List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll
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List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll is a list of major disasters (excluding acts of war) which occurred in the United Kingdom or involved UK citizens, in a definable incident, where the loss of life exceeded 40.
Contents |
[edit] 500 or more fatalities
- 800,000 – Black Death epidemic, 1347–1350 [estimate]
- 750,000 – Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849) [estimate]
- 225,000 – Spanish Flu epidemic, September–November 1918 [estimate]
- 100,000 – Great Irish Famine (1740-1741) [estimate awaiting confirmation]
- 60,000 – Great Plague of London, 1665 [estimate]
- 12,000 – Great Smog of 1952, London [estimate]
- 8,000 – Great Storm of 1703, English Channel, 26 November 1703 [estimate]
- 5,000+ – Great Famine of 1315-1317 [conjectured British Isles deaths]
- 3,500+ – 1782 Atlantic hurricane - Fleet of Admiral Graves scattered off Newfoundland. Loss of HMS Ramillies, HMS Centaur, storeships Dutton and British Queen, captured French prize ships, the Ville de Paris, Glorieux, Hector and Caton, plus other merchantmen from a convoy of 94 ships. September 1782.
- 3,000 – London fire and panic, July 1212 [Source for fatalities is Guinness Book of Records, but historical evidence unclear]
- 2,139 – European heat wave of 2003, 4 to 13 August 2003
- 2,000 – Bristol Channel floods, (storm surge/tsunami), 30 January 1607 (New style) [estimate]
- 2,000 – Sweating sickness (sudor anglicus), 1485 and later years [estimate]
- 1,900+ – Christmas Eve storm of 1811, North Sea – wrecks of HMS St. George (739 fatalities, 11 survived), HMS Defence (5 survived out of c.600) and HMS Fancy, off Thorsminde, Jutland; HMS Hero (all 600 lost), and HMS Archimedes, off Texel. 24 December 1811
- 1,550+ – HMS Association, HMS Eagle, HMS Romney and HMS Firebrand (Cloudesley Shovell squadron shipwrecks), Isles of Scilly, 22 October 1707
- 1,518 – RMS Titanic sinking, 1912
- ~1,000 – Hurricane of 1867, RMS Rhone, RMS Wye and up to 50 other vessels driven ashore and wrecked on October 29, 1867 at St. Thomas, West Indies. [1]
- 1,000 – Great Hurricane of 1780, Caribbean Sea, Bermuda and North America - Royal Navy ships lost included HMS Cornwall, HMS Vengeance, HMS Experiment, HMS Ontario, 10 October 1780 onwards. [estimate - further research needed]
- 900 + – Storm of 3 September 1691, wrecks of HMS Coronation and HMS Harwich, Plymouth Sound
- ~900 – HMS Victory wrecked on the Casquets in the Channel Islands, 3 October 1744
- 843 – HMS Vanguard magazine explosion, Scapa Flow, 9 July 1917
- 800 – HMS Royal George capsize, Spithead, 29 August 1782
- 786 – Princess Alice and Bywell Castle collision, River Thames, Woolwich, 3 September 1878
- 748 – Royal Charter Storm – wreck of Royal Charter, Lligwy Bay, Anglesey (455 fatalities) and others, 27 October 1859
- 738 – HMS Bulwark, magazine explosion, Sheerness, 26 November 1914
- 699 – HMS Ramillies ran aground off Bolt Head, Devon, 15 February 1760
- 690 – HMS Queen Charlotte fire, off Livorno, 17 March 1800
- 646 – SS Mendi (Elder Dempster Line), troopship rammed by SS Darro, off Isle of Wight, 21 February 1917
- 635 – SS Norge shipwreck, Rockall, 28 June 1904
- 612 – Tramore Bay storm, shipwrecks of Seahorse (c350 fatalities), Lord Melville (12) and Boadicea (c250), County Cork, 30 January 1816 [ref: Grocott]
- 576 – SS Utopia disaster, collision with HMS Anson, off Gibraltar, 17 March 1891 (mostly Italian passengers)
- 558+ – HMS Sussex treasure fleet shipwrecks (13 ships), off Gibraltar, 19 February 1694
- 546 – RMS Atlantic sinking, Nova Scotia, 1 April 1873
- 531 – North Sea flood of 1953 and storm, 31 January – 1 February 1953 (307 land fatalities, 224 sea fatalities including ferry MV Princess Victoria) [UK victims only]
- 500+ – HMS York disappeared without trace in the North Sea, some time after 26 December 1803.
- 500+ – London cholera epidemic, 1854
- 500 – HMS Minotaur wrecked on Haak Bank off Texel, 22 December 1810 (painted by JMW Turner)
- 500 – "Black Monday" massacre, Dublin, Easter Monday, 1209
[edit] 300–499 fatalities
- 481 – HMS Captain shipwreck, off Cape Finisterre, Spain, 6 September 1870
- 480 – SS City of Glasgow (Inman Line) disappeared after leaving Liverpool for Philadelphia some time after 1 March 1854
- 473 – Cospatrick (Shaw Savill line) emigrant ship fire, South Atlantic (out of Gravesend), 18 November 1874
- 454 – Vryheid (ex-Melville Castle). Wrecked in gale on Kent coast between Hythe and Dymchurch out of Rotterdam for Batavia, 23 November 1802. Only 18 of 472 survived.
- 450 – HMS Birkenhead shipwreck, near Cape Town, 25 February 1852
- 439 – Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, Senghenydd, Caerphilly, 14 October 1913
- 431 – HMS Otranto shipwreck, Islay, 6 October 1918
- 421 – HMS Natal, magazine explosion, Cromarty, Scotland, 30 December 1915
- 406 – Cataraqui, emigrant ship out of Liverpool, wrecked off King Island, Tasmania, 4 August 1845
- 400+ – HMS Invincible sinks off Norfolk, 16 March 1801
- 400 – HMS Winchester shipwreck, reef off Key Largo, Florida, 1 September 1695
- 400 – Pomona clipper shipwreck, Blackwater Band, Wexford, 30 April 1859
- 389 – PS Arctic collided with Vesta off Cape Race, out of Liverpool, 20 September 1854 (sistership of PS Pacific)
- 388 – The Oaks explosion colliery disaster, Barnsley, December 12, 1866
- 384 – Annie Jane, emigrant ship out of Liverpool, wrecked Vatersay, 28 September 1853
- 380 – Mary Rose sinking, Portsmouth, 18 July 1545
- 379 – HMS Dasher (D37), fuel explosion, Firth of Clyde, 27 March 1943
- 377 – HMS Princess Irene minelayer explosion, River Medway, Sheerness, 27 May 1915
- 374 – Driver clipper ship, disappeared Atlantic Ocean out of Liverpool, February 1856
- 360+ – Sailing ship Elizabeth wrecked off Dunkirk, 18 December 1810.
- 358 – HMS Victoria rammed by HMS Camperdown, Mediterranean Sea, 22 June 1893
- 347 – HMS Athenienne, wrecked off Tunisia, 20 October 1806
- 344 – Pretoria Pit Disaster, Westhoughton, Bolton, 21 December 1910
- 340 – troopship Aeneas wrecked on the Îles aux Mortes on the Canadian coastline whilst carrying troops to Quebec, 23 October 1805.
- 338 – HMS Curacoa run down by RMS Queen Mary, 2 October 1942
- 335 – SS Schiller shipwreck, Isles of Scilly, 7 May 1875
- 320 – Northfleet shipwreck, off Dungeness, 22 January 1873
- 317 – HMS Eurydice shipwreck, Isle of Wight, 22 March 1878 (commemorated by Gerard Manley Hopkins in "The Loss of the Eurydice") (317 named fatalities[2])
- 300 – Wreck of the White Ship, off Barfleur, 25 November 1120 [estimate]
- 300 – Sibylle, emigrant ship wrecked St. Paul Island, Nova Scotia, out of Cromarty, September 11, 1834
[edit] 200-299 fatalities
- 299 – Kapunda (ship), emigrant ship out of London, collided with barque Ada Melmore off coast of Brazil, 20 January 1887
- 297 – Tayleur shipwreck, on Lambay Island north of Dublin Bay, 21 January 1854 on her maiden voyage. ("the first Titanic")
- 290 – HMS Sceptre, wrecked during a storm in Table Bay, near Cape of Good Hope, 5 December 1799
- 285 – Gordon Riots, London, 2–13 June 1780
- 281 – HMS Atalanta disappeared at sea out of Bermuda, after 31 January 1880 (sister ship of HMS Eurydice) (281 named fatalities [3])
- 276 – VOC Hollandia shipwreck, Annet, Isles of Scilly, 13 June 1743
- 270 – SS London shipwreck, Bay of Biscay (out of Gravesend), 11 January 1866
- 270 – Great Sheffield flood, collapse of Dale Dike Dam, Sheffield, 1864
- 270 – Pan Am Flight 103, Lockerbie, 1988 [total of all victims]
- 266 – Gresford Disaster Colliery mining disaster, Wrexham, 22 September 1934
- 260 – Earl of Abergavenny shipwreck, Shambles Bank off Portland Bill, 5 February 1805
- 253 – HMS Saldanha shipwrecked in Lough Swilly, Donegal, 4 December 1811
- 250 – RMS Royal Adelaide, City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, out of Cork, wrecked Tongue Sands off Margate, 1849.
- 250+ – Night of the Big Wind, Ireland, 6 January-7 January 1839 [estimate]
- 241 ?224 – Neva, convict ship out of Cork, wrecked off King Island, Tasmania, 13 May 1835
- 240 – HMS Lutine shipwreck, Vlieland, 9 October 1799
- 238 – HMS Tribune, wrecked Halifax, Nova Scotia, 16 November 1797
- 237 – SS Anglo Saxon shipwreck, Cape Race, Newfoundland (out of Liverpool and Londonderry), 27 April 1863
- 227 – Quintinshill rail crash triple collision, Dumfries and Galloway, 22 May 1915
- 220 – SS London, sank in gale, Bay of Biscay, 11 January 1866
- 220 – Great Blizzard of 1891, 9 March to 13 March 1891
- 215 – Lady of the Lake, struck iceberg, North Atlantic, 11 May 1833
- 212 – Sovereign (1803), wrecked St. Paul Island, Nova Scotia, out of Portsmouth, 18 October 1814 [ref: Grocott]
- 210 – British steamer Rinaldo collision with French steamer Byzantin on December 18, 1878 in the Dardanelles[4]
- 208 – Harpooner military transport ship, wrecked Newfoundland, November 1818
- 207 – Blantyre mining disaster - gas explosion, 22 October 1877
- 205 – Iolaire sinking, Stornoway, 1 January 1919
- 204 – Hartley Colliery Disaster, 16 January 1862
[edit] 100-199 fatalities
- 196 – SS Cambria Anchor Line shipwreck, Inishtrahull, 19 October 1870
- 193 – M/S Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, Zeebrugge, 6 March 1987
- 189 – HMS Orpheus shipwreck off Auckland, 1863
- 189 – Eyemouth fishing fleet storm disaster, Scotland, 14 October 1881 [2]
- 183 – Victoria Hall theatre panic, Sunderland, 16 June 1883
- 178 – Ocean Monarch fire and shipwreck, off Great Orme, Llandudno 24 August 1848
- 177 – SS City of Boston (Inman Line) disappeared Atlantic Ocean out of New York City and Halifax NS to Liverpool, possibly struck iceberg, some time after 28 January 1870
- 173 – Bethnal Green tube station panic, 3 March 1943
- 172 – HMS Serpent shipwreck, off Camariñas, Galicia, 9 November 1890
- 168 – Coal mine disaster, West Stanley, Durham, 16 February 1909
- 167 – Piper Alpha oil platform, North Sea, 6 July 1988
- 157 – Deutschland shipwreck, Kentish Knock, Thames Estuary, 6 December 1875
- 155 – Minnie Pit mining disaster, Podmore Hall, Staffordshire, 12 January 1918
- 150 – Clifford's Tower fire, York, 1190 [Estimate]
- 146 – Dan-Air aircrash, Boeing 727 G-BDAN, Flight 1008 from MAN, Tenerife, Canary Islands, 25 April 1980
- 144 – Aberfan landslide, Glamorganshire, 21 October 1966
- 140 – RMS Amazon destroyed by fire, 60 miles west of Isles of Scilly, 4 January 1852
- 141 – SS Berlin shipwreck, Hook of Holland, 21 February 1907 (Great Eastern Railway steamer out of Harwich)
- 140 – 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 26 December 2004 [UK victims only] (140 Britons confirmed dead and 1 missing (as of 23 September 2005) [3])
- 139 – George III, convict ship wrecked in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Tasmania, 12 April 1835
- 136 – Wellington Colliery mining disaster, Whitehaven, 11 May 1910
- 135 – East Indiaman Alexander is wrecked near Portland with all but five of its crew and passengers drowned, 27 March 1815
- 134 – Chilwell munitions explosion, Nottinghamshire, 1 July 1918
- 133 – Amphitrite, convict ship bound from Woolwich to Australia, wrecked Boulogne, 31 August 1833
- 132 – MV Princess Victoria ferry disaster, North Channel, 31 January 1953
- 131 – Lincoln typhoid epidemic, Lincoln, November 1904 to April 1905
- 130 – SS Hungarian, Allan Line out of Liverpool and Queenstown, wrecked Nova Scotia, 19 February 1860 [minimum number on board]
- 130 – Rothsay Castle paddle steamer from Liverpool wrecked at eastern end of Menai Straits 18 August 1831
- 129 – John Franklin expedition, HMS Erebus (1826) and HMS Terror (1813) lost in Northwest Passage, 1845-1848
- 128 – HMS Gladiator shipwreck, Isle of Wight, 25th April, 1908
- 125 – HM Brig Primrose shipwreck, The Manacles, Cornwall, 22 January 1809
- 125 – SS Hilda shipwreck off Saint-Malo, London and South Western Railway steamer, 18 November 1905
- 124 – SS Daphne capsize, River Clyde, Glasgow, 3 July 1883
- 123 – Ocean Queen clipper ship, disappeared Atlantic Ocean out of London, February 1856
- 121 – Dunbar, clipper ship out of Plymouth, wrecked Sydney Cove, Australia, 20 August 1857
- 120 – Dover Straits earthquake of 1580, 6 April 1580 [estimate]
- 119 – National Colliery mining disaster, Wattstown, Glamorganshire, 11 July 1905
- 118 – Staines air disaster, BEA Flight 548, July 18, 1972
- 112 – SS Stella shipwreck, London and South Western Railway steamer, The Casquets, Channel Islands, 30 March 1899
- 112 – Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash, 12 October 1952
- 112 – Dan-Air aircrash, Comet G-APDN from MAN, near Barcelona, Spain 3 July 1970
- 109 – Faversham Gunpowder Mill explosion, 2 April 1916
- 108 – Invicta International Airlines aircrash, Vickers Vanguard G-AXOP, Flight 435 from BRS, Switzerland, April 10, 1973
- 106 – SS Avalanche (Shaw Savill Line) collided with Forest Queen, both sank off Isle of Portland, English Channel, out of London for Wellington, New Zealand, 11 September 1877
- 106 – SS Mohegan shipwreck, The Manacles, Cornwall, 14 October 1898
- 104 – Coal mine disaster, William Pit, Whitehaven, 15 August 1947 - Photograph of William Pit
- 102 – Sinking of the privateer Pelican in the Mersey, 20 March 1793
- 100 – "Battle" of May Island, Royal Navy exercise disaster, 31 January / 1 February 1918
- 100 – Moray Firth fishing disaster, fishing fleet storm disaster, Scotland, 19 August 1848
[edit] Fewer than 100 fatalities
- 99 – HMS Thetis submarine disaster—flooded through torpedo tube during sea trial, Liverpool Bay, 1 June 1939
- 98 – Britannia Airways Bristol Britannia G-ANBB from LTN, aircrash at Ljubljana, 1 September 1966
- 96 – Hillsborough disaster crush, 15 April 1989
- 94 – Carlingford Lough disaster, SS Connemara and SS Retriever collided and sank, Carlingford Lough, County Down, 3 November 1916
- 92 – Felling mine disaster, County Durham, 25 May 1812
- 90 – Lewisham rail crash, December 1957
- 88 – Armagh rail disaster, 12 June 1889
- 88 – Coal mine disaster, Cadeby Main, Yorkshire, 9 July 1912
- 88 – Air Ferry aircrash, Douglas C-54 G-APYK, from MSE, Mont Canigou, France, 3 June 1967
- 86 – Theatre Royal fire disaster, Exeter, 5 September 1887
- 86 – SS Egypt shipwreck, off Ushant, 20 May 1922
- 85 – Rohilla, ran aground off Whitby, 30 October 1914
- 84 – British Eagle International Airlines aircrash, Bristol Britannia G-AOVO from LHR, Innsbruck, Austria, 29 February 1964
- 84 – Paisley canal disaster, canal tourist boat capsizes, Paisley, Scotland, November 10, 1810.
- 81 – Universal Colliery mining disaster, Senghenydd, Caerphilly, 24 May 1901
- 81 – Easington mining disaster, 29 May 1951
- 81 – Holmfirth flood - Bilberry Reservoir dam disaster, Holme Valley, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, 5 February 1852
- 80 – PS Pacific, lost at sea out of Liverpool, after 23 January 1856 (sistership of PS Arctic)
- 80+ – PS Queen Victoria shipwreck, off Howth Head, 15 February 1853
- 80 – Llandow air disaster, Sigginston, Fairflight Avro Tudor G-AKBY, Glamorgan, 12 March 1950
- 80 – Creswell Colliery mining disaster, Derbyshire, 26 September 1950
- 79 – Yarmouth Suspension bridge disaster, Great Yarmouth, 2 May 1846
- 79 – British Admiral wrecked Tasmania out of Liverpool, 23 May 1874
- 79 – Markham Colliery disaster, Derbyshire, 10 May 1938
- 76 – Coal mine disaster, Maypole Colliery, Wigan, Lancashire, 18 August 1908
- 75 – Tay Rail Bridge collapse, Scotland, 28 December 1879
- 75 – HMS Affray submarine disaster, English Channel, 17 April 1951
- 74 – SS Naronic, lost at sea off Nova Scotia, out of Liverpool, 19 February 1893
- 73 – Silvertown explosion, 19 January 1917 [4]
- 72 – Stockport air disaster, British Midland Airways Argonaut G-ALHG, 4 June 1967
- 71 – Glen Cinema disaster, Paisley, 31 December 1929. Glen Cinema Website
- 70 – Great Gale of 1871, Bridlington and North Sea coast. 100 ships wrecked on NE coast. 10 February 1871. 43 burials in Bridlington churchyard, incl 6 from RNLB Harbinger, plus other losses at sea, estimated total of 70 marine fatalities.
- 70 – RAF Fauld underground munitions explosion, Staffordshire, 27 November 1944 [5]
- 69 – HMS M1 submarine wreck—collision with surface vessel—off Plymouth, 12 November 1925
- 67 – 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, [UK victims only]
- 66 – Ibrox disaster crush, Glasgow, 1971
- 65 – Theatre Royal panic, Dunlop Street, Glasgow, 17 February 1849
- 64 – Masbrough boat disaster, Rotherham, 5 July 1841 [6]
- 64 – HMS Truculent submarine disaster, collision on surface, Thames Estuary, 12 January 1950
- 63 – BEA aircrash, Vickers Vanguard G-APEC flight 706, Aarsele, Belgium, 2 October 1971
- 61 – SS Thames shipwreck, Isles of Scilly, 4 January 1841
- 61 – Freckleton aircrash disaster, Holy Trinity School, Freckleton, Lancashire, 23 August 1944 (3 aircrew, 58 ground fatalities)
- 60+ – Harwich ferry disaster, ferry capsizes whilst transporting soldiers, 18 April 1807
- 60 – HMS M2 submarine wreck, Lyme Bay, 26 January 1932
- 59 – BEA Comet G-ARCO bomb disaster, off Rhodes, 12 October 1967
- 57 – Coal mine explosion, Sneyd, Staffordshire, 1 January 1942
- 57 – HMS K5 sank 120 miles south-west of the Isles of Scilly, 24 January 1921
- 56 – Bradford City disaster, soccer stadium fire, 11 May 1985
- 56 – 7 July 2005 London bombings (including 4 suicide bombers)
- 55 – Manchester air disaster Flight 28M, 22 August 1985
- 53 – Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead, 6 October 1854
- 52 – Yellow fever outbreak, HMS Firebrand, West Indies, July 1861[7]
- 52 – Loch Ard, clipper ship out of Gravesend, wrecked off Loch Ard Gorge, near Muttonbird Island, just off the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria, Australia, 1 June 1878
- 52 – HMS Wasp wrecked Tory Island, County Donegal, 22 September 1884
- 52 – Coal mine disaster, Marine Colliery, Monmouthshire, 1 March 1927
- 51 – Summerland fire disaster, Douglas, Isle of Man, 2 August 1973
- 51 – Marchioness disaster, River Thames, 20 August 1989
- 50 – Ariana Afghan Airlines aircrash, Boeing 727 YA-FAR, Gatwick, 5 January 1969
- 49 – Hither Green rail crash, 5 November 1967
- 47 – R101 airship crash, Beauvais, France, 5 October 1930
- 47 – Samtampa wrecked off Sker Point in the Bristol Channel (death toll includes 8 lifeboatmen), 1947
- 47 – Auchengeich mining disaster, Lanarkshire, 18 September 1959
- 47 – Kegworth Air Disaster, British Midland Flight 92, Leicestershire, 8 January 1989
- 46 – Wreck of Confederate States of America blockade runner PS Lelia (39 fatalities) and lifeboat crew (7 fatalities) in Liverpool Bay, 14 January 1865
- 45 – Coal mine disaster, Bentley, Yorkshire, 20 November 1931
- 45 – Six Bells Colliery mining disaster, Aberbeeg, Monmouthshire, 28 June 1960
- 45 – Chinook helicopter crash, near Sumburgh Head, 6 November 1986
- 44 – R38/ZR-2 airship crash, River Humber, near Hull, 24 August 1921
- 43 – Aquila Airways aircrash, Solent flying boat G-AKNU, near Southampton, 15 November 1957
- 43 – Moorgate tube crash, 28 February 1975
- 41 – Handley Page Hastings aircrash, Little Baldon, Oxfordshire, 6 July 1965 - skydiving flight out of RAF Abingdon [8]
[edit] Unknown fatalities
- ? -a transport {name unknown} lost about 1760 on Sable Island carring troops of the 43rd {Monmouthshire} Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)-later part of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. {See Sable Island link to Ships of war lost in 18th Century}
[edit] See also
- European windstorm
- List of wars and disasters by death toll (worldwide)
- List of disasters (by subject)
- List of natural disasters in the United Kingdom
- List of British rail accidents (Chronologically sorted)
- List of British rail accidents by death toll
- List of rail accidents (worldwide)
- List of historic fires
- List of riots
- List of terrorist incidents
- List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners
- List of shipwrecks
- List of UK topics
- List of disasters in Australia by death toll
[edit] Sources
- ^ Marshall, Logan, Sinking of the Titanic and Great Disasters of the Sea 1912.
- ^ [http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/churches/st_anns/eurydice.htm Memorials & Monuments in St Ann's Church - HMS Eurydice -]
- ^ [1]
- ^ Marshall, Logan, Sinking of the Titanic and Great Disasters of the Sea 1912.
- Terence Grocott - Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras (1997)
