Top 10 Tragic Accidents in History by Yoshke Dimen

Accidents happen. Whether it’s just a young girl choking on her hotdog sandwich or a major unintentional nuclear explosion, accidents have a way of sneaking up on people when we least expect them.
All over the planet, countless accidents happen every minute. In fact, next to diseases and other health problems, it is the second leading cause of death throughout the world. Some accidents occur on the individual level like a simple tripping on your toe. Others are so huge that they claim thousands of lives and create significant impact on the society.

This is a list of the world’s most tragic accidents in history. Bear in mind that the items here are not sorted by death toll. Ultimately, these devastating moments in history affected the world and changed how we see and deal with our lives. Note that this list does not include events that were caused by deliberate violence or natural disasters.


10. THE BIHAR TRAIN DISASTER

Bihar, India, 1981
268 dead, 300 missing

June 6, 1981 is an unforgettable day for the people of Bihar, India. On this day, a passenger train carrying more than 500 passengers and travelling between Saharsa and Mansi derailed and plunged into the Bagmati river. It is considered India’s most tragic railway disaster. The real cause of the accident is still uncertain but many believe that it was one of the three: a cyclone, flash flooding and, believe it or not, brake failure while avoiding to hit a water buffalo. Yes, a kalabaw.

Many people believe that the worst train tragedy in recorded history is the “Queen of the Sea�? disaster in Sri Lanka. But since it was caused by a tsunami, which is a force of nature, it is intentionally excluded from the list.

9. THE TENERIFE COLLISION

                               

                     Canary Islands, Spain, 1977 583 dead

Boeing 747 airliners (Pan American World Airways Flight 1763 and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 4805) collided at Los Rodeos on the island of Tenerife, killing 583 people. KLM 4805 was taking off on the airport’s only runway when it crashed into Pan Am 1736, taxiing on the same runway. A massive explosion happened, followed by a huge ball of fire. The sound was heard throughout the island.

8. THE SINKING OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS

                       Philippine Sea, 1945 579+ dead

A few weeks before the end of World War II, the USS Indianapolis, a US Navy Portland-class heavy cruiser carrying 1196 men, was en route to Leyte in the Philippines from Guam. They never made it to the Philippines. The cruiser sank completely 12 minutes after a torpedo from a Japanese submarine hit it.

You might be thinking that this should not be included in this list because war is definitely an act of deliberate violence; however, it is not the sinking per se. Only around 300 people were trapped on it. A total of 896 men were able to leave the ship. In fact, they were able to call for rescue a number of times but it was denied because it was thought to be sent by a Japanese submarine setting them up for a trap.

The poor sailors stayed floating in the middle of the ocean for more than four days. Without any food and water, some were tempted to drink seawater which sentenced them to dehydration. Many perished because of this.

What was more terrifying was that it was shark-infested. For four days, they were floating in the open sea and every three to four hours, sharks would attack and prey on them. For four days, they were waiting to be rescued while silk sharks, blue sharks and oceanic whitetip sharks in groups of 120 to 150 would have a feast. Of the 896 who survived the sinking of the ship, only 317 were alive when they were finally rescued.

Although sharks played a significant part in this incredibly traumatic tragedy, it wouldn’t have happened had they not ignored the distress calls. It still boils down to human error, making it one of the most tragic accidents in Naval history.

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