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

Read more...