As a result of industrialization and industrial development at the beginning of the 20th century, large-scale construction of ships with large displacement powered by steam engines began in the leading countries of the world. Huge ones descended onto the water passenger ships, the capacity of which was measured in thousands of seats.

Steam engines made it possible to travel long distances around the world. Replacing the wooden hull with a steel one made the materials cheaper and stronger, thereby providing shipbuilding with all the necessary resources. But despite the improvement in the quality of shipbuilding, ships sank no less often than in the 18th or 19th centuries, only the scale of shipwrecks was more global due to the number of victims. This article will tell you about the largest maritime disasters in history.

In 10th place in terms of the number of victims is the Kursk submarine, which sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000. The reason is the explosion of a torpedo in the torpedo compartment, however, according to the unofficial version, the Kursk was attacked by the US Navy - the Memphis submarine. There is an opinion that the Russian government deliberately concealed the American attack in order to avoid international conflict. 118 people became victims. No one survived.

Collision of the Admiral Nakhimov airliner

9th place. The collision of the Soviet liner Admiral Nakhimov with the dry cargo ship Pyotr Vasev on August 31, 1986 in the Black Sea. Both captains were convicted. The captain of the ship "Petr Vasev", trusting the automated radar course plotting (CAD) system, did not change direction and speed until the critical distance from the "Admiral Nakhimov" was found. Another important factor is that the ship captains could not establish communication with each other before agreeing on who should yield to whom. A cargo ship rammed a passenger ship at an angle of 110 degrees. In 8 minutes, “Admiral Nakhimov” plunged under water. 423 crew members were killed.

8th place is occupied by the Novorossiysk, a Soviet battleship received by the USSR through reparations from the Italian navy. On October 29, 1955, the ship "Novorossiysk" was sunk by a mine in the Black Sea, however, there is a version, classified by the Soviet Union, according to which the battleship exploded as a result of the action of Italian sabotage groups. The Italian government did not want to leave the pride of the national fleet in the hands of the enemy, so they staged sabotage on the Novorossiysk. As a result of the disaster, 604 crew members died.

In 7th place is the American ship Eastland, which sank on July 24, 1915 on Lake Michigan. The tourist ship was designed to carry 1,000 passengers, but only 2,500 tickets were sold on board. After the captain ordered the mooring line to be released, the ship slowly fell to starboard and the passengers began to panic. The overcrowded passenger steamer collapsed on the left side, from the overflowing cargo in the form of an extra one and a half thousand passengers. 845 people died. According to the court decision, the mechanic was to blame for unevenly filling the ballasts.

6th place goes to the ferry "Estonia", which sank on September 28, 1994 in Gulf of Finland. At 1:15 a.m., the ferry's bow visor came off, causing water to enter the cargo hold. In 35 minutes, the Estonia completely sank. The tragedy killed 852 people.

Shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland

In 5th place is the shipwreck of the giant luxury steamer Empress of Ireland, which collided with a cargo ship filled with coal on May 29, 1914. The ship "Storstad" was rammed passenger airliner to starboard at an angle of 35 degrees. The hole was five meters deep in the Empress of Ireland. After the collision, the captain of the passenger ship shouted into the loudspeaker of the commander of the cargo ship: “Give full speed forward,” but the captain of the Storstad said: “The engines are running backwards at full power, I can’t do anything.” A few minutes later, the cargo ship pulled back, removing the bow from the side of the Empress of Island, and water poured through a hole measuring 30 square meters. m. The steamer sank. 1012 passengers died.

4th place is occupied by the disaster that occurred when the passenger liner Titanic collided with a huge block of ice on April 14, 1912. The cause of the ship's wreck is insufficient visibility and the carelessness of the captain, who ignored 7 ice warnings and ordered the ship to be put into full swing. 23:39 the observer reported from the tower that an iceberg had been discovered directly ahead. The captain ordered to deviate to the left side, thereby putting the right side under attack. Through the hole, water began to flow into the ship's compartments. Panic began on the ship; third class passengers in the lower compartments were unable to find a way out of the narrow corridors. As a result of the crash, 1,496 people died, 712 survivors were picked up by the passing steamer Carpathia.

In 3rd place is the ferry "Yoola", which sank off the coast of Gambia on September 26, 2002. The cause of the crash is the ship's overload. The ship, designed for 580 passengers, accommodated more than 2,000 people. A strong gust of wind overturned the overloaded ferry. "Yoola" took 1863 people with it to the bottom.

In 2nd place is the French military vessel Mont Blanc, which collided with by a Norwegian ship"Imo" December 6, 1917 in the port of Halifax. On board the Mont Blanc there were 2,300 tons of powerful chemical explosives. The Norwegian ship rammed the Frenchman into the starboard side, resulting in an accident. powerful explosion before the nuclear age. The port was completely destroyed by the explosion. 1,963 people died and 2,000 were missing.

1st place in the ranking of the most global maritime disasters is occupied by the Dona Paz ferry, which collided with an oil tanker on December 20, 1987. A major fire begins, most of the passengers, trapped in the fire, burned alive on the lower decks of the ship. Eighty tons of oil spilled into the sea and ignited. Both ships sank within 20 minutes. The reason is the inexperience of the sailor operating the Dona Paz ferry, whose captain was watching TV in his cabin during the collision with the oil tanker. 4,375 people died.

11/07/2011

The sinking of the motor ship "Bulgaria" claimed the lives of dozens of people, and made us think once again about the safety of river and sea transport. Most people are only familiar with the tragedy of the Titanic, about which many films have been made and many stories have been told.

N oh, strangely enough, it wasn’t the Titanic that took the most to the bottom a large number of human lives. This ranking lists the most terrible shipwrecks throughout history and is based on those who died in these disasters. It is worth noting that all these disasters occurred in peacetime.

1. Dona Paz - 4,375 dead

Passenger ferry registered in the Philippines. Sank on December 20, 1987 after a collision with the tanker Vector. An estimated 4,375 people were killed, making it the worst peacetime maritime disaster. The ferry was built in 1963 at the Japanese shipyard Onomichi Zosen, Onomichi, and was named Himeuri Maru. The Himeuri Maru was owned by the Ryukyu Kaiun Kaisa Company and cruised Japanese waters with a capacity of 608 passengers. In 1975, the ship was sold to Sulpicio Lines, a Philippine passenger ferry operator, and was named Don Sulphico and later Doña Paz. A month before the collision, the ferry was being repaired at the docks. During Don's confrontation, Paz performed twice a week Passenger Transportation along the route Manila-Tacloban-Catbalogan-Manila-Catbalogan-Tacloban-Manila.

2. Halifax explosion - 1,950 dead

The Halifax Explosion was an explosion that occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, in Halifax Harbour. As a result of a strong explosion of the French military transport Mont Blanc, loaded with explosives, which occurred as a result of the collision of the Mont Blanc with the Norwegian ship Imo, the port and a significant part of the city were completely destroyed. About 2 thousand people died as a result of the explosion, under the rubble of buildings, and due to fires that arose after the explosion. Approximately 9 thousand people were injured.

3. Joola - 1,863 dead

A Senegalese government ferry that capsized off the coast of The Gambia on September 26, 2002. The disaster resulted in the deaths of at least 1,863 people. On September 26, 2002, the ferry Yoola sailed from Ziguinchor in the Casamance region on one of its regular trips to the capital of Senegal, Dakar. During the voyage, the ship, designed to carry about 580 passengers, accommodated about 2,000 people. Along the way, the ship capsized due to strong winds off the coast of Gambia. Detailed reports show that this happened in less than five minutes.

4. Sultana - 1,800 dead

The steamship Sultana, sailing along the Mississippi River, was destroyed as a result of the explosion of one of its four boilers on April 27, 1865. This resulted in the greatest maritime disaster in United States history. Approximately 1,800 of the 2,400 passengers on board were killed. The steamship sank near Memphis, Tennessee.

5. Titanic - 1,517 dead

Titanic is a British steamship of the White Star Line, one of three twin ships of the Olympic class. The largest passenger airliner in the world at the time of its construction. During its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, it collided with an iceberg and sank 2 hours and 40 minutes later. There were 1,316 passengers and 892 crew members on board, for a total of 2,208 people. The Titanic disaster became legendary and was one of the largest shipwrecks in history. Several feature films have been shot based on its plot.

6. Empress of Ireland - 1,012 dead

The Empress of Ireland is a Canadian passenger liner laid down at the Govan shipyard, near Glasgow (Scotland). Launched in January 1906, she underwent sea trials until June 27, 1906. One of the largest ships of its class, owned by the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. Made flights between England and Canada. The comfort of the premises, the high speed of the vessel, as well as excellent service on board the liner have made it popular among those who want to cross Atlantic Ocean. During her next voyage on May 29, 1914, the Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian coal carrier Storstadt on the St. Lawrence River and sank 14 minutes later at a depth of more than 40 meters. It carried 1,477 people on board (420 crew and 1,057 passengers).

7. Estonia - 852 dead

The ferry Estonia was built in 1979 in Germany at the Meyer Werft shipyard in the city of Papenburg. "Estonia" sank on the night of September 27 to September 28, 1994. In this case, 852 people died out of 1049 on board. The ferry was originally built for the company " Viking line" and was named "Viking Sally". It was supposed to run between Turku, Mariehamn and Stockholm. In 1986 it was sold to Silja Line and renamed Silja Star, keeping it on its original route. In 1991, the ferry was operated by Wasa Line, which was wholly owned by Silja Line, and the ferry, now under the name Wasa King, began running between the Finnish city of Vaasa and the Swedish city of Umeå. In January 1993, to provide ferry service between Tallinn and Stockholm, the Swedish company Nordström & Thulin and the Estonian state-owned Estonian Shipping Company (“Estonian Shipping Company”, abbreviated as “ESCO”) created a joint venture “Estline” (“Estonian Shipping Company”). EstLine A/S), which acquired the ferry Wasa King, renaming it Estonia.

8. Eastland - 845 dead

It was a passenger ship based in Chicago. It was used for excursions to the Great Lakes. The ship sank on July 24, 1915 as a result of a natural disaster. It became the worst shipwreck disaster in the Great Lakes region.

9. Birkenhead - 460 dead

Birkenhead is a ferry built specifically for the Royal Navy. She was designed as a frigate, but was later intended to transport troops. On February 26, 1852, while transporting troops, the ship crashed off the coast of Cape Town in South Africa.

10. Mary Rose - 400 dead

Mary Rose was a three-decker flagship of the English navy under King Henry VIII Tudor. This massive carrack was launched at Portsmouth in 1510. It was probably named after the French queen Mary Tudor (the king's sister) and the rose as the heraldic symbol of the House of Tudor. During the Italian Wars, the Mary Rose was commanded by brother admirals Edward and Thomas Howard. In 1512, the Mary Rose took part in the attack on Brest. In 1528 and 1536 it was modernized: the number of guns was increased to 91, the displacement was increased to 700 tons. In 1545, the French king Francis I landed on the Isle of Wight. The British sent 80 ships, led by the Mary Rose, to the Solent to defend the island. Overloaded with artillery, the karakka, which had never been distinguished by stability, suddenly began to list and sank along with Admiral George Carew. Only 35 sailors managed to escape. By the way, the remains of this ship were found, and now they are stored in maritime museum city ​​of Portsmouth .

optopus.ucoz.ru, photo from pajamasmedia.com

Ship disasters: 7 largest tragedies (photos, videos) © wikimedia.org

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MV WILHELM GUSTLOFF

• Death toll: 9400
• Date of disaster: January 30, 1945
  

Wilhelm Gustloff © wikimedia.org

The wreck of the liner was and remains the most tragic in the history of navigation. On board the ship there was the most luxurious infrastructure, including Hitler’s personal apartments. The liner was a symbol of the greatness of the Third Reich, was considered not floodable and met all the latest technical requirements. In 1945, most people were forced to flee from the territory of East Prussia from the advance of the Red Army. On January 30, 1945, the crew of the ship simply could not count all the passengers, the number of which exceeded 10,000. At 21:16, the Soviet submarine S-13, commanded by Alexander Marinesko, fired the first torpedo at the ship Wilhelm Gustloff. In total, the German ship was hit by three torpedoes. Some of the passengers died from explosions, some drowned in the cabins of the lower decks, and the survivors rushed to lifeboats. Due to the created panic and crush, another part of the passengers died. Mostly women and children. The ship sank in less than 45 minutes.

MV DOÑA PAZ

• Death toll: more than 4300
  
• Date of disaster: December 20, 1987
  

Dona Paz © wikimedia.org

This number of casualties makes it the largest peacetime crash in history. For more than two decades, it regularly transported people, cruising along the coasts of the Philippines and Japan. Colliding with the tanker, the ferry literally broke in half. The collision occurred late at night and led to a fire, and life jackets were locked, forcing passengers to jump into the burning water, which was also infested with sharks.

RMS LUSITANIA

• Death toll: 1198
• Date of disaster: May 7, 1915
  

Lusitania © wikimedia.org

On May 7, 1915, the huge four-pipe English passenger ship Lusitania, on a voyage from New York to Liverpool, was attacked by the German submarine U-20 not far from south coast Ireland. 18 minutes after the explosion, the Lusitania was completely submerged in water.

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RMS LANCASTRIA

• Death toll: 4000
• Date of disaster: June 17, 1940
  

Lancastria © wikimedia.org

An ocean liner built in 1920 for the Cunard Line. Since the beginning of the Second World War it was used as a military transport. On June 17, 1940, she was sunk by German aircraft off the coast of France.

RMS EMPRESS OF IRELAND

• Death toll: 1012 people
• Date of disaster: May 29, 1914
  

Empress of Ireland © wikimedia.org

This Canadian liner sank in the St. Lawrence River after colliding with a Norwegian freighter on May 29, 1914, due to heavy fog.

Cap Arcona © wikimedia.org

The luxury motor ship is named after Cape Arkona on the island of Rügen. On May 3, 1945, just before Germany surrendered in World War II, the ship was sunk by British bombers. Most of the people on board, mostly concentration camp prisoners, died.

No matter how far scientific and technological progress strides, catastrophes have happened, are happening and, probably, will happen for a long time to come. 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.

Worst plane crash ever

Collision of two Boeing 747s

Mankind does not know a more terrible plane crash than the one that occurred on March 27, 1977 on the island of Tenerife, belonging to the Canary group. On this day, two Boeing 747s collided at Los Rodeo Airport, one of which belonged to KLM, the other to Pan American. This terrible tragedy claimed 583 lives. The reasons that led to this disaster is a fatal and paradoxical combination of circumstances.

Los Rodeos airport this ill-fated Sunday was seriously overloaded. The dispatcher spoke with a strong Spanish accent, and 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 formed in the Pan American aircraft. Another Boeing lost its wings and tail, causing it to fall 150 meters from the crash site, after which it was dragged for another 300 meters. Both flying cars caught fire.

There were 248 passengers on board the Boeing KLM, none of whom survived. The Pan American plane was the site of the death of 335 people, including the entire crew, as well as the famous model and actress Yves Meyer.

The worst of man-made disasters

On July 6, 1988, the worst disaster in 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 annoying thing is that the number of victims could be much less if it were 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 start of the accident, the service personnel waited for the command from the management.

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 touched upon, the movie Titanic involuntarily comes to mind. Moreover, such a disaster 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 considered to be 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 knocked out a ship that could accommodate almost 9,000 passengers.

This, at that time, the perfect product of shipbuilding, was made in 1938. It seemed unsinkable and contained 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 swim half the planet without refueling. The ingenious creation could not sink without outside interference. And it happened in the person of the crew of the S-13 submarine, commanded by A. I. Marinesko. Three torpedoes were fired at the legendary ship. In a matter of minutes he found himself in the depths of the waters Baltic Sea. All crew members were killed, including about 8,000 representatives of the German military elite who were evacuated from Danzig.

The crash of the Wilhelm Gustloff (video)

The greatest environmental tragedy

Shrunken Aral Sea

Among all environmental disasters, the leading place is occupied by the drying up of the Aral Sea. In their better times it was the fourth largest among all the lakes in the world.

The disaster occurred due to the unreasonable use of water, which was used to water gardens and fields. The shrinkage was due to the ill-considered political ambitions and actions of the leaders of those times.

Gradually, the coast line moved far inland, which led to the extinction of most species of flora and fauna. In addition, droughts began to increase, the climate changed significantly, navigation became impossible, and more than sixty people were left without work.

Where did the Aral Sea disappear: strange symbols on the dried bottom (VIDEO)

Nuclear disaster

What could be worse than a nuclear catastrophe? 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 in April morning.

Chernobyl 1986

This tragedy claimed several hundred lives of tow trucks, thousands died over the next ten years. And how many people were forced to leave their homes, only God knows ...

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.

The level of radiation in this region is 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 Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation crashed

The crash of the Tu-154 of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Not so long ago, there was a crash of a Tu-154 aircraft of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, heading to Syria. It claimed the lives of 64 talented artists of the Alexandrov Ensemble, nine well-known leading TV channels, the head of a charitable organization - the famous Doctor Lisa, eight military men, two civil servants, and all crew members. In total in this terrible plane crash 92 people died.

On this tragic morning in December 2016, the plane refueled at Adler, but crashed unexpectedly shortly after takeoff. The investigation was conducted for a long time, because it was necessary to know what was the cause of the Tu-154 crash.

The commission investigating the causes of the accident, among the circumstances that led to the disaster, called the overload of the aircraft, crew fatigue and the low professional level of training and organization of the flight.

The results of the investigation of the Tu-154 crash of the Ministry of Defense of Russia (VIDEO)

Submarine "Kursk"

Submarine "Kursk"

The crash of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, which killed 118 people on board, occurred in 2000 in the Barents Sea. This is the second largest accident in the history of the Russian submarine fleet after the B-37 disaster.

On August 12, as planned, preparations began for mock attacks. The last recorded 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 associated with the inclusion of the antenna of the radar station. After that, the captain of the boat did not get in touch anymore. At 23.00 the situation on the submarine was declared as emergency, which was reported to the leadership of the fleet and the country. On the morning of the next day, as a result of search work, 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)

The crash of the ship "Admiral Nakhimov"

The crash of the passenger ship "Admiral Nakhimov" occurred in August 1981 near Novorossiysk. There were 1234 people on board the ship, 423 of whom lost their lives on that ill-fated 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 Pyotr 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 port side and thus went down to the water.

Almost a thousand people ended up in the water, who, moreover, got dirty with fuel oil and paint. Eight minutes after the collision, the ship sank.

Steamboat Admiral Nakhimov: the wreck of the ship - Russian Titanic (VIDEO)

Oil platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico

The most terrible ecological disasters in the world in 2010, another one was added, which happened in the Gulf of Mexico, eighty km from Louisiana. This is one of the most dangerous man-made accidents for the environment. It happened on April 20 at the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.

As a result of pipe rupture, about five million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

A 75,000 sq. km, which is 5% of its total area. The disaster took the lives of 11 people, 17 were injured.

Catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico (VIDEO)

The crash of the Concordia

On January 14, 2012, the list of the most terrible incidents in the world was replenished with one more. Near Italian Tuscany a cruise ship The Costa Concordia ran into a rock ledge, resulting in 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 sink into the water, then it was thrown onto the shallows 1 km from the crash site. There were more than 4,000 people on the ship, who were evacuated all night, but not everyone was saved: 32 people still died and a hundred were injured.

Costa Concordia - the crash through the eyes of eyewitnesses (VIDEO)

Krakatoa eruption in 1883

Natural disasters show how insignificant and helpless we are before the phenomena of nature. But all the most terrible 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 over the Krakatoa volcano. At that moment, even at a distance of 160 kilometers from him, the windows of houses trembled. All nearby islands were covered with a thick layer of dust and pumice.

The eruptions continued until 27 August. The last explosion was the climax, as a result of which sound waves passed, several times rounded the entire planet. On the ships sailing in the Sunda Strait at that moment, the compasses stopped showing correctly.

These explosions submerged the entire northern part of the island. Sea bottom as a result of the eruptions it rose. A lot of ash from the volcano remained in the atmosphere for another two to three years.

The tsunami, whose height was thirty meters, washed away about three hundred settlements, claimed the lives of 36,000 people.

The most powerful eruption of Krakatau Volcano (VIDEO)

Earthquake in Spitak in 1988

On December 7, 1988, the list of "The best disasters in the world" was replenished with another one that occurred in the Armenian Spitak. On this tragic day, tremors literally wiped out this city from the face of the earth in just half a minute, destroyed 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 hit by a force of nine, and Kirovakan by an force of eight, and almost the rest of Armenia was hit by a force of six. Seismologists have calculated that during this earthquake energy was released, corresponding to the strength of ten exploding atomic bombs. The wave that this tragedy caused was recorded by scientific laboratories almost all over the world.

This natural disaster took away 25,000 lives, 140,000 health, and 514,000 roofs over their heads. Forty percent of the industry of the republic is out of order, schools, hospitals, theaters, museums, houses of culture, roads and railways are destroyed.

The military, doctors, public figures of the whole country and abroad, both near and far, were called to help. Humanitarian aid was actively collected all over the world. Tents, field kitchens and first-aid posts were deployed throughout the area affected by the tragedy.

The saddest and most instructive thing in this situation is that the scale and victims of this terrible disaster could have been many times smaller if seismic activity of this region was taken into account and all buildings were erected taking these features into account. The unpreparedness of rescue services also contributed.

Tragic days: earthquake in Spitak (VIDEO)

2004 tsunami Indian Ocean - Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka

In December 2004, a devastating tsunami caused by an underwater earthquake hit the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and other countries. Huge waves devastated the area and brought the death of 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 per population, in addition, children are physically weaker and less able to resist water than an adult.

Aceh in Indonesia suffered the most losses. Almost all the buildings there were destroyed, 168,000 people died.

Geographically, this earthquake was simply huge. Moved up to 1200 kilometers of rock. The shift occurred in two phases with an interval of two to three minutes.

The number of victims turned out to be so high because along the entire coast Indian Ocean there was no general warning system.

There is nothing worse than disasters and tragedies that deprive people of life, shelter, health, destroy industry and everything that a person has worked 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 an evacuation plan and a warning system in advance 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 thousands of years, ships have sunk during war, natural disasters, and in some cases even due to human error. The ten largest and most famous shipwrecks that have ever occurred have been revealed.

The Titanic sailed from Southampton to New York, where it hit an iceberg and sank after 2 hours and 40 minutes. Its body, divided into two parts, lies on seabed, at a depth of more than 3700 meters.

Sultana

Almost forgotten, but one of the deadliest disasters. More than 1,800 people died during the sinking of this ship. It was the greatest maritime disaster in all of American history. The explosion of four boilers turned the ship into a huge fireball, consuming everyone and everything. The explosion killed 80% of everyone on board. The disaster took a back seat in the press due to the fact that President Lincoln was assassinated just the day before. . The ship was designed for only 85 passengers, but there were approximately 2,400 people on board. Its wreckage lies near Memphis, Tennessee.

L.R. Doty

This ship was launched in 1894 in Michigan, in western Bay City. It was caught in a terrible storm, which caused its sinking, killing all 17 crew members on board. The wreck site was found 111 years after the sinking of the ship. It is located at a depth of 92 meters in Lake Michigan; the cargo of corn is still intact. Due to the murky water, this place is considered one of the most dangerous dive sites.

Oriskany

Nicknamed the Mighty O, the ship was one of 24 huge Essex-class ships ordered by the US Navy. The ship has seen many battles in many places, ranging from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to the Vietnam War. . The ship was converted into an artificial reef in 2004 and has become a very successful home for millions of fish. Today it is considered one of best places for diving in the world.

Jula

The sinking of this ship is considered the second worst maritime disaster unrelated to the war. The disaster claimed at least 1,863 lives. The ship was designed to carry 500 passengers, but at the time of the accident it was carrying more than 2,000 passengers. The ship capsized after being caught in a storm. It sank in just five minutes. Rescue teams arrived only the morning after the incident; a huge number of victims died in the water awaiting rescue. The ship is still considered missing.

Vida Galli

This ship has a very interesting story. It was primarily used for the slave trade, but then in late February 1717, a pirate named "Black Sam" Bellamy seized the ship and claimed it as his own. During the year he owned the ship, he used the Vida Galli to capture and plunder more than 50 ships. The ship was caught in a strong storm, as a result of which its main mast collapsed and it capsized, dragging all the pirates under the water. The ship was discovered more than 250 years after it disappeared along with its loot. It was at a depth of only 5 meters. It was the first real pirate ship ever discovered.

Rhone

This is quite possibly the most beautiful shipwreck in the world. British packet boat wrecked off the coast of Salt Island, British Virgin Islands, October 26, 1867. The ship went straight into a hurricane, which damaged it and caused the death of 123 people. Now this is a place for diving, and, I must say, absolutely stunning in beauty. Wildlife has taken the ship into its possession, and now it is covered with corals, eels, different types of fish and even sharks live in it.

Costa Concordia

Most last crash cruise ship. Although the ship only partially sank, the disaster cost the lives of 34 passengers. The crash was widely reported in the press. Captain Schettino tried to make a spectacular maneuver into the port. To do this, he turned off the ship's navigation system, which reported how close the ship was to the rock shoal. The ship hit a large rock and water began to fill the ship, causing it to capsize. The "Costa Concordia" is still located in the area of ​​Giglia Island, Tuscany, and has become a popular tourist attraction; Plans are now being developed to lift and tow it.

Mont Blanc

The Mont Blanc became known as the ship that caused the Halifax explosion. The ship was heading to France from New York and was carrying a huge amount of ammunition and explosives. The ship was not too old, but was very slow due to the weight of the cargo it was carrying. It called at Halifax, Nova Scotia, to rendezvous with a convoy bound for France. While entering the port, the ship crashed into another ship, the Imo. The collision caused a fire and the explosives on board ignited. The force of the explosion was 2.9 kilotons, the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. More than 2,000 people were killed and 9,000 wounded.

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes is very popular among divers because wildlife and landscapes that emerged from the shipwreck. The ship lies in a large harbor and can be seen at water level. The ship was damaged near Cove Island in August 1885. Luckily, he was brought back to port by the small tug Jessie. The schooner was seriously damaged and could not be repaired, so it sank in the port itself. Fortunately, a huge load of coal was lifted from the side of the sunken ship.