, powerful earthquakes have repeatedly caused colossal damage to people and caused a huge number of casualties among the population...
4. Accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant
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But the largest environmental disaster in human memory happened on March 11, 2011. It all started with a strong earthquake and a powerful tsunami, which disabled the backup diesel generators and power supply system of the nuclear power plant. This led to dysfunction of the reactor cooling system and melting of the core in three power units of the station. During the accident, hydrogen was released, which exploded, destroying the outer shell of the reactor, but the reactor itself survived.
Due to the leak of radioactive substances, the level of radiation quickly began to increase, because the depressurization of the shells of the fuel elements caused the leak of radioactive cesium. On March 23, 30 kilometers from the station in the ocean, water samples were taken, which showed an excess of the norms for iodine-131 and cesium-137, but the radioactivity of the water was increasing and by March 31 it exceeded the normal level by almost 4400 times, because even after the accident the water was contaminated with radiation continued to leak into the ocean. It is clear that after some time, animals with strange genetic and physiological changes began to be found in local waters.
The spread of radiation was facilitated by the fish themselves and other marine animals. Many thousands of local residents had to be resettled from the radiation-contaminated area. A year later, on the coast near the nuclear power plant, radiation exceeded the norm by 100 times, so decontamination work will continue here for a long time.
5. Bhopal disaster
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The disaster in Bhopal, India was truly terrible, not only because it caused enormous damage to the state’s nature, but also because it claimed the lives of 18,000 residents. A subsidiary of the Union Carbide Corporation was building a chemical plant in Bhopal, which, according to the original design, was supposed to produce pesticides used in agriculture.
But in order for the plant to become competitive, it was decided to change the production technology towards something more dangerous and complex, which would not require more expensive imported raw materials. But a series of crop failures led to a decrease in demand for the plant’s products, so the owners decided to sell it in the summer of 1984. Funding for the operating enterprise was curtailed, the equipment gradually wore out and no longer met safety standards. In the end, liquid methyl isocyanate overheated in one of the reactors, causing a sharp release of its vapors, which ruptured the emergency valve. In a matter of seconds, 42 tons of toxic vapors entered the atmosphere, which formed a deadly cloud with a diameter of 4 kilometers over the plant and the surrounding area.
The affected area included residential areas and a railway station. The authorities did not manage to inform the population about the danger in time, and there was a critical shortage of medical personnel, so on the very first day, 5,000 people died after inhaling poisonous gas. But for a number of years after this, poisoned people continued to die, and the total number of victims of that accident is estimated at 30,000 people.
A tornado (in America this phenomenon is called a tornado) is a fairly stable atmospheric vortex, most often occurring in thunderclouds. He's visual...
6. Disaster at the Sandoz chemical plant
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One of the most terrible environmental disasters, which caused incredible damage to nature, occurred on November 1, 1986 in prosperous Switzerland. Chemical and pharmaceutical giant Sandoz's plant, built on the banks of the Rhine near Basel, produced a variety of chemicals used in agriculture. When a strong fire broke out at the plant, about 30 tons of pesticides and mercury compounds entered the Rhine. The water in the Rhine has turned an ominous red color.
The authorities prohibited residents living on its banks from leaving their homes. Downstream, in some German cities the centralized water supply had to be cut off, and residents were brought drinking water in tanks. Almost all the fish and other living creatures died in the river, some species were irretrievably lost. Later, a program was adopted until 2020, the goal of which was to make the waters of the Rhine suitable for swimming.
7. Disappearance of the Aral Sea
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Back in the middle of the last century, the Aral was the fourth largest lake in the world. But the active withdrawal of water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya for irrigating cotton and other crops led to the fact that the Aral Sea began to quickly become shallow, divided into 2 parts, one of which has already completely dried up, and the second will follow its example in the coming years.
Scientists estimate that from 1960 to 2007, the Aral Sea lost 1,000 cubic kilometers of water, which led to its reduction by more than 10 times. Previously, 178 species of vertebrates lived in the Aral Sea, but now there are only 38.
For decades, agricultural waste has been dumped into the Aral Sea and settled at the bottom. Now they have turned into poisonous sand, which the wind carries fifty kilometers around, polluting the surrounding area and destroying vegetation. Vozrozhdeniya Island has long been turned into part of the mainland, but once upon a time there was a testing ground for bacteriological weapons on it. There are burial places with such deadly diseases as typhus, plague, smallpox, and anthrax. Some pathogens are still alive, so they can spread into inhabited areas thanks to rodents.
Occasionally, tsunami waves occur in the ocean. They are very insidious - in the open ocean they are completely invisible, but as soon as they approach the coastal shelf, they...
8. Flixborough chemical plant accident
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In the British city of Flixborough there was a Nipro plant that produced ammonium nitrate, and on its territory 4000 tons of caprolactam, 3000 tons of cyclohexanone, 2500 tons of phenol, 2000 tons of cyclohexane and many other chemicals were stored. But various technological containers and spherical tanks were insufficiently filled, which increased the risk of explosion. In addition, the plant's reactors contained various flammable materials under high pressure and high temperature.
The administration sought to increase the plant's productivity, but this reduced the effectiveness of fire extinguishing agents. The company's engineers were often forced to turn a blind eye to deviations from technological regulations and neglect safety standards - a familiar picture. Finally, on June 1, 1974, the plant was shaken by a powerful explosion. Instantly, the production premises were engulfed in flames, and the shock wave from the explosion swept through the surrounding populated areas, shattering windows, tearing roofs off houses and injuring people. 55 people died then. The power of the explosion was estimated at 45 tons of TNT. But worst of all, the explosion was accompanied by the emergence of a large cloud of toxic fumes, which is why the authorities had to urgently evacuate residents of some neighboring settlements.
The damage from this man-made disaster was estimated at 36 million pounds - it was the most expensive emergency incident for British industry.
9. Fire on the Piper Alpha oil rig
In July 1988, a major disaster occurred on the Piper Alpha platform, which was used for oil and gas production. Its consequences were aggravated by the indecisive and ill-considered actions of the personnel, due to which, out of 226 people working on the platform, 167 died. For some time after the accident, oil products continued to flow through the pipes, so the fire did not die out, but flared up even more. This disaster resulted not only in human casualties, but also in great environmental damage.
Rosstat and various rating agencies closely monitor the cost of goods and services in various localities in Russia. They are all together...
10. Explosion of an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico
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On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deep Water Horizon oil production platform, owned by British Petroleum and located in the Gulf of Mexico, causing huge amounts of oil to be released from an uncontrolled well into the sea for a long time. The platform itself sank into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Experts were only able to roughly estimate the volume of spilled oil, but one thing is clear - this disaster became one of the most terrible for the biosphere not only of the Gulf Coast, but also of the Atlantic Ocean. Oil was poured into the water for 152 days, 75,000 square meters. km of water in the bay were covered with a thick oil film. All states whose coasts overlook the Gulf of Mexico (Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi) suffered from pollution, but Alabama suffered the most.
About 400 species of rare animals were threatened with extinction, and thousands of seabirds and amphibians died on oil-filled shores. The Office of Specially Protected Resources reported that there had been an outbreak of mortality among cetaceans in the gulf following the oil spill.
17.04.2013
Natural disasters unpredictable, destructive, unstoppable. Perhaps this is why humanity fears them most. We offer you the top rating in history, they claimed a huge number of lives.
10. Banqiao Dam collapse, 1975
The dam was built to contain the effects of about 12 inches of rainfall daily. However, in August 1975 it became clear that this was not enough. As a result of the collision of cyclones, Typhoon Nina brought with it heavy rains - 7.46 inches per hour, which means 41.7 inches daily. In addition, due to clogging, the dam could no longer fulfill its role. Over the course of a few days, 15.738 billion tons of water burst through it, which swept through the surrounding area in a deadly wave. More than 231,000 people died.
9. Earthquake in Haiyan, China, 1920
As a result of the earthquake, which is on the 9th line in the top ranking deadliest natural disasters in history, 7 provinces of China were affected. In the Hainian region alone, 73,000 people died, and more than 200,000 people died nationwide. The tremors continued for the next three years. It caused landslides and large ground cracks. The earthquake was so strong that some rivers changed course, and natural dams appeared in some.
8. Tangshan Earthquake, 1976
It occurred on July 28, 1976 and is called the strongest earthquake of the 20th century. The epicenter was the city of Tangshan, located in Hebei Province, China. In 10 seconds, practically nothing remained of a densely populated, large industrial city. The number of victims is about 220,000.
7. Antakya (Antioch) earthquake, 565
Despite the small number of details that have survived to this day, The earthquake was one of the most destructive and claimed more than 250,000 lives and caused enormous damage to the economy.
6. Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami, 2004
Happened on December 24, 2004, just in time for Christmas. The epicenter was located off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The hardest hit countries were Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. The second earthquake in history with a magnitude of 9.1 -9.3. it was the cause of a number of other earthquakes around the globe, for example in Alaska. It also caused a deadly tsunami. More than 225,000 people died.
5. Indian cyclone, 1839
In 1839, an extremely large cyclone hit India. On November 25, a storm practically destroyed the city of Coringa. He literally destroyed everything he came into contact with. 2,000 ships docked at the port were wiped off the face of the earth. The city was not restored. The storm surges it attracted killed more than 300,000 people.
4. Cyclone Bola, 1970
After Cyclone Bola swept through the lands of Pakistan, more than half of the arable land was contaminated and spoiled, a small part of the rice and grains was saved, but famine could no longer be avoided. In addition, about 500,000 people died from the heavy rains and flooding that it caused. Wind force -115 meters per hour, hurricane - category 3.
3. Shaanxi Earthquake, 1556
The most destructive earthquake in history occurred on February 14, 1556 in China. Its epicenter was in the Wei River Valley and as a result, about 97 provinces were affected. Buildings were destroyed, half the people living in them were killed. According to some reports, 60% of the population of Huasqian province died. A total of 830,000 people died. The tremors continued for another six months.
2. Yellow River Flood, 1887
The Yellow River in China is extremely susceptible to flooding and overflowing its banks. In 1887, this resulted in the flooding of 50,000 square miles around. According to some estimates, the flood claimed the lives of 900,000 – 2,000,000 people. Farmers, knowing the characteristics of the river, built dams that saved them from the annual floods, but that year, the water swept away both the farmers and their homes.
1. Flood of central China, 1931
According to statistics, the flood that occurred in 1931 became the most terrible in history. After a long drought, 7 cyclones came to China at once, bringing with them hundreds of liters of rain. As a result, three rivers overflowed their banks. The flood killed 4 million people.
That disaster films are bad these days. But I want to look at the collapsing miracles of technology and the surviving heroes! We remembered 10 disaster films, which are based on real events, and not the weak imagination of the screenwriters. Go!
10. “And the Storm Came” (2016)
Director: Craig Gillespie.
Starring: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster.
1952, USA. The oil tanker Pendleton sank off the coast. Only the local coast guard manages to help the crew members. The problem is that she only has light boats at her disposal, which may not withstand the storm.
The film is not bad, but the authors went too far with pathos and seriousness. Sometimes you don’t even believe that everything was filmed based on a real story - the characters shown in the film seem so far-fetched. However, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the writers decided to “tweak” the characters’ characteristics by setting the “heroism” perk to the maximum.
9. “The Perfect Storm” (2000)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen.
Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly.
In 1991, the Atlantic coast of the United States was covered by the so-called “perfect” or Halloween storm. The disaster destroyed the fishing vessel Andrea Gail. The sailors went fishing, trying to compensate for the previous unsuccessful catch. No one ever returned from the voyage.
According to reports from captain Andrea Gail, shortly before the ship stopped communicating, the wave height exceeded nine meters. There are claims that the sailors were killed by a 30-meter wave, although this is considered unlikely. But for the film it’s what you need.
There is only one complaint about the picture. “The Perfect Storm” speculates too much, successfully exploiting the fact that there is no reliable information about what happened to Andrea Gail.
8. Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Director: Peter Berg.
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin.
It seems that the explosion on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico happened quite recently. But no - seven years have passed. The echoes of the event still resonate loudly, and environmentalists continue to sound the alarm. The giant oil spill caused a lot of trouble.
The film, which takes its name from an oil platform, tells the story of station workers who find themselves face to face with fire. Cut off from the world by expanses of water, brave men solve problems as best they can - in their own way, in a simple, but effective way.
The accident killed 13 people. The filmmakers see the British oil and gas giant BP as the only culprit behind the fiery nightmare. This company still cannot recover from the consequences of the scandal.
7. “Earthquake” (2010)
Director: Feng Xiaogang.
Cast: Xu Fan, Zhang Jingchu, Yang Lixin.
The main thing is not to confuse this film with the work of the same name by Sarik Andreasyan. It is best to focus on the year of release: the Chinese film was released in 2010, and the Russian film in 2016.
The film is based on the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. It lasted less than a second, but in terms of the number of victims and the scale of destruction it became the second in the written history of mankind. As a result of the disaster, from 240 to 655 thousand people died, about 5 million houses were destroyed.
Feng Xiaogang's film does not try to embrace the immensity and show all the horrors that the earthquake brought. Instead, it focuses on the story of one family who physically survived a terrible tragedy, but are psychologically unable to cope with it, even decades later.
6. “The Impossible” (2012)
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona.
Starring: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland.
Another film about family life through the prism of a natural disaster. The tsunami that hits Thailand takes the hero Ewan McGregor and his household by surprise when he comes on vacation. The elements will scatter everyone, but in the end the family will be reunited.
The tragedy occurred at the very end of 2004. An underwater earthquake caused a giant tsunami over 15 meters high in the Indian Ocean. As a result, about 300 thousand people died.
This time, it's not just the tsunami backdrop that's real, but also the family's story. The film was based on the story of a Spanish family that was lucky enough to survive the tsunami.
5. “K-19” (2002)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, Peter Sarsgaard.
They say that the sailors called the Soviet nuclear submarine K-19 “Hiroshima” due to frequent accidents. Kathryn Bigelow's film tells about one of these accidents, which can easily be included in the ranks of man-made disasters.
During one of the submarine's cruises in 1961, the reactor cooling system was damaged, as a result of which gamma radiation began to increase sharply. Despite the efforts of the crew, within several hours the ship and its crew were completely contaminated with radiation. Eight crew members soon died due to radiation sickness.
Participants in the event generally reacted negatively to the release of K-19. According to survivors, too much in the film is fictitious, from technical aspects to relationships between submariners. There was neither rebellion nor desire to surrender to the Americans. Well, that's what a movie is, even if it's based on reality - the main thing is that it's interesting to watch.
4. “Survive” (1992)
Director: Frank Marshall.
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, Josh Hamilton.
On October 13, 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force airliner operated charter flight FAU 571 on the route Montevideo - Mendoza - Santiago. There were 40 people on board the plane - the Old Christians rugby team, relatives of the athletes and support staff. Not far from its destination, the ship was caught in a cyclone, crashed into a mountain and collapsed. 12 people died immediately, and the rest had to fight for their lives against cold and hunger. The guys waited for help for more than two months. He managed to survive by eating the corpses of his comrades.
Thanks to a strong story, the film turned out strong. But “Survive” is exactly the case when it’s not the visual effects that come first, but the psychology. What would you do in the shoes of these unfortunate people? Condemn, forgive or understand? There's plenty of action too. The film was even nominated for an MTV award for the episode with the plane crash.
Some scenes of the film today look too naive - the considerable age of the film affects it. Still, we recommend watching this movie, because it will certainly encourage you to learn more about what happened to the castaways in the Andes in the fall of 1972.
3. “Miracle on the Hudson” (2016)
Director: Clint Eastwood.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart.
A film adaptation of a true story that happened on January 15, 2009 with an Airbus A320 flying from New York. One of two films in our rating in which there is a disaster, but no deaths. Yes, the movie came out a bit bland, but it looks great as a thorough reconstruction of events.
The plane had just taken off from the New York airport runway when, a minute and a half later, it collided with a flock of birds. The crew had to make several decisions that were fateful for dozens of passengers. As a result, a huge colossus flopped onto the Hudson River. After this, the pilot Chesley Sullenberger was dragged through the courts, but in the end everything worked out.
Clint Eastwood records everything that happened in a detached manner, without particularly trying to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. But as always, the lead actor, Tom Hanks, did his best.
