World’s worst industrial disasters
INDIA
Date: Dec. 2 to 3, 1984
Location: Plant in Bhopal, India
Source: Dangerous gas escaped from Union Carbide plant
Casualty count: 15,000 to 20,000 dead
UKRAINE
Date: April 26, 1986
Location: Nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine
Source: Reactor meltdown at the nuclear plant
Casualty count: 4,000 to 9,000 people dead
CANADA
Date: Dec. 6, 1917
Location: Halifax harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada
Source: French ammunition ship Mont Blanc and the chartered
Belgian steamer Imo collided
Casualty count: Almost 2,000 dead
CHINA
Date: April 26, 1942
Location: Mine in Benxi, China
Source: Gas and coal dust explosion
Casualty count: 1,549 dead
FRANCE
Date: March 10, 1906
Location: Mine in Courrieres, Northern France
Source: Smoke and toxic gas explosion
Casualty count: 1,099 dead
USA
Date: April 16, 1947
Location: Port of Texas City
Source: Ship loaded with ammonium nitrate docked erupted in flames
Casualty count: 576 dead
GERMANY
Date: Sept. 21, 1921
Location: Plant in Oppau (now Ludwigshafen), Germany
Source: 4,500 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and ammonium sulphate exploded
Casualty count: 500 to 600 dead, 2,000 were injured
RUSSIA
Date: June 3, 1989
Location: Trans-Siberian railway in Soviet Union
Source: Gas pipeline explosion that destroyed two passenger trains
Casualty count: At least 500 dead
USA
Date: March 1911
Location: Factory in Greenwich Village, New York City
Source: Fire broke out at the factory
Casualty count: 146 dead
CHINA
Date: June 3, 2013
Location: Poultry processing plant in Northeast China
Source: Fire in the plant
Casualty count: 119 dead, 54 injured
Compiled by Inquirer Research
Sources: CNN, NYTimes, Huffingtonpost
