History
Historic Train Disasters
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Disaster↕ | Location↕ | Year↕ | Deaths (est.)↕ | Cause↕ | Notes↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bihar train disaster | Bihar, India | 1981 | 800 | Cyclone derailment into river | Train blown off bridge into the Bagmati River during a cyclone, deadliest rail disaster in history |
Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment | Savoie, France | 1917 | 700 | Brake failure on steep grade | Overloaded WWI troop train careened down Alpine gradient and burst into flames |
Ciurea rail disaster | Ciurea, Romania | 1917 | 600 | Overloaded train, brake failure | WWI refugee and troop train derailed and caught fire, Romania's worst rail disaster |
Balvano train disaster | Balvano, Italy | 1944 | 520 | Carbon monoxide poisoning in tunnel | Freight train with stowaways stalled in Armi tunnel, passengers asphyxiated by locomotive fumes |
Awash rail disaster | Awash, Ethiopia | 1985 | 428 | Derailment into ravine | Train plunged from bridge during high-speed curve, deadliest African rail disaster |
Guadalajara train disaster | Guadalajara, Mexico | 1915 | 600 | Runaway on mountain grade | Mexican Revolution era troop and refugee train lost brakes descending from Guadalajara |
Ufa train disaster | Ufa, USSR | 1989 | 575 | Gas pipeline explosion | LPG cloud from leaking pipeline ignited as two passenger trains passed, massive fireball |
Torre del Bierzo rail disaster | Leon, Spain | 1944 | 200 | Triple collision in tunnel | Express train, mail train and coal train collided inside tunnel with fire, toll likely undercounted by Franco regime |
Eschede derailment | Eschede, Germany | 1998 | 101 | Wheel fatigue failure | ICE high-speed train derailed at 200 km/h and slammed into a bridge, Germany's deadliest peacetime rail accident |
Granville rail disaster | Sydney, Australia | 1977 | 83 | Derailment under bridge | Commuter train derailed and hit bridge pillars, causing bridge collapse onto carriages |
Clapham Junction rail crash | London, UK | 1988 | 35 | Faulty signal wiring | Three-train collision during morning rush hour, led to major UK rail safety reforms |
Amagasaki derailment | Amagasaki, Japan | 2005 | 107 | Excessive speed on curve | JR West rapid service derailed into apartment block, Japan's worst rail disaster since 1963 |
Tangiwai disaster | Tangiwai, New Zealand | 1953 | 151 | Lahar wrecked bridge | Volcanic mudflow from Mount Ruapehu destroyed bridge moments before Wellington-Auckland express arrived |
Ryongchon disaster | Ryongchon, North Korea | 2004 | 162 | Ammonium nitrate explosion | Two freight trains carrying explosives and fuel collided, leveled surrounding town |
Viareggio train derailment | Viareggio, Italy | 2009 | 32 | LPG tanker derailment and fire | Freight train carrying liquefied gas derailed in station, fireball engulfed nearby homes |
Lac-Megantic rail disaster | Quebec, Canada | 2013 | 47 | Runaway oil train, brake failure | Unattended crude oil train rolled into town center, exploded and destroyed downtown Lac-Megantic |
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