A maritime disaster is an event which usually involves a ship or ships and can involve military action. Because of the nature of maritime travel, there is often a substantial loss of life. The term maritime disaster can refer to both commercial ships and military naval ships. A maritime disaster can result in one or more of the following simultaneously;
Loss of life
Pollution of marine environment (in case of oil spill, foul discharge of materials, sulphur emitted from fuels, etc.)
Degradation of the aquatic ecosystem
Economical loss at a grand scale
Destruction of onshore properties (accidents at harbor are not only limited to the vessels but also damage the nearest lands)
There are countless incidents reported on marine disasters.
The sinking of the British ocean liner RMS Titanic in 1912, is probably the most famous shipwreck, but not the most catastrophic in terms of lives lost. The wartime sinking of the German Wilhelm Gustloff in January 1945 in World War II by a Soviet Navy submarine, with an estimated loss of about 9,400 people, remains the deadliest isolated maritime disaster ever, excluding such events as the destruction of entire fleets like the 1274 and 1281 storms that are said to have devastated Kublai Khan's fleets in his invasions of Japan. The 1987 loss of the Philippine ferry Doña Paz, with an estimated 4,386 dead, is the largest peacetime loss recorded.
Tables
· Peacetime
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
1987
1987
Year
1987
Country
Philippines
Description
Doña Paz – Late on 20 December, while bound for Manila from Tacloban, the passenger ferry collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait near Marinduque. The collision ignited the Vector's cargo and the fire spread to the Doña Paz; both ships burned and sank. Though Doña Paz was certified to only carry 1,518 passengers, thousands more
Deaths
4,386
1991
1991
Year
1991
Country
Egypt
Description
Salem Express – At midnight between 14–15 December, while on a voyage from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt, with at least 644 passengers, the ship struck a reef and sank within 10–20 minutes. The majority of passengers were Moroccan-French. Most were returning from pilgrimage to Mecca. The official death toll was 470, though some evidence sug
Deaths
1,600 (estimated)
1993
1993
Year
1993
Country
Haiti
Description
Ferry Neptune – Sank on 16 February.
Deaths
1,500 (estimated)
1912
1912
Year
1912
Country
United Kingdom
Description
RMS Titanic – A British ocean liner and, at the time, the world's largest ship. On 14 April, on its maiden voyage, it struck an iceberg, buckling part of its hull and causing it to sink during the early hours of 15th April. Little over 700 people survived out of the 2,240 passengers. Her loss was the catalyst for major reforms in maritime regulatio
Deaths
c. 1,514. The figures have been revised, officially and unofficially, so many times since 1912 that most researchers and historians concede that they will never know how many of the people sailing on the Titanic died.
1954
1954
Year
1954
Country
Japan
Description
Toya Maru – A train ferry that sank in Typhoon Marie in the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu on 26 September. It is said that 1,153 people aboard were killed but the exact number of fatalities remains unknown because some victims managed to board without tickets and others cancelled their passage just before sailing.
Deaths
1,153
1914
1914
Year
1914
Country
Canada
Description
RMS Empress of Ireland – On 29 May the passenger liner sank after colliding with the cargo ship Storstad on the Saint Lawrence River, killing 1,012 people. About 465 survived.
Deaths
1,012
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
United States
Description
General Slocum – The paddle steamer caught fire and sank in New York City's East River on 15 June. 1,029 people were killed, making it New York City's greatest loss of life until the September 11 attacks.
Deaths
1,029
1912
1912
Year
1912
Country
Japan
Description
Kiche Maru – Sank in a typhoon in the Pacific on 22 September. It is estimated that more than 1,000 persons died.
Deaths
1,000+
1921
1921
Year
1921
Country
Singapore
Description
Hong Moh – On 3 March, the ship struck the White Rocks on Lamock Island near Swatow (Shantou) on the southern coast of China. It broke in two and sank killing about 1,000 of the 1,100 people aboard.
Deaths
1,000
1927
1927
Year
1927
Country
Japan
Description
Wusung – On 16 September, 900 Japanese workers died when the steamship, bound for Kamchatka, sank off the Kuril Islands.
Deaths
900
1994
1994
Year
1994
Country
Estonia
Description
Estonia – the Roll-on/roll-off ferry sank in heavy seas on 28 September. An investigation concluded that the failure of the bow visor door allowed water from the Baltic Sea to enter the ship. 852 people were killed; 137 survived.
Deaths
852
1915
1915
Year
1915
Country
United States
Description
Eastland – On 24 July, while moored to the dock in the Chicago River, the capacity load of passengers shifted to the river side of the ship causing it to roll over, killing 845 passengers and crew.
Deaths
845
1996
1996
Year
1996
Country
Tanzania
Description
Bukoba – The overloaded ferry sank on 21 May on Lake Victoria. While the ship's manifest showed 443 aboard, it is estimated that about 800 people died in the sinking, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in the Southern Hemisphere.
Deaths
800
1939
1939
Year
1939
Country
Soviet Union
Description
Indigirka – On 12 December the GULAG prisoner transport ship Indigirka ran aground and rolled on its side in shallow water during a blizzard off the Japanese coast near Sarufutsu while trying to enter the La Perouse Strait. While most of the crew and passengers were rescued an additional three days passed before a rescue of the trapped prisoners in
Deaths
741
1902
1902
Year
1902
Country
United Kingdom
Description
Camorta – The ship was caught in a cyclone and sank in the Irrawaddy Delta on 6 May with the loss of all 655 passengers and 82 crew. It was en route from Madras, India, to Rangoon, Burma, across the Bay of Bengal.
Deaths
737
1914
1914
Year
1914
Country
United Kingdom
Description
HMS Bulwark – On 26 November, a powerful internal explosion ripped it apart at 7:50 am while it was moored at Number 17 buoy in Kethole Reach, 4 mi (6 km) west of Sheerness in the River Medway estuary. All of its officers were killed, and out of its complement of 750, 14 survived; two of these subsequently died of wounds in hospital.
Deaths
736
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Denmark
Description
Norge – On 28 June the ship ran aground on Helen's Reef near Rockall. 635 people were killed; 160 survivors spent as much as eight days in open boats before rescue.
Deaths
635
1947
1947
Year
1947
Country
India
Description
Ramdas – On 17 July the ship capsized 10 miles (16 km) off Mumbai, killing 625 people aboard. The wreck became known only as survivors swam ashore.
Deaths
625
1918
1918
Year
1918
Country
Japan
Description
Kawachi – On July 12, The battleship capsized after a magazine explosion in Tokuyama Bay, Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, according to Japanese government official confirmed reported,
Deaths
621
1955
1955
Year
1955
Country
Soviet Union
Description
Novorossiysk – On 29 October, the battleship was moored in Sevastopol Bay, 300 metres (330 yd) from shore and opposite a hospital. At 01:30 hrs there was an explosion, after which the ship capsized and sank with the loss of 608 men. The official investigation concluded that the explosion had been caused by a German mine left from the Second World W
Deaths
608
1947
1947
Year
1947
Country
United States
Description
Grandcamp – On 16 April, the French-registered Liberty ship caught fire and exploded dockside while being loaded with ammonium nitrate at Texas City, Texas. In what came to be called the Texas City Disaster an estimated 581 people, including all of the ship's crew and 28 firefighters, were killed and about 5,000 injured.
Deaths
581
1981
1981
Year
1981
Country
Indonesia
Description
Tampomas II – On 27 January the ocean liner, carrying more people than its capacity limit of 1,137, sank in the Java Sea after a fire and explosion. At least 580 people were killed and 515 rescued.
Deaths
580
1920
1920
Year
1920
Country
France
Description
SS Afrique – The passenger ship sank on 9 January in the Bay of Biscay in bad weather. It was carrying 602 passengers and crew, of whom only 34 were saved.
Deaths
568
1986
1986
Year
1986
Country
Bangladesh
Description
Shamia – On 25 May the double deck river ferry, carrying about 1,000 people, capsized in the Meghna River 135 miles (217 km) south of Dhaka in a storm. An estimated 500-600 people were killed.
Deaths
500–600
1919
1919
Year
1919
Country
Spain
Description
Valbanera – the steamship sank in the Gulf of Mexico 45 mi (72 km) west of Key West, Florida in a hurricane in September. All of the 488 crew and passengers were killed.
Deaths
488
2000
2000
Year
2000
Country
Indonesia
Description
Cahaya Bahari – On 29 June the overloaded ferry carrying refugees from the Maluku Islands sank in a storm. Of the 491 aboard, 10 were rescued.
Deaths
481
1944
1944
Year
1944
Country
Japan
Description
Tarumizu Maru 6 – On February 6, the ship was over-capacity and sank while trying to change direction, throwing off the ship's balance, in Kagoshima Bay, Tarumizu, Kagoshima Prefecture, according to Japanese government official confirmed report,
Deaths
464
1916
1916
Year
1916
Country
Spain
Description
Príncipe de Asturias – Sank near the island of Sao Sebastiao, Brazil on 5 March. At least 445 out of 588 aboard were killed.
Deaths
445
1975
1975
Year
1975
Country
China
Description
On 4 August, two passenger ships Hongxing 245 and Hongxing 240, on overnight trips between Guangzhou and Zhaoqing, collided and sank on the Zhujiang River, 432 of the 800 people aboard were killed.
Deaths
432
1986
1986
Year
1986
Country
Soviet Union
Description
Admiral Nakhimov – On 31 August the ship collided with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasyov in Tsemes Bay, near the port of Novorossiysk, Russian SFSR. 423 of the 1,234 people aboard were killed.
Deaths
423
1988
1988
Year
1988
Country
India
Description
A reported 400 people were killed when an unnamed passenger ferry struck a sand bar and capsized in the Ganges River.
Deaths
400
1988
1988
Year
1988
Country
Philippines
Description
Doña Marilyn – On the afternoon of 24 October, while sailing from Manila to Tacloban City, the vessel was caught in Typhoon Unsang and sank leaving 389 people dead and 147 survivors. Doña Marilyn was a sister ship of Doña Paz which sank a year earlier in the deadliest ever peace-time maritime disaster.
Deaths
389
1999
1999
Year
1999
Country
Indonesia
Description
KM Bismas Raya 2 – In October the ferry KM Bismas Raya 2 caught fire, capsized and sank while off the coast of Merauke. A reported 361 people were killed.
Deaths
361
1918
1918
Year
1918
Country
United States
Description
Princess Sophia – On 23 October the passenger steamship ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Rescue ships were unable to assist due to the continuing storm, and it sank on the night of 25 October. The only survivor found was a pet dog. The sinking of the SS Princess Sophia is to this day the worst maritime accident in t
Deaths
343
1970
1970
Year
1970
Country
South Korea
Description
Namyoung-ho – The ferry sank on 15 December. It was carrying 338 people, who were traveling from Busan to Jeju; 326 people killed. See Sinking of Namyoung-Ho
Deaths
326
1927
1927
Year
1927
Country
Italy
Description
Principessa Mafalda – On 25 October, the ocean liner sank off the coast of Brazil after its propeller shaft fractured and damaged its hull. It sank slowly in the presence of rescue vessels, but panic among passengers and crew caused the deaths of 314 of the 1,265 aboard.
Deaths
314
1999
1999
Year
1999
Country
China
Description
Dashun – On 24 November the ferry caught fire, broke apart and sank in rough seas off Yantai in eastern China. Of 336 aboard, 22 are known to have survived.
Deaths
314
1999
1999
Year
1999
Country
Indonesia
Description
Harta Rimba – On 7 February the ferry foundered and sank after being struck by a large wave while drifting with engine problems. Of the 332 aboard 19 were rescued two days after the sinking by a passing ship. A distress signal was not sent out and the sinking was unknown until the survivors were found.
Deaths
313
1945
1945
Year
1945
Country
Japan
Description
Sekirei Maru – According to Japan Coast Guard official reported, Awaji Island to Akashi route boat was overturned by heavy winds. Although fishing boats operating in the vicinity rescued 45 people, the captain of the doomed ship refused to be rescued, in Akashi Strait, Hyōgo Prefecture.
Deaths
304
1911
1911
Year
1911
Country
France
Description
Liberté – battleship that suffered an accidental ammunition explosion; about 300 people were killed.
Deaths
300
1981
1981
Year
1981
Country
Brazil
Description
Sobral Santos II The sinking was one of the worst maritime tragedies in the history of the Amazon River.
Deaths
c. 300
1906
1906
Year
1906
Country
Italy
Description
Sirio – On 4 August the cargo steamship sank after running aground and suffered a boiler explosion on the Punta Hormigas, a reef off Hormigas Island, two and a half miles east of Cape Palos, Cartagena, Spain. 293, including Italian and Spanish emigrants bound for Argentina, of the 645 aboard were lost. Other sources put the death toll at over 500.
Deaths
293–500
1993
1993
Year
1993
Country
South Korea
Description
Seohae Ferry – was a passenger ship that sank near Wi-do island, Jeolla Province. The ship was carrying 362 passengers (141 more than its capacity) and heavy freight in bad weather.
Deaths
292
1996
1996
Year
1996
Country
Malta
Description
F174 – Severely overloaded and poorly maintained ship carrying migrants from South Asia, sank 19 miles off Portopalo di Capo Passero in Sicily.
Deaths
283+
1958
1958
Year
1958
Country
Turkey
Description
Üsküdar – A small passenger ferry sank due to heavy lodos weather in the Gulf of İzmit on 1 March. 272 passengers including seven crew died; 39 people survived.
Deaths
272
1994
1994
Year
1994
Country
Kenya
Description
Likoni Ferry – On 29 April the overloaded passenger ferry Mtongwe One capsized and sank killing 272 people of the more than 300 aboard.
Deaths
272
1928
1928
Year
1928
Country
Chile
Description
Angamos – On 6 July it sailed bound for Talcahuano and sank off Punta Morguillas Lebu. Of the 269 people aboard 262 were lost and seven rescued. It was the second largest single maritime loss of life in the history of Chile.
Deaths
262
1996
1996
Year
1996
Country
Indonesia
Description
Gurita – On 19 January the ferry sunk during a strong storm six miles from Sabang. Of those on board, between 260 and 340 were killed and 47 survived.
Deaths
260-340
1913
1913
Year
1913
Country
United States
Description
Great Lakes Storm of 1913 – A cyclonic blizzard (sometimes referred to as an inland hurricane) on the Great Lakes that occurred between 7 and 10 November. In total 12 ships were sunk with a combined crew loss of 255. An additional seven ships were damaged beyond repair; 19 more ships that had been stranded were later salvaged.
Deaths
255
1961
1961
Year
1961
Country
United Kingdom
Description
Dara – sank in the Persian Gulf on 8 April, as a result of a powerful explosion that killed 238 of the 819 people aboard including 19 officers and 113 crew. The explosion is believed to have been caused by an explosive device placed aboard.
Deaths
238
1966
1966
Year
1966
Country
Greece
Description
Heraklion – a car ferry that capsized and sank on 8 December in the Aegean Sea in a storm. An unsecured vehicle damaged the loading door resulting in sea water entering the vessel. The sinking resulted in the death of 234 people out of 281 aboard.
Deaths
234
1970
1970
Year
1970
Country
Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
Description
MV Christena – An overloaded passenger ferry boat that sank crossing the channel between the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, Leeward Islands.
Deaths
233
1953
1953
Year
1953
Country
South Korea
Description
Changgyeong – The ferry sank on 5 January. It was cruising from Yeosu to Busan.
Deaths
229
1921
1921
Year
1921
Country
Russian SFSR
Description
Sovnarkom – on 10 May crashed into Novosibirsk railway bridge and sank in the Ob River, resulting in the death of at least 225 (according to other estimates, 400).
Deaths
225–400
1906
1906
Year
1906
Country
Brazil
Description
Aquidabã – an ironclad warship built during the mid-1880s. On 21 January, the powder magazine of the ship exploded, sinking it within three minutes. 212 people were lost.
Deaths
212
1909
1909
Year
1909
Country
United Kingdom
Description
Waratah – About 27 July, the steamship, en route from Australia to London, was lost without trace off Durban on the east coast of South Africa. All 211 aboard were lost.
Deaths
211
1908
1908
Year
1908
Country
Japan
Description
Matsushima – On 30 April the cruiser Matsushima, while returning from a training cruise and anchored at Mako in the Pescadores islands off Taiwan, had an accidental explosion occur in its ammunition magazine. Matsushima rolled over onto its starboard side and then sank stern-first. 206 of her 350 crew were lost.
Deaths
206
1919
1919
Year
1919
Country
United Kingdom
Description
Iolaire – (Scottish Gaelic for "Eagle") was an Admiralty yacht that hit rocks and sank on 1 January just off the Isle of Lewis, while carrying soldiers coming home from World War I. At least 205 of the 280 men aboard were lost.
Deaths
205
1988
1988
Year
1988
Country
Bangladesh
Description
Haisal – On 27 December the passenger ferry sank after being rammed from behind by a cargo ship on the Dhaleshwari River killing 200 people.
Deaths
200
1987
1987
Year
1987
Country
United Kingdom
Description
Herald of Free Enterprise – Capsized and sank on 6 March due to taking on water just minutes after leaving the harbour at Zeebrugge in Belgium. The doors to the car decks were left open by the Assistant Bosun, Mark Stanley, causing the ferry to take on water and quickly capsize. Of the 539 aboard, 193 passengers and crew died.
Deaths
193
1983
1983
Year
1983
Country
Soviet Union
Description
Aleksandr Suvorov – on 5 June the ship struck a girder of the Ulyanovsk railway bridge. The collision caused 177 deaths yet the ship stayed afloat, was restored and is still in use.
Deaths
177
1980
1980
Year
1980
Country
Philippines
Description
Don Juan – On 22 April the luxury liner collided with an oil tanker Tacloban off Tablas Strait in Mindoro and sank 15 minutes later at a depth of 1,800 feet. The vessel was carrying 1,004 passengers but was only cleared to carry 864 persons including its crew.
Deaths
176
1952
1952
Year
1952
Country
United States
Description
USS Hobson – On the night of 26 April, Hobson was steaming in formation with carrier USS Wasp (CV-18) about 600 miles (1000 kilometers) west of the Azores. The Hobson crossed the carrier's bow and was promptly struck amidships. The force of the collision rolled the destroyer-minesweeper over, breaking it in two. USS Rodman (DD-456) and the Wasp res
Deaths
176
1985
1985
Year
1985
Country
China
Description
On 19 August an overloaded ferry operated by drunk pilots capsized in the Songhua River, 174 of the 234 people aboard were lost.
Deaths
174
1914
1914
Year
1914
Country
Newfoundland
Description
Southern Cross – Lost with all 173 crew in a storm between 31 March and 3 April. Believed to be near Cape Pine, Newfoundland.
Deaths
173
1958
1958
Year
1958
Country
Japan
Description
Nankai Maru - On January 26, a Wakayama to Komatsushima route passenger ferry sank off Kii Channel, Japan. All 139 passengers and 28 crew were drowned, according to Japan Coast Guard official confirmed report.
Deaths
167
1955
1955
Year
1955
Country
Japan
Description
Shiun Maru – 11 May. Collided in dense fog with sister ship Uko Maru in the Seto Inland Sea and sank with the loss of 166 passengers and two crew members.
Deaths
166
1990
1990
Year
1990
Country
Denmark
Description
Scandinavian Star – caught fire en route between Norway and Denmark, killing 159 people.
Deaths
159
1981
1981
Year
1981
Country
Brazil
Description
Novo Amapá - On January 6, the ferry left Santana, Amapá with 600 passengers. The ship was overcrownded and capsized at Almeirim. The exact number of fatalities remains unknown, but it is estimated between 150 and 300.
Deaths
150-300
1991
1991
Year
1991
Country
Somalia
Description
Christiana Hama – On March 2, the dhow Christiana Hama sank off the coast of Malindi, Kenya, after striking a rock. The small freighter, which reports indicate left the port city of Kismayo on February 26, was excessively overloaded with an estimated 600–700 Somali refugees fleeing the civil war. Approximately 150 people drowned.
Deaths
150
1998
1998
Year
1998
Country
Philippines
Description
Princess of the Orient – On 18 September, the ferry, while travelling from Manila to Cebu, sailed into Typhoon Vicki. It capsized at 12:55 pm near Fortune Island in Batangas. Of 388 passengers aboard, an estimated 150 died. Passengers floated in the sea for more than 12 hours before rescuers were able to reach the survivors.
Deaths
150
1907
1907
Year
1907
Country
United States
Description
Larchmont – On 12 February, the paddle steamer sank off Block Island, Rhode Island after colliding with the schooner Harry Knowlton. About 150 of the people 200 aboard were killed.
Deaths
150–200
1912
1912
Year
1912
Country
United Kingdom
Description
Koombana – disappeared on 20 March north of Port Hedland, Western Australia, in a tropical cyclone with the loss of about 76 passengers and 74 crew.
Deaths
150
1989
1989
Year
1989
Country
Romania
Description
Mogoșoaia – On 10 January the ferry collided with a tug boat on the Danube River near Galați. Of those on board, between 151 and 239 were killed and 16 to 18 survived.
Deaths
151-239
1950
1950
Year
1950
Country
Soviet Union
Description
Majakovskis Riga – sank in the Daugava River on 13 August, 147 died.
Deaths
147
1994
1994
Year
1994
Country
Philippines
Description
Cebu City – On 2 December, the ferry collided with a Singaporean freighter Kota Suria and sank in Manila Bay killing 140 people.
Deaths
140
1991
1991
Year
1991
Country
Italy
Description
Moby Prince – On 10 April, the ferry collided with the oil tanker Agip Abruzzo in Livorno harbour and caught fire, killing 140 of the 141 people aboard.
Deaths
140
1934
1934
Year
1934
Country
United States
Description
Morro Castle (1930) – During the early morning hours of 8 September, while en route from Havana to New York, the passenger liner caught fire and burned, killing 137 passengers and crew members out of the 549 aboard. The ship was beached near Asbury Park, New Jersey, and remained there for several months until it was eventually towed away and sold f
Deaths
137
1929
1929
Year
1929
Country
Finland
Description
Kuru – Passenger steamer sank after capsizing in high winds on 7 September in Lake Näsijärvi near Tampere. An estimated 136–138 people were lost.
Deaths
136–138
Ranked list
Year
Country
Description
Deaths
Image
1987
Philippines
Doña Paz – Late on 20 December, while bound for Manila from Tacloban, the passenger ferry collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait near Marinduque. The collision ignited the Vector's cargo and the fire spread to the Doña Paz; both ships burned and sank. Though Doña Paz was certified to only carry 1,518 passengers, thousands more
4,386
1991
Egypt
Salem Express – At midnight between 14–15 December, while on a voyage from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt, with at least 644 passengers, the ship struck a reef and sank within 10–20 minutes. The majority of passengers were Moroccan-French. Most were returning from pilgrimage to Mecca. The official death toll was 470, though some evidence sug
1,600 (estimated)
1993
Haiti
Ferry Neptune – Sank on 16 February.
1,500 (estimated)
1912
United Kingdom
RMS Titanic – A British ocean liner and, at the time, the world's largest ship. On 14 April, on its maiden voyage, it struck an iceberg, buckling part of its hull and causing it to sink during the early hours of 15th April. Little over 700 people survived out of the 2,240 passengers. Her loss was the catalyst for major reforms in maritime regulatio
c. 1,514. The figures have been revised, officially and unofficially, so many times since 1912 that most researchers and historians concede that they will never know how many of the people sailing on the Titanic died.
1954
Japan
Toya Maru – A train ferry that sank in Typhoon Marie in the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu on 26 September. It is said that 1,153 people aboard were killed but the exact number of fatalities remains unknown because some victims managed to board without tickets and others cancelled their passage just before sailing.
1,153
1914
Canada
RMS Empress of Ireland – On 29 May the passenger liner sank after colliding with the cargo ship Storstad on the Saint Lawrence River, killing 1,012 people. About 465 survived.
1,012
1904
United States
General Slocum – The paddle steamer caught fire and sank in New York City's East River on 15 June. 1,029 people were killed, making it New York City's greatest loss of life until the September 11 attacks.
1,029
1912
Japan
Kiche Maru – Sank in a typhoon in the Pacific on 22 September. It is estimated that more than 1,000 persons died.
1,000+
1921
Singapore
Hong Moh – On 3 March, the ship struck the White Rocks on Lamock Island near Swatow (Shantou) on the southern coast of China. It broke in two and sank killing about 1,000 of the 1,100 people aboard.
1,000
1927
Japan
Wusung – On 16 September, 900 Japanese workers died when the steamship, bound for Kamchatka, sank off the Kuril Islands.
900
1994
Estonia
Estonia – the Roll-on/roll-off ferry sank in heavy seas on 28 September. An investigation concluded that the failure of the bow visor door allowed water from the Baltic Sea to enter the ship. 852 people were killed; 137 survived.
852
1915
United States
Eastland – On 24 July, while moored to the dock in the Chicago River, the capacity load of passengers shifted to the river side of the ship causing it to roll over, killing 845 passengers and crew.
845
1996
Tanzania
Bukoba – The overloaded ferry sank on 21 May on Lake Victoria. While the ship's manifest showed 443 aboard, it is estimated that about 800 people died in the sinking, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in the Southern Hemisphere.
800
1939
Soviet Union
Indigirka – On 12 December the GULAG prisoner transport ship Indigirka ran aground and rolled on its side in shallow water during a blizzard off the Japanese coast near Sarufutsu while trying to enter the La Perouse Strait. While most of the crew and passengers were rescued an additional three days passed before a rescue of the trapped prisoners in
741
1902
United Kingdom
Camorta – The ship was caught in a cyclone and sank in the Irrawaddy Delta on 6 May with the loss of all 655 passengers and 82 crew. It was en route from Madras, India, to Rangoon, Burma, across the Bay of Bengal.
737
1914
United Kingdom
HMS Bulwark – On 26 November, a powerful internal explosion ripped it apart at 7:50 am while it was moored at Number 17 buoy in Kethole Reach, 4 mi (6 km) west of Sheerness in the River Medway estuary. All of its officers were killed, and out of its complement of 750, 14 survived; two of these subsequently died of wounds in hospital.
736
1904
Denmark
Norge – On 28 June the ship ran aground on Helen's Reef near Rockall. 635 people were killed; 160 survivors spent as much as eight days in open boats before rescue.
635
1947
India
Ramdas – On 17 July the ship capsized 10 miles (16 km) off Mumbai, killing 625 people aboard. The wreck became known only as survivors swam ashore.
625
1918
Japan
Kawachi – On July 12, The battleship capsized after a magazine explosion in Tokuyama Bay, Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, according to Japanese government official confirmed reported,
621
1955
Soviet Union
Novorossiysk – On 29 October, the battleship was moored in Sevastopol Bay, 300 metres (330 yd) from shore and opposite a hospital. At 01:30 hrs there was an explosion, after which the ship capsized and sank with the loss of 608 men. The official investigation concluded that the explosion had been caused by a German mine left from the Second World W
608
1947
United States
Grandcamp – On 16 April, the French-registered Liberty ship caught fire and exploded dockside while being loaded with ammonium nitrate at Texas City, Texas. In what came to be called the Texas City Disaster an estimated 581 people, including all of the ship's crew and 28 firefighters, were killed and about 5,000 injured.
581
1981
Indonesia
Tampomas II – On 27 January the ocean liner, carrying more people than its capacity limit of 1,137, sank in the Java Sea after a fire and explosion. At least 580 people were killed and 515 rescued.
580
1920
France
SS Afrique – The passenger ship sank on 9 January in the Bay of Biscay in bad weather. It was carrying 602 passengers and crew, of whom only 34 were saved.
568
1986
Bangladesh
Shamia – On 25 May the double deck river ferry, carrying about 1,000 people, capsized in the Meghna River 135 miles (217 km) south of Dhaka in a storm. An estimated 500-600 people were killed.
500–600
1919
Spain
Valbanera – the steamship sank in the Gulf of Mexico 45 mi (72 km) west of Key West, Florida in a hurricane in September. All of the 488 crew and passengers were killed.
488
2000
Indonesia
Cahaya Bahari – On 29 June the overloaded ferry carrying refugees from the Maluku Islands sank in a storm. Of the 491 aboard, 10 were rescued.
481
1944
Japan
Tarumizu Maru 6 – On February 6, the ship was over-capacity and sank while trying to change direction, throwing off the ship's balance, in Kagoshima Bay, Tarumizu, Kagoshima Prefecture, according to Japanese government official confirmed report,
464
1916
Spain
Príncipe de Asturias – Sank near the island of Sao Sebastiao, Brazil on 5 March. At least 445 out of 588 aboard were killed.
445
1975
China
On 4 August, two passenger ships Hongxing 245 and Hongxing 240, on overnight trips between Guangzhou and Zhaoqing, collided and sank on the Zhujiang River, 432 of the 800 people aboard were killed.
432
1986
Soviet Union
Admiral Nakhimov – On 31 August the ship collided with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasyov in Tsemes Bay, near the port of Novorossiysk, Russian SFSR. 423 of the 1,234 people aboard were killed.
423
1988
India
A reported 400 people were killed when an unnamed passenger ferry struck a sand bar and capsized in the Ganges River.
400
1988
Philippines
Doña Marilyn – On the afternoon of 24 October, while sailing from Manila to Tacloban City, the vessel was caught in Typhoon Unsang and sank leaving 389 people dead and 147 survivors. Doña Marilyn was a sister ship of Doña Paz which sank a year earlier in the deadliest ever peace-time maritime disaster.
389
1999
Indonesia
KM Bismas Raya 2 – In October the ferry KM Bismas Raya 2 caught fire, capsized and sank while off the coast of Merauke. A reported 361 people were killed.
361
1918
United States
Princess Sophia – On 23 October the passenger steamship ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Rescue ships were unable to assist due to the continuing storm, and it sank on the night of 25 October. The only survivor found was a pet dog. The sinking of the SS Princess Sophia is to this day the worst maritime accident in t
343
1970
South Korea
Namyoung-ho – The ferry sank on 15 December. It was carrying 338 people, who were traveling from Busan to Jeju; 326 people killed. See Sinking of Namyoung-Ho
326
1927
Italy
Principessa Mafalda – On 25 October, the ocean liner sank off the coast of Brazil after its propeller shaft fractured and damaged its hull. It sank slowly in the presence of rescue vessels, but panic among passengers and crew caused the deaths of 314 of the 1,265 aboard.
314
1999
China
Dashun – On 24 November the ferry caught fire, broke apart and sank in rough seas off Yantai in eastern China. Of 336 aboard, 22 are known to have survived.
314
1999
Indonesia
Harta Rimba – On 7 February the ferry foundered and sank after being struck by a large wave while drifting with engine problems. Of the 332 aboard 19 were rescued two days after the sinking by a passing ship. A distress signal was not sent out and the sinking was unknown until the survivors were found.
313
1945
Japan
Sekirei Maru – According to Japan Coast Guard official reported, Awaji Island to Akashi route boat was overturned by heavy winds. Although fishing boats operating in the vicinity rescued 45 people, the captain of the doomed ship refused to be rescued, in Akashi Strait, Hyōgo Prefecture.
304
1911
France
Liberté – battleship that suffered an accidental ammunition explosion; about 300 people were killed.
300
1981
Brazil
Sobral Santos II The sinking was one of the worst maritime tragedies in the history of the Amazon River.
c. 300
1906
Italy
Sirio – On 4 August the cargo steamship sank after running aground and suffered a boiler explosion on the Punta Hormigas, a reef off Hormigas Island, two and a half miles east of Cape Palos, Cartagena, Spain. 293, including Italian and Spanish emigrants bound for Argentina, of the 645 aboard were lost. Other sources put the death toll at over 500.
293–500
1993
South Korea
Seohae Ferry – was a passenger ship that sank near Wi-do island, Jeolla Province. The ship was carrying 362 passengers (141 more than its capacity) and heavy freight in bad weather.
292
1996
Malta
F174 – Severely overloaded and poorly maintained ship carrying migrants from South Asia, sank 19 miles off Portopalo di Capo Passero in Sicily.
283+
1958
Turkey
Üsküdar – A small passenger ferry sank due to heavy lodos weather in the Gulf of İzmit on 1 March. 272 passengers including seven crew died; 39 people survived.
272
1994
Kenya
Likoni Ferry – On 29 April the overloaded passenger ferry Mtongwe One capsized and sank killing 272 people of the more than 300 aboard.
272
1928
Chile
Angamos – On 6 July it sailed bound for Talcahuano and sank off Punta Morguillas Lebu. Of the 269 people aboard 262 were lost and seven rescued. It was the second largest single maritime loss of life in the history of Chile.
262
1996
Indonesia
Gurita – On 19 January the ferry sunk during a strong storm six miles from Sabang. Of those on board, between 260 and 340 were killed and 47 survived.
260-340
1913
United States
Great Lakes Storm of 1913 – A cyclonic blizzard (sometimes referred to as an inland hurricane) on the Great Lakes that occurred between 7 and 10 November. In total 12 ships were sunk with a combined crew loss of 255. An additional seven ships were damaged beyond repair; 19 more ships that had been stranded were later salvaged.
255
· Wartime › Russo-Japanese War
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
1905
1905
Year
1905
Country
Russia
Description
Battle of Tsushima – the decisive naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, in which two-thirds of the Russian fleet was destroyed. 4,380 Russians were killed and 5,917 captured, including two admirals; 1,862 were interned. The battleships Knyaz Suvorov, Imperator Aleksandr III, Borodino and Oslyabya were sunk.
Deaths
4,380
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Japan
Description
Hitachi Maru – A Japanese transport ship that was shelled and sunk by the Imperial Russian Navy armored cruiser Gromoboi in the southern Korean Strait between the Japanese mainland and Tsushima in the "Hitachi Maru Incident".
Deaths
1,086
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Russia
Description
Petropavlovsk – the Russian battleship was sunk on 31 March after striking two mines near the Port Arthur naval base. A total of 18 officers, including an Imperial vice admiral and 620 men were killed.
Deaths
620
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Japan
Description
Hatsuse – A Japanese battleship that hit two mines on 15 May and sunk with the loss of 496 crew in a Russian minefield off Port Arthur.
Deaths
496
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Japan
Description
Yoshino – On 14 May, the cruiser sank killing 319 people after a collision. 19 survived.
Deaths
319
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Japan
Description
Takasago – a 2nd class protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy that struck a mine and sank off Port Arthur on 13 December, with the loss of 273 officers and crew.
Deaths
273
1904
1904
Year
1904
Country
Japan
Description
Yashima – A Japanese battleship that hit a mine on 15 May and sunk while being towed with nearly 200 of its crew.
Deaths
200
Ranked list
Year
Country
Description
Deaths
Use
Image
1905
Russia
Battle of Tsushima – the decisive naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, in which two-thirds of the Russian fleet was destroyed. 4,380 Russians were killed and 5,917 captured, including two admirals; 1,862 were interned. The battleships Knyaz Suvorov, Imperator Aleksandr III, Borodino and Oslyabya were sunk.
4,380
1904
Japan
Hitachi Maru – A Japanese transport ship that was shelled and sunk by the Imperial Russian Navy armored cruiser Gromoboi in the southern Korean Strait between the Japanese mainland and Tsushima in the "Hitachi Maru Incident".
1,086
1904
Russia
Petropavlovsk – the Russian battleship was sunk on 31 March after striking two mines near the Port Arthur naval base. A total of 18 officers, including an Imperial vice admiral and 620 men were killed.
620
1904
Japan
Hatsuse – A Japanese battleship that hit two mines on 15 May and sunk with the loss of 496 crew in a Russian minefield off Port Arthur.
496
1904
Japan
Yoshino – On 14 May, the cruiser sank killing 319 people after a collision. 19 survived.
319
1904
Japan
Takasago – a 2nd class protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy that struck a mine and sank off Port Arthur on 13 December, with the loss of 273 officers and crew.
273
1904
Japan
Yashima – A Japanese battleship that hit a mine on 15 May and sunk while being towed with nearly 200 of its crew.
200
· Wartime › Spanish Civil War
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
1939
1939
Year
1939
Country
Spain
Description
Castillo de Olite – On 7 March, near Cartagena Harbor while approaching the docks, it was hit by three 381mm rounds from a coastal battery and sank soon afterwards broken in two. Of the 2,112 men on board, 1,476 died, 342 were wounded and 294 were taken prisoner after being rescued by local fishermen and the lighthouse keeper.
Deaths
1,476
Use
Naval
1938
1938
Year
1938
Country
Spain
Description
Baleares – sunk by the Lepanto on 6 March. 765 seamen died.
Deaths
765
Use
Naval
1936
1936
Year
1936
Country
Spain
Description
Almirante Ferrándiz – sunk by Canarias on 29 September; 130 killed.
Deaths
130
Use
Naval
1936
1936
Year
1936
Country
Spain
Description
Submarine C-5 – disappeared on 31 December near Bilbao; 40 disappeared.
Deaths
40
Use
Naval
1936
1936
Year
1936
Country
Spain
Description
Submarine C-3 – sunk by German submarine U-34 (1936) on 12 December; 38 killed.
Deaths
38
Use
Naval
1936
1936
Year
1936
Country
Spain
Description
Submarine B-5 – disappeared on 15 April near Málaga; 34 disappeared.
Deaths
34
Use
Naval
1937
1937
Year
1937
Country
Germany
Description
Deutschland, misidentified as the Canarias – hit by bombs from Republican aircraft in the Deutschland incident; 31 killed. Not sunk.
Deaths
31
Use
Naval
Ranked list
Year
Country
Description
Deaths
Use
Image
1939
Spain
Castillo de Olite – On 7 March, near Cartagena Harbor while approaching the docks, it was hit by three 381mm rounds from a coastal battery and sank soon afterwards broken in two. Of the 2,112 men on board, 1,476 died, 342 were wounded and 294 were taken prisoner after being rescued by local fishermen and the lighthouse keeper.
1,476
Naval
1938
Spain
Baleares – sunk by the Lepanto on 6 March. 765 seamen died.
765
Naval
1936
Spain
Almirante Ferrándiz – sunk by Canarias on 29 September; 130 killed.
130
Naval
1936
Spain
Submarine C-5 – disappeared on 31 December near Bilbao; 40 disappeared.
40
Naval
1936
Spain
Submarine C-3 – sunk by German submarine U-34 (1936) on 12 December; 38 killed.
38
Naval
1936
Spain
Submarine B-5 – disappeared on 15 April near Málaga; 34 disappeared.
34
Naval
1937
Germany
Deutschland, misidentified as the Canarias – hit by bombs from Republican aircraft in the Deutschland incident; 31 killed. Not sunk.
31
Naval
· Wartime › Second Chinese Civil War
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
1948
1948
Year
1948
Country
China
Description
Xuan Huai – On November 2, 1948, several merchant ships including the Xuan Huai were evacuating the 2nd and 25th Divisions of the 52nd Army from Yingkou. According to Nationalist sources, the ship suddenly caught fire and exploded at 4 a . when 90% of the 2nd division were on board. Soldiers on the main deck and upper holds managed to escape, but
Deaths
2,000-6,000
Use
Naval
1948
1948
Year
1948
Country
China
Description
Kiangya – On December 4, 1948, the passenger steamship, packed beyond its capacity limit of 1,186 with refugees fleeing the People's Liberation Army, blew up and sank in the mouth of the Huangpu River 50 mi (80 km) south of Shanghai. The suspected cause of the explosion was a mine left behind by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The exact
Deaths
2,750–3,920
Use
Naval
1949
1949
Year
1949
Country
China
Description
Taiping – On 27 January the steamer sank after a collision with another vessel en route to Taiwan resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew combined. The ship was packed to nearly twice its rated capacity with more than 1,000 refugees fleeing Communism after the Chinese Civil War traveling from Shanghai to Keelung.
Deaths
1,500+
Use
Naval
Ranked list
Year
Country
Description
Deaths
Use
Image
1948
China
Xuan Huai – On November 2, 1948, several merchant ships including the Xuan Huai were evacuating the 2nd and 25th Divisions of the 52nd Army from Yingkou. According to Nationalist sources, the ship suddenly caught fire and exploded at 4 a . when 90% of the 2nd division were on board. Soldiers on the main deck and upper holds managed to escape, but
2,000-6,000
Naval
1948
China
Kiangya – On December 4, 1948, the passenger steamship, packed beyond its capacity limit of 1,186 with refugees fleeing the People's Liberation Army, blew up and sank in the mouth of the Huangpu River 50 mi (80 km) south of Shanghai. The suspected cause of the explosion was a mine left behind by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The exact
2,750–3,920
Naval
1949
China
Taiping – On 27 January the steamer sank after a collision with another vessel en route to Taiwan resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew combined. The ship was packed to nearly twice its rated capacity with more than 1,000 refugees fleeing Communism after the Chinese Civil War traveling from Shanghai to Keelung.
1,500+
Naval
· Wartime › Six-Day War
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
1967
1967
Year
1967
Country
United States Navy
Description
USS Liberty – On 8 June, the technical research ship was attacked by Israeli Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats while in international waters in the Mediterranean. Israel apologized for the attack, saying that the USS Liberty had been attacked in error after being mistaken for an Egyptian ship. The combined air and sea atta
Deaths
34
Use
Naval
Ranked list
Year
Country
Description
Deaths
Use
Image
1967
United States Navy
USS Liberty – On 8 June, the technical research ship was attacked by Israeli Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats while in international waters in the Mediterranean. Israel apologized for the attack, saying that the USS Liberty had been attacked in error after being mistaken for an Egyptian ship. The combined air and sea atta
"Det Norske Veritas Report No. 97-2053, Annex 1: Passenger Vessel Evacuation Descriptions, sec. I , p. I , FSA of HLA on PassengerVessels, C8065\annex 1 1 November, 2001"
