Horrible tragedies claiming the lives of hundreds and thousands of people occur not only at the whim of nature but also due to human error. The victims among the population of the planet always evoke sorrow, but what catastrophes can be called the most terrifying in the history of humanity?
The first and last voyage of the Titanic
The touching film is based on quite real events. On April 15, 1912, the transatlantic steamer was supposed to transport passengers from England to the shores of the great and free America. All tickets had been sold many weeks before the liner’s departure.
The captain of the liner, Edward Smith, was so confident in the unsinkability of the ship entrusted to him that he completely ignored almost a dozen warnings about the huge number of icebergs along the Titanic’s route. The outcome was disastrous.
The liner received a breach about 100 meters long. Immediately, 5 lower compartments were damaged. The evacuation of passengers began, but here too, people faced an unpleasant surprise. There were barely enough lifeboats for a third of those who had purchased tickets. Throughout the night, more than two thousand people fought for their lives.
Only 713 of them were evacuated from the lifeboats several hours later. But the rest were much less fortunate. Together with the legendary Titanic, they sank to the ocean floor, taking with them all notions of the invincibility of the steamship builders. Interesting fact: Titanic was the largest passenger ship in the world at that time, with a length of 268 meters.
Krakatoa Volcanic Eruption
Between the fabulous islands of Sumatra and Java lies the silent witness of a terrible tragedy – the Krakatoa volcano. Almost the entire first half of 1883 saw eruptions of smoke and lava from the crater of this slumbering giant. Local residents, in their fearlessness, could only envy!
The fertile soil near the volcano allowed the cultivation of rare medicinal herbs and aromatic spices, which were valuable trade commodities. That’s why until the very end, peasants refused to leave their homes. And in August of the same year, it was already too late to think about fleeing.
Thousands of kilometers from the explosion site, terrifying crashes and the rumble of falling debris could be heard. In one second, the resulting tsunami engulfed hundreds of small islands along with their inhabitants. Minor echoes of such a powerful seismic cataclysm were heard practically all over the planet.
Somewhere visible to the naked eye. And somewhere only with the help of instruments. But the fact remains a fact. More than 36 thousand people became victims of recklessness and excessive self-confidence. For several more years, due to the remnants of pumice and dust entering the atmosphere, the sky around Krakatoa was painted in the most unusual shades. The history of Pompeii taught humanity nothing.
Technological Disaster in Chernobyl
Between the modest cities of Ukraine, Chernobyl and Pripyat, one of the most terrifying catastrophes in terms of irreversible consequences once occurred, consequences that are still not eliminated to this day.
Back in April 1986, on the night of the 26th, a powerful explosion occurred, completely destroying the 4th reactor block. Initially, the whole procedure was conceived as a planned experiment but turned into a technological disaster. Incorrect instructions from the management led to the self-destruction of the storage of a huge amount of toxic material.
The accident liquidators were informed of the seriousness of the situation only after they returned from the scene of the work. Workers at local hospitals, where the irradiated employees of the nuclear power plant were brought, were also left in the dark. It was precisely because of the extreme degree of unawareness that the number of explosion victims amounted to hundreds of thousands. People continued to die from the effects of radiation for many, many years.
One of the most terrifying disasters in the world could have been avoided, but the following actions of the Chernobyl NPP staff interfered:
- Conducting an experiment “at any cost,” despite the reactor’s condition changing;
- Disabling functional technological protections that would have simply shut down the reactor before it entered a dangerous mode.
Collision of Aircraft over Tenerife in 1977
The tiny by modern standards airport on the tropical island of Tenerife became a real hell for hundreds of people literally within a few hours. A terrorist attack occurred in a large airport terminal nearby, and all nearby aircraft were redirected in various directions. Two large airliners ended up in Los Rodeos on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
Usually, only small local planes land there. Authorities learned about the upcoming landing of the Boeing planes just a couple of minutes before their arrival. Returning passengers back to Los Rodeos proved to be not so simple. It took several hours to clear the aftermath of the explosion. Passengers and crews of both large liners were under constant tension during this time.
As a result, this situation led to the crew of the KLM aircraft ignoring instructions to wait and initiating takeoff. At the same time, the Pan American aircraft was crossing the runway, awaiting its turn to take off. The collision occurred due to dense fog, which hindered visibility.
Initially, all fire crews arriving at the scene were convinced that the fire occurred only in the KLM aircraft. That’s why passengers of the second Boeing remained without any support for a long time, enduring the consequences of the terrible collision on their own. In a situation where every minute counted, precious time was lost. Nearly 600 people became victims of the tragedy!
Abnormal Heatwave in Europe in 2003
By August 10, 2003, Europe had set an absolute temperature record, previously set by scientists only 500 years ago. And then it became clear how devastating these climate anomalies are for all of humanity!
The harvest obtained from the fields of France, Germany, Belgium, and other countries was 60% less than in any other, even the least productive year. And the mortality rate in France alone was 300% higher than during any previous drought.
The governments of many countries were not prepared for such a large number of citizens simultaneously seeking medical attention. And the number of ambulance cars was criminally tiny.
All these factors led to the deaths of more than 20,000 people, dying either simply on the street, under the scorching sun, or within the walls of hospitals. It became clear that nature can bring anything, and the authorities are absolutely unprepared for it.