With increasing technology, the number of accidents is also increasing. Industrial accidents are one of the most dangerous and hazardous accidents. The world has seen thousands of industrial accidents, but there are some accidents which have marked the history of accidents. Industrial accidents may disrupt the social and economic conditions of a particular country. The environmental condition gets highly affected because of these industrial accidents. People working in industries should try to make an effort to avoid such types of accidents. One should not behave carefully while working in the industry.
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Greatest Industrial Accidents in History
Here we have the list of the top 10 worst industrial accidents in the world’ history
10. The Exxon Valdez
This incident corresponds to the United States of America. The Exxon Valdez was basically a tanker which was used to store crude oil in it. The accident took place on 24th March 1989. In the Gulf of Alaska, the crude oil stored in the Exxon Valdez got spilled. Around 11 million gallons of oil was spilled over the water surface. The crude oil covered the water of Alaska shoreline. The oil got spread around 100 miles of area. Thousands of sea animals like sharks, whales, and fishes died because of this accident. Exxon Corporation went into a debt trap because of this accident and they ended up paying a huge amount of 2 billion dollars to clean up the mess created because of this accident.
9. The Triangle Fire
This incident took place on 25th March 1911 in the United States of America. This accident took place in a shirtwaist factory. 150 deaths have been reported in this accident. After this accident, the workers in huge masses instigated strikes and demanded healthier and safer working conditions. While working in the factory, the workers found them locked in a particular area and they could not run away when the fire was consuming the factory.
8. Deep Water Horizon
Deep Water Horizon was an oil rig, which was used to store oil in it. The accident took place in the Gulf of Mexico on 20th April 2010. This was considered the biggest marine oil spill. The oil spill began in April and no one has known about it, till September. The oil was spilled for more than six months. More than a thousand barrels of oil was wasted in this case. After some time, the color of the water changed to dark brown, indicating the presence of the oil. Then the leakage was treated and sealed. Thousands of marine animals died and more than 5 million barrels of oil was wasted.
7. Courrieres
This incident occurred in Europe. The place witnessed a disastrous mining accident. This accident took place on 10th March 1906 in the mine, which is situated close to Pas-de-Calais hills. There was a massive explosion in that mine which took the lives of many people. The air was got highly polluted because of this explosion.
6. Fukushima Daiichi in Japan
On March 11, 2011, there was a nuclear disaster in Fukushima Daiichi. The tsunami waves, which were created by the earthquake-damaged, may power generators. Because of this earthquake, a large amount of substantial radioactive material was released into the environment. More than ten thousand residents were evacuated to save people from the harmful effect of radioactive substances.
5. Oppau Explosion
Oppau Explosion took place on September 21, 1921, in Germany. The explosion resulted in heavy loss of life, money, property and environment. It had a vast effect on the social and economic conditions of Germany. The explosion took place in BASF plant. In this plant, there are many huge tanks containing Ammonium nitrate and Ammonium Sulphate. Because of the explosion, all these chemicals were released into the environment.
4. Monongah
This is another very severe mining disaster, which took place in the United States of America. An explosion took place in the coalmine named Monongah in West Virginia. This accident took place on December 6, 1907. The ventilation system of the mine got disturbed and the main entrance was collapsed. Thousands of workers working in the coalmine were suffocated and they died out of suffocation. More than 400 deaths were reported in this accident.
3. Three Mile Island
On March 28, 1979, another nuclear disaster happened in the United States of America. On Three Mile Island, a reactor released many harmful and poisonous gases like deadly hydrogen gas into the atmosphere
2. Chernobyl Disaster
Chernobyl disaster is a well-known disaster which took place in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The plant is located in Ukraine. The accident is one of the most dangerous accidents in the history of industrial accidents. More than ten thousand people died in this accident on April 26, 1986. Explosion in this plant leads to the release of many harmful gases in the environment
1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Bhopal tragedy is the incident, which took the lives of a maximum number of people. More than twenty thousand people died in this accident. The accident took place in the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal. A very poisonous gas named methyl isocyanate leaked from this plant. The entire city was affected because of this leak.