The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
On March 11, 2011, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan struck off the coast of Honshu island. Measured at 9.0 on the Richter scale ...
The Flixborough Works of Nypro Explosion and Fire
"I felt the blast from a terrific explosion which had occurred somewhere behind me. The blast was such that it threw me full length across the road. Debris then began to fall all around me, and I was covered with oil which fell out of the sky," a worker ...
The Kansas City Hyatt Walkway Collapse
On the night of July 17, 1981, the newly built Kansas City Hyatt Regency hotel was hosting a dance contest in its atrium, presented by a local radio station. Partygoers thronged the floor of the atrium and the three catwalks above, which were located on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor levels. Suddenly, there was a loud crack ...
The “Big Dig” Tunnel Collapse
Late at night on July 10th, 2006, a car was driving eastbound on Boston’s Interstate 90 connector tunnel, part of a large tunnel expressway system called ...
The Great Boston Molasses Flood
Around 12:30 pm on January 15th, 1919, a noise like machine-gun fire erupted near downtown Boston. The jarring sound was followed by a muffled roar, and then 2.3 million gallons were released suddenly from a ruptured tank. A 15-foot wave of molasses flowed, at 35 miles per hour ...
The Eschede Derailment
It had never happened before. In seven years of service, no one had ever been killed on an ICE train. The super-fast, state-of-the-art Inter City Express ...
The Bhopal Disaster
Just after midnight on December 3, 1984, chemical gas began leaking from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The gas was toxic and heavier than air, and it crept along the ground and easily infiltrated the shacks and huts of the crowded shantytown surrounding the plant.
The Thresher Submarine Accident
The newest and most advanced nuclear submarine of the U.S. Navy at the time, the USS Thresher, was continuing with sea trials on April 10, 1963. After commencing a scheduled dive to test depth, the Thresher reported "minor difficulties" to its escort. Shortly after that, sonar recorded the sounds of ...
The Tay Bridge Disaster
In the late 1800s, when railroads were beginning to connect every corner of the United Kingdom, the National Board of Railroads commissioned a bridge over the Firth of Tay. This bridge was to have a high span so that sailing ships plying between the UK and Australia...
The Ocean Ranger Sinking
In February 1982, the Ocean Ranger was conducting drilling operations for ODECO off Newfoundland. The Ocean Ranger was a self-propelled oil-drilling platform that was capable of operating in 1,500 feet of ocean water and drilling to a depth of 25,000 feet. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan ...