It is terrible to realize how much evil man has done to himself and the planet on which he lives. Most of the damage has been done by large industrial corporations that don't think about the level of danger of their activities in order to make a profit. And it is especially scary that the catastrophes also occurred as a result of tests of various types of weapons, including nuclear ones. We offer 15 of the biggest disasters in the world caused by man.

15. Castle Bravo (March 1, 1954)

The United States conducted a nuclear test in March 1954 at Bikini Atoll, off the Marshall Islands. It was a thousand times more powerful than the explosion on Hiroshima, Japan. This was part of an experiment by the US government. The damage caused by the explosion was catastrophic for the environment over an area of ​​11265.41 km2. 655 representatives of the fauna were destroyed.

14. Disaster in Seveso (July 10, 1976)

An industrial disaster near Milan, Italy resulted from the release of toxic chemicals into the environment. During the production cycle, when receiving trichlorophenol, a dangerous cloud of harmful compounds entered the atmosphere. The release instantly had a detrimental effect on the flora and fauna of the territory adjacent to the plant. The company concealed the fact of leakage of chemicals for 10 days. Cases of cancer have increased, as was later proven by studies of dead animals. Residents of the small town of Seveso began to experience frequent cases of heart pathologies and respiratory diseases.

The meltdown of part of a nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, USA, released an unknown amount of radioactive gases and iodine into the environment. The accident was due to a series of human errors and mechanical failures. There was much debate about the scale of pollution, but the authorities withheld specific figures so as not to raise a panic. They argued that the release was insignificant and could not harm the flora and fauna. However, in 1997, the data was re-examined, and it was concluded that those who lived near the reactor had 10 times more manifestations of cancer and leukemia than others.

12. Oil spill from the tanker Exxon Valdes (March 24, 1989)

An accident on an Exxon Valdez tanker released a huge amount of oil into the ocean off Alaska, polluting 2,092.15 km of coastline. As a result, irreparable damage to the ecosystem was caused. And to date, it has not been restored. In 2010, the US government stated that 32 species of wildlife had been harmed and that only 13 species had been restored. Could not restore the subspecies of killer whales and Pacific herring.

The explosion and flooding of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico at the Macondo field led to the fact that there was a leak of oil and gas in the amount of 4.9 million barrels. According to scientists, this accident was the largest in US history and claimed 11 lives of platform workers. The inhabitants of the ocean were also harmed. Until now, violations of the ecosystem of the bay are noted.

10 Love Canal Disaster (1978)

In Niagara Falls, New York, about a hundred houses and a local school were built on the site of an industrial and chemical waste dump. Over time, the chemicals seeped into the upper layers of the soil and water. People began to notice that some black swampy spots appeared near the houses. When they did the analysis, they found the content of eighty-two chemical compounds, eleven of which were carcinogenic substances. Among the diseases of the inhabitants of the Love Canal, such serious diseases as leukemia began to appear, and 98 families had children with serious pathologies.

9. Chemical pollution in Anniston, Alabama (1929-1971)

In Anniston, in the area where the agricultural and biotech giant Monsanto first produced cancer-causing substances, they were inexplicably released into Snow Creek. The population of Anniston suffered greatly. As a result of exposure, the percentage of diabetes and other pathologies has increased. Monsanto paid $700 million in damages and rescues in 2002.

During the military conflict in the Persian Gulf in Kuwait, Saddam Hussein set fire to 600 oil wells to create a poisonous smoke screen for as much as 10 months. It is believed that between 600 and 800 tons of oil burned daily. About five percent of the territory of Kuwait was covered with soot, livestock died from lung diseases, and the number of cancer cases increased in the country.

7. Zilin chemical plant explosion (November 13, 2005)

There were several powerful explosions at the Zilin Chemical Plant. A huge amount of benzene and nitrobenzene, which has a detrimental toxic effect, was released into the environment. The disaster resulted in the death of six people and the injury of seventy.

6 Pollution Times Beach, Missouri (December 1982)

The spraying of oil containing toxic dioxin led to the complete destruction of a small town in Missouri. The method was used as an alternative to irrigation to keep dust off the roads. The situation worsened when, as a result of flooding the city with the waters of the Meremek River, toxic oil spread along the entire coast. Residents were exposed to dioxin and reported immune and muscle problems.

For five days, smoke from coal burning and factory emissions covered London in a dense layer. The fact is that cold weather has come and the residents massively began to heat the stoves with coal to warm the houses. A combination of industrial and public air emissions resulted in thick fog and poor visibility, and 12,000 people died from inhaling toxic fumes.

4 The Poisoning Of Minamata Bay, Japan (1950s)

In 37 years of plastics production, the petrochemical company Chisso Corporation has dumped 27 tons of the metal mercury into the waters of Minamata Bay. Because the inhabitants used it to fish, unaware of the chemical spills, the mercury-poisoned fish caused serious health damage to babies born to mothers who ate fish from the Minamata, and killed more than 900 people in the region.

3. Bhopal Disaster (December 2, 1984)

The whole world knows about radiation contamination as a result of a nuclear reactor accident and a fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. It has been called the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history. About a million people died due to the effects of the nuclear holocaust, mainly from cancer and exposure to high levels of radiation.

After the 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was left without power and lost the ability to cool nuclear reactors. This led to radioactive contamination of a large territory and water area. About two hundred thousand residents were evacuated due to fear of serious illnesses as a result of exposure. The disaster once again made scientists think about the dangers of atomic energy and the need to develop

Trains are huge, so when they derail or collide with each other, their unimaginable power becomes painfully obvious. During a train accident, the train lives its own life - it becomes uncontrollable, and it is no longer possible to stop it. Passengers can do nothing to prevent injury, and often dangle from wall to wall in the carriages, suffering broken limbs and internal injuries.

The worst disasters in our history have taken a huge toll of human life, but they have given us important insights into how we can improve rail infrastructure as well as keep passengers safe.

10. Al Ayyat railway accident - Egypt, 2002 (383 victims)

At 2 am on February 20, 2002, a gas cylinder exploded in the fifth car of an Egyptian train. The all-consuming fire quickly spread to the other cars as the train continued to race along the tracks. This went on for two hours until the driver finally stopped. As a result, seven carriages were completely burned down and almost 400 people died. However, the number of victims of this disaster was repeatedly disputed, since a complete list of passengers was missing. Also, due to the intensity of the flames, many of the corpses burned to a state of ash, and their identification was impossible. Moreover, the train was overloaded and many passengers are believed to have died by jumping from the burning train. Although official figures say 383 people died, many believe that an estimate of 1,000 lives is more accurate.

9. Awash train accident - Ethiopia, 1985 (428 dead)


The worst train accident in African history occurred on January 14, 1985, near the city of Awash. The city is located on the Awash River. An express train derailed on its way to this town due to the fact that the driver did not slow down while passing over a curved bridge, which caused several cars to fall into a cliff. Of the 1,000 passengers on the train, 428 died, and almost all the other passengers were badly injured. After a terrible accident, the driver was arrested and charged with not slowing down when entering a turn.

8. Train accident Torre del Bierzo (Torre del Bierzo) - Spain, 1944 (200-500+ victims)


On January 3, 1944, near the village of Torre del Bierzo in Spain, an out of control mail train flew into tunnel number 20. A shunting locomotive with three cars was in front of it, trying to avoid a collision. These two cars were still in the tunnel when the mail train crashed into them. From the other side, a coal carrier with 27 loaded wagons was approaching. The driver of the shunting locomotive tried to warn the coal carrier, but it nevertheless crashed into the locomotive. The flame of the catastrophe burned for two days. Since many people were traveling without tickets and the fire completely consumed the human remains, the exact number of passengers was difficult to estimate, but survivors claimed that the train was overcrowded as many of them were heading to the Christmas market.

7. Balvano train accident - Italy, 1944 (521-600+ victims)


During World War II, severe shortages led to the development of black market trade. In 1944, adventurers and enterprising entrepreneurs surreptitiously traveled on freight trains to reach supplier farms. At the same time, there was a severe shortage of high-quality coal. Burning low-grade substitutes gave off a large amount of odorless carbon monoxide. On March 2, 1944, a heavily overloaded locomotive number 8017 stalled inside a steep tunnel. The attendants and passengers, including several hundred "hares", died from suffocation. The only survivors were those who traveled in the few rear cars left out in the open when the train stalled.

6. Railway accident near Ufa - Russia, 1989 (575+ victims)


The largest railway accident in the history of the Soviet Union occurred on June 4, 1989. A gap in the pipeline pipe allowed a large volume of gas to accumulate in the lowland between the cities of Ufa and Asha. When the staff noticed a drop in pressure, they simply increased the pressure to normal levels instead of looking for a possible leak. Around 1:15 a.m., two trains carrying more than 1,200 passengers, many of whom were children, passed each other. The sparks caused by their passage ignited a highly flammable cloud, resulting in an explosion that was visible from more than 100 kilometers away. The escaping flames scorched trees within a radius of 3.86 kilometers and destroyed both trains.

5. Train accident in Guadalajara (Guadalajara) - Mexico, 1915 (600+ victims)


In 1915, the Mexican Revolution was in full swing. President Venustiano Carranza ordered the families of his army to be transported to Guadalajara, which he had recently conquered. On January 22, 1915, a specially prepared train with twenty heavily overloaded cars left Colima. It is said that the carriages were so crowded with people that passengers even clung to the carriages from below and rode on the roofs. During a steep descent, the driver lost control of the train. The train continued to pick up speed, descending the rails, and eventually flew into a deep ravine. Less than a third of the people from the official passenger list survived the catastrophe.

4. Railway accident in Bihar (Bihar) - India, 1981 (500-800 victims)


On June 6, 1981, during the monsoon season in India, a nine-car train carrying about a thousand passengers plunged into the Baghmati River. The weather conditions that day were especially rainy and windy, and the water level in the river was higher than usual. Just as the train was approaching a bridge crossing a river, a cow crossed the tracks. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the engineer braked too hard, causing the cars to skid on the wet railroad tracks and derailed into the river. Help arrived only a few hours later, and most of the passengers either drowned or were already swept away by the water by the time rescuers got to work. More than 300 bodies were never found.

3. Railway accident in Churea (Ciurea) - Romania, 1917 (600-1000 dead)


During World War I, a passenger train's brakes failed while descending a steep slope near Churya station. The 26-car train was carrying refugees and wounded soldiers trying to escape the advancing German forces. The driver tried his best to slow the train down by shifting into reverse gear and using the sand thrower for better traction, but the train continued to pick up speed. To avoid a collision with the second train at the end of the descent, the runaway train was redirected to the passing track. Due to the high speed, the train nevertheless, unfortunately, left the tracks and caught fire. As a result, hundreds of people died.

2. Crash in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne (Saint Michel-de-Maurienne), France, 1917 (800-1000 victims)


On December 12, 1917, about 1,000 French soldiers were returning home for the winter holidays. Due to the general shortage of both locomotives and insufficient provision of equipment, people were transported by two trains connected together, but under the control of one locomotive. Of the 19 cars on the train, only the first three had automatic air brakes, the rest had either hand brakes or none at all. Descending into a valley in the French part of the Alps, the driver ordered his assistants to slow down, but the train continued to pick up speed. The brakes overheated and flames began to flare up under the cars. After 6 kilometers, the first car went off the tracks, and the rest of the cars crashed into it, catching fire in a few minutes. Due to the strength of the flames, only 425 bodies out of approximately 1,000 victims were identified.

1. Train accident and tsunami in Sri Lanka, 2004 (1700+ victims)


On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the ocean north of Sumatra triggered a giant tsunami that killed 280,000 people. On that terrible day, more than 1,500 passengers were traveling in the Queen of the Sea. The train was 170 meters from the shore when the first wave hit. The water immediately stopped the train. Local residents and passengers, thinking that the train would be an escape from the water, climbed onto its roof or hid behind it. The second wave was much more powerful: it demolished the train from the railway tracks and dragged the wagons into the jungle. Those who were not crushed by the train drowned quickly as they were trapped in the carriages. Only a few passengers survived this tragedy.

Below is a list of the ten biggest natural disasters in human history. The rating is based on the number of deaths.

Earthquake in Aleppo

Death toll: about 230,000

The ranking of the largest natural disasters in the history of mankind opens with an earthquake in Aleppo with a magnitude of 8.5 on the Richter scale, which occurred in several stages near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria on October 11, 1138. It is often referred to as the fourth earthquake in history in terms of the number of deaths. According to the references of the Damascus chronicler Ibn al-Qalanisi, approximately 230,000 people died as a result of this catastrophe.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Number of victims: 225,000–300,000

An underwater earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean off the western coast of North Sumatra, 250 kilometers southeast of the city of Banda Aceh. It is considered one of the strongest earthquakes of the XX-XXI centuries. Its magnitude, according to various estimates, ranged from 9.1 to 9.3 on the Richter scale. Arising at a depth of about 30 km, the earthquake caused a series of devastating tsunamis, the height of which exceeded 15 meters. These waves caused enormous destruction and claimed the lives of, according to various estimates, from 225,000 to 300,000 people in 14 countries. The coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand suffered the most from the tsunami.

Death toll: 171,000–230,000

The Banqiao Dam is a dam on the Ruhe River, Henan Province, China. On August 8, 1975, due to the powerful typhoon Nina, the dam was destroyed, thereby causing flooding and a huge wave 10 km wide and 3-7 meters high. This disaster, according to various estimates, claimed the lives of from 171,000 to 230,000 people, of which about 26,000 died directly from the flood. The rest died from subsequent epidemics and famine. In addition, 11 million people have lost their homes.

Number of victims: 242,419

The Tangshan earthquake, measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale, is the deadliest earthquake of the 20th century. It happened on July 28, 1976 in the Chinese city of Tangshan at 3:42 local time. Its hypocenter was located near the industrial city of a millionaires at a depth of 22 km. Aftershocks with a power of 7.1 did even more damage. According to the Chinese government, the number of victims was 242,419 people, but according to other sources, about 800,000 people died, and another 164,000 were seriously injured. The earthquake also affected settlements located at a distance of 150 kilometers from the epicenter, including Tianjin and Beijing. More than 5,000,000 houses were completely destroyed.

Flood in Kaifeng

Death toll: 300,000–378,000

The Kaifeng flood is a man-made disaster that hit Kaifeng in the first place. This city is located on the south bank of the Yellow River in the Chinese province of Henan. In 1642, the city was flooded by the Yellow River after the Ming Dynasty army opened the dams to prevent the advance of Li Zicheng's troops. Then about 300,000-378,000 people died from the flood and the subsequent famine and plague.

Indian cyclone - 1839

Death toll: over 300,000

The fifth place in the ranking of the largest natural disasters in history is occupied by the Indian cyclone - 1839. On November 16, 1839, a 12-meter wave caused by a powerful storm completely destroyed the large port city of Koringa, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. More than 300,000 people died then. After the disaster, the city was never rebuilt. Now in its place is a small village with a population (2011) - 12,495 inhabitants.

Death toll: approximately 830,000

This earthquake, with a magnitude of approximately 8, occurred on January 23, 1556 in the Chinese province of Shaanxi, during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. More than 97 districts were affected by it, everything was destroyed on an area of ​​​​840 km, and in some areas 60% of the population died. In total, the China earthquake claimed the lives of approximately 830,000 people - more than any other earthquake in human history. The huge number of victims is due to the fact that the majority of the population of the province lived in loess caves, which were destroyed or flooded by mudflows immediately after the first shocks.

Number of victims: 300,000–500,000

The most destructive tropical cyclone in history that hit the territories of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and the Indian state of West Bengal on November 12, 1970. An estimated 300-500 thousand people died from it, mainly as a result of a 9 m high storm surge that flooded many low-lying islands in the Ganges delta. The sub-districts of Thani and Tazumuddin suffered the most from the cyclone, killing more than 45% of the population.

Death toll: about 900,000

This devastating flood occurred on September 28, 1887 in Henan Province, China. The reason for this was the torrential rains that had been falling here for many days. Due to the rains, the water level in the Yellow River rose and destroyed the dam, near the city of Zhengzhou. The water quickly spread throughout northern China, covering an area of ​​approximately 130,000 square kilometers. km, taking the lives of about 900 thousand people, and leaving about 2 million homeless.

Number of victims: 145,000–4,000,000

The largest natural disaster in the world is the flood in China, or rather a series of floods that occurred in 1931 in South-Central China. This catastrophe was preceded by a drought that lasted from 1928 to 1930. However, the following winter was very snowy, with a lot of rain in the spring, and during the summer months, the country suffered from heavy rains. All these facts contributed to the fact that the three largest rivers in China: the Yangtze, the Huaihe, the Yellow River overflowed their banks, taking the lives of, according to various sources, from 145 thousand to 4 million people. Also, the largest natural disaster in history caused epidemics of cholera and typhus, and also led to famine, during which cases of infanticide and cannibalism were recorded.

Sometimes it is rather difficult to assess the scale of a particular global catastrophe, because the consequences of some of them can manifest themselves many years after the incident itself.

In this article, we will present the 10 worst disasters in the world that were not caused by purposeful actions. Among them are incidents that occurred on the water, in the air, and on the ground.

Fukushima accident

The catastrophe that occurred on March 11, 2011, simultaneously combines the features of man-made and natural disasters. A massive magnitude 9 earthquake followed by a tsunami caused the Daiichi nuclear plant's power supply to fail, shutting down the cooling process for the nuclear fuel reactors.

In addition to the monstrous destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami, this incident led to serious radioactive contamination of the territory and water area. In addition, the Japanese authorities had to evacuate more than two hundred thousand people because of the high likelihood of serious illness due to exposure to severe radioactive exposure. The combination of all these consequences gives the Fukushima accident the right to be called one of the worst disasters in the world in the twenty-first century.

The total damage from the accident is estimated at $100 billion. This amount includes the costs of eliminating the consequences and paying compensation. But at the same time, we must not forget that work to eliminate the consequences of the disaster is still ongoing, which accordingly increases this amount.

In 2013, the Fukushima nuclear power plant was officially closed, and only works to eliminate the consequences of the accident are being carried out on its territory. Experts believe that it will take at least forty years to put the building and the contaminated area in order.

The consequences of the Fukushima accident are a reassessment of safety measures in nuclear energy, a fall in the cost of natural uranium, and, accordingly, a decrease in share prices of uranium mining companies.

Collision at Los Rodeos Airport

Possibly the biggest plane crash in the world occurred in the Canary Islands (Tenerife) in 1977. At Los Rodeos Airport, two Boeing 747 airliners owned by KLM and Pan American collided on the runway. As a result, 583 out of 644 people died, including both passengers and crew of airliners.

One of the main reasons for this situation was the terrorist attack at Las Palmas airport, which was staged by terrorists from the MPAIAC organization (Movimiento por la Autodeterminación e Independencia del Archipiélago Canario). The attack itself did not cause any casualties, but the airport authorities closed the airport and stopped accepting planes, fearing repeated incidents.

Because of this, Los Rodeos was overloaded, as aircraft were sent to Las Palmas, in particular two Boeing 747 flights PA1736 and KL4805. At the same time, it should be noted that the aircraft owned by Pan

American, had enough fuel to land at another airport, but the pilots obeyed the controller's order.

The collision itself was caused by fog, which severely limited visibility, as well as communication difficulties between controllers and pilots, which were caused by the heavy accent of the controllers, and the fact that the pilots constantly interrupted each other.

Collision of Doña Paz with tanker Vector

On December 20, 1987, the Philippine-registered passenger ferry Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker Vector, resulting in the world's worst peacetime water disaster.

At the time of the collision, the ferry was following its standard Manila-Catbalogan route, which it operated twice a week. On December 20, 1987, around 06:30, the Doña Paz left Tacloban and headed for Manila. At about 10:30 p.m., the ferry passed through the Strait of Tablas near Marinduque, according to surviving eyewitnesses, the weather was clear, but with rough seas.

The collision occurred after the passengers fell asleep, the ferry collided with the tanker "Vector", which was transporting gasoline and oil products. Immediately after the collision, a strong fire broke out due to the fact that oil products spilled into the sea. A strong blow and a fire almost instantly caused panic among the passengers, in addition, according to the survivors, the ferry did not have the required number of life jackets.

Only 26 people survived, of which 24 were passengers from Doña Paz and two people from the Vector tanker.

Mass poisoning in Iraq 1971

At the end of 1971, a consignment of grain treated with methylmercury was imported to Iraq from Mexico. Of course, the grain was not intended for processing into food, and was to be used only for planting. Unfortunately, the local population did not know Spanish, and accordingly all the warning signs that said "Do not eat."

It should also be noted that the grain was delivered to Iraq late, as the planting season had already passed. All this led to the fact that in some villages the grain treated with methylmercury began to be eaten.

After eating this grain, symptoms such as numbness of the limbs, loss of vision, and impaired coordination were observed. As a result of criminal negligence, about one hundred thousand people received mercury poisoning, of which about six thousand died.

This incident has led the World Health Organization to take a closer look at the circulation of grain, and began to take the labeling of potentially dangerous products more seriously.

Mass destruction of sparrows in China

Although we do not include human-caused disasters on our list, this case is an exception, because it is caused by banal stupidity and insufficient knowledge of ecology. Nevertheless, this case fully deserves the title of one of the most terrible catastrophes in the world.

As part of the economic policy of the "Great Leap Forward", a large-scale pest control was carried out, among which the Chinese authorities singled out the four most terrible - mosquitoes, rats, flies and sparrows.

Employees of the Chinese Research Institute of Zoology calculated that due to sparrows during the year the amount of grain was lost, with which it would be possible to feed about thirty-five million people. Based on this, a plan was developed to exterminate these birds, which was approved by Mao Zedong on March 18, 1958.

All peasants actively began to hunt birds. The most effective method was to keep them from sinking to the ground. To do this, adults and children shouted, beat in basins, waved poles, rags, etc. This made it possible to frighten the sparrows and prevent them from landing on the ground for fifteen minutes. As a result, the birds just dropped dead.

After a year of sparrow hunting, the harvest really increased. However, later caterpillars, locusts, and other pests that ate the shoots began to actively breed. This led to the fact that a year later, crops fell sharply, and famine set in, which led to the deaths of 10 to 30 million people.

Piper Alpha oil rig disaster

The Piper Alpha platform was built in 1975, and oil production on it started in 1976. Over time, it was converted for gas production. However, on July 6, 1988, there was a gas leak that caused an explosion.

Due to the indecisive and ill-considered actions of the personnel, 167 people died out of 226 who were on the platform.

Of course, after this event, oil and gas production on this platform was completely stopped. Insured losses amounted to about US$3.4 billion. This is one of the most famous disasters in the world associated with the oil industry.

The death of the Aral Sea

This incident is the biggest environmental disaster in the former Soviet Union. Once the Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake, after the Caspian Sea, Lake Superior in North America, Lake Victoria in Africa. Now in its place is the Aralkum desert.

The reason for the disappearance of the Aral Sea is the creation of new irrigation channels for agricultural enterprises in Turkmenistan, which took water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers. Because of this, the lake has strongly receded from the shore, which led to the exposure of the bottom covered with sea salt, pesticides and chemicals.

Due to the natural evaporation of the Aral Sea during the period from 1960 to 2007, the sea lost about a thousand cubic kilometers of water. In 1989, the reservoir split into two parts, and in 2003, the volume of water was about 10% of the original.

The result of this incident was serious changes in climate and landscape. In addition, out of 178 species of vertebrates that lived in the Aral Sea, only 38 remained;

Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion

The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform on April 20, 2010 is considered one of the largest man-made disasters in terms of negative impact on the environment. Directly from the explosion, 11 people died and 17 were injured. Two more people died during the liquidation of the consequences of the disaster.

Due to the fact that pipes were damaged from the explosion at a depth of 1500 meters, in 152 days approximately five million barrels of oil spilled into the sea, which created a slick with an area of ​​​​75 thousand kilometers, in addition, 1770 kilometers of the coast were polluted.

The oil spill endangered 400 animal species and also led to a ban on fishing

Eruption of Mont Pelee volcano

On May 8, 1902, one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in human history occurred. This incident led to the emergence of a new classification of volcanic eruptions, and changed the attitude of many scientists to volcanology.

The volcano woke up in April 1902, and within a month hot vapors and gases, as well as lava, accumulated inside. A month later, a huge grayish cloud erupted at the foot of the volcano. A feature of this eruption is that the lava came out not from the top, but from side craters that were located on the slopes. As a result of a powerful explosion, one of the main ports of the island of Martinique, the city of Saint-Pierre, was completely destroyed. The disaster claimed the lives of thirty thousand people.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis

This disaster unfolded as follows:

• Cyclone Nargis formed on April 27, 2008, in the Bay of Bengal, and initially moved towards the coast of India, in a northwesterly direction;
• On April 28, it stops moving, but the speed of the wind in spiral eddies began to increase significantly. Because of this, the cyclone began to be classified as a hurricane;
• On April 29, the wind speed reached 160 kilometers per hour, and the cyclone resumed movement, but already in a northeasterly direction;
• On May 1, the direction of the wind movement changed to the east, and at the same time the wind was constantly increasing;
• On May 2, the wind speed reached 215 kilometers per hour, and at noon it reaches the coast of the Myanmar province of Ayeyarwaddy.

According to the UN, as a result of the violence of the elements, 1.5 million people were affected, of which 90,000 died and 56,000 went missing. In addition, the large city of Yangon was seriously damaged, and many settlements were completely destroyed. Part of the country was left without telephone, Internet and electricity. The streets were littered with debris, debris from buildings and trees.

To eliminate the consequences of this catastrophe, the combined forces of many countries of the world and such international organizations as the UN, EU, UNESCO were needed.

For centuries, natural disasters have not let go of humanity. Some happened so long ago that scientists cannot estimate the extent of the destruction. For example, it is believed that the Mediterranean island of Stroggli was razed to the ground by a volcanic eruption around 1500 BC. The resulting tsunami wiped out the entire Minoan civilization, but no one knows even the approximate number of deaths. However, the 10 most devastating disasters known, mostly earthquakes and floods, killed approximately 10 million people.

10. Aleppo earthquake - 1138, Syria (Victims: 230,000)

One of the most powerful earthquakes known to mankind, and the fourth in terms of the number of victims (according to a rough estimate, 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 large geological faults, which also includes the Dead Sea depression, 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 victims and destruction shocked contemporaries, especially the western crusader knights, because then in northwestern Europe, where most of them were from, a rare city had a population of 10 thousand inhabitants. After the earthquake, the population of Aleppo recovered only by the beginning of the 19th century, when a population of 200 thousand inhabitants was again recorded in the city.

9. Indian Ocean Earthquake - 2004, Indian Ocean (Victims: 230,000+)

The third, and according to some estimates, the second largest, is the underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which took place on December 26, 2004. It caused a tsunami, which caused most of the damage. Scientists estimate the magnitude of the earthquake from 9.1 to 9.3 points. The epicenter was under water, north of Simeulue Island, northwest of Indonesian Sumatra. Huge waves reached the shores of Thailand, southern India and Indonesia. Then the height of the waves reached 15 meters. Many territories were subjected to huge destruction and casualties, including in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which is 6900 km from the epicenter. The exact number of victims is unknown, but it is estimated from 225 to 300 thousand people. It will not be possible to calculate the true figure, since many bodies were simply carried away by water into the sea. It is curious, but a few hours before the arrival of the tsunami, many animals sensitively reacted to the impending disaster - they left the coastal zones, moving to higher ground.

8. Destruction of the Banqiao Dam - 1975, China (Victims: 231,000)

There are different estimates of the number of victims of the disaster. The official figure, about 26,000, takes into account only those directly drowned in the flood itself; taking into account the deaths 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 flood in 2000 years occurred as a result 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 in an hour went 50 kilometers from the coast and reached the plains, created artificial lakes there with a total area of ​​12,000 square kilometers. Seven provinces were flooded, including thousands of square kilometers of countryside and countless communications.

7. Tangshan earthquake - 1976, China (Victims: 242,000)

The second strongest earthquake also occurred in China. On July 28, 1976, the Tangshan earthquake took place in Hebei Province. Its magnitude was 8.2, which makes it 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 magnitude of the earthquake is only 7.8. Tangshan was almost immediately destroyed by powerful aftershocks, the epicenter of which was at a depth of 22 km under 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 it was impossible to live in them. The number of victims increased due to the subsequent series of aftershocks to 7.1 points. Today in the center of Tangshan there is a stele that reminds of the terrible catastrophe, there is also an information center dedicated to those events. It is a kind of museum on this subject, 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 arranged 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 its surroundings with the waters of the Yellow River. When the water receded and the famine caused by the artificial flood ended, it turned out that out of 600,000 people in the city and its environs, only half survived. At that time, it was one of the bloodiest punitive actions in history.

5. Cyclone in India - 1839, India (Victims: 300,000+)

Although the photo of the cyclone does not belong 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 bay of the city.

4. Great Chinese earthquake - 1556 (Victims: 830,000)

In 1556, the most destructive earthquake in the history of mankind, called the Great China Earthquake, took place. It happened on January 23, 1556 in Shaanxi Province. Historians believe that the natural disaster claimed the lives of about 830 thousand people, more than any other similar event. Some areas of Shaanxi were completely depopulated, while in the rest more than half of 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 with the onset of a disaster, one 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 crumbled or cracked. During the cataclysm, the Wild Goose Pagoda located here survived, but its foundation sank by 1.6 meters.

3. Cyclone Bhola - 1970 (Victims: 500,000 - 1,000,000)

A devastating tropical cyclone that hit East Pakistan and Indian West Bengal on November 12, 1970. The deadliest tropical cyclone and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. About half a million people lost their lives as a result of the impact of the storm tide, which flooded many low-lying islands in the Ganges delta. It was the sixth storm cyclone in the 1970 northern 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 north, gaining strength. It reached its peak power on the evening of 12 November and made contact with the coastline of East Pakistan that same night. The storm surge devastated numerous offshore islands, sweeping away entire villages and destroying the region's farmlands in its wake. In the most affected area of ​​the country - upazila Tazumuddin - more than 45% of the 167,000 population died.
Political implications
The clumsy pace of the rescue effort only added to the anger and resentment in East Pakistan and fueled the local resistance movement. Subsidies were slow to arrive, transports slowly delivering much-needed funds to storm-ravaged areas. In March 1971, the tension was constantly growing, foreign specialists began to leave the province, fearing bursts of violence. In the future, the situation continued to deteriorate and escalated into a war for 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 when a natural phenomenon provoked a civil war, the subsequent external intervention of a third force and the disintegration of one country into two independent states.

2. Flood in the Yellow River Valley - 1887, China (Victims: 900,000 - 2,000,000)

One of the most terrible floods in the modern history of mankind, 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 over 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, the bubbling waters invaded the territories of cities, destroying and devastating them. In total, 600 cities along the banks of the river were affected by the flood, including the walled city of Hunan. The swift current continued to wash away fields, animals, cities and people, flooding an area 70 km wide with water up to 15 meters deep.
Water often against the wind and tide slowly flooded terrace after terrace, each of which accumulated from 12 to 100 families. Of the 10 houses, only one or two survived. Half of the buildings were hidden under water. People were lying on the roofs of houses, and the old people who did not die of hunger were dying of cold.
The tops of the poplars that once stood along the roads stuck out of the water like seaweed. Here and there strong men were held behind old trees with thick branches and called for help. In one place, a box with a dead child was nailed to a tree, which was placed there for safety by his parents. The box contained food and a note with a name on it. In another place, a family was found, all members of which had died, the child was placed on the highest place ... well covered with clothes.
The devastation and devastation left after the waters receded were simply awful. Statistics have not been able to cope with the task - to calculate. By 1889, when the Yellow River finally returned to its course, disease was added to all the misfortunes of the flood. It is estimated that half a million people died of cholera.

1. Great flood - 1931, China (Victims: 1,000,000 - 4,000,000)

The summer monsoon season of 1931 was unusually stormy. Heavy rains and tropical cyclones raged in the river basins. The dams withstood heavy rains and storms for weeks, but they eventually broke down 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. In large areas, the water did not drain from three to six months. Disease, lack of food, 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 Gaoyu in the northern province of Jiangsu. On August 26, 1931, a powerful typhoon struck the fifth largest lake in China, Gaoyu. The water level in it has already risen to a record high as a result of heavy rains in previous weeks. A squally wind raised high waves that beat 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.