The worst disasters in the world. The worst disasters in the world Submarine "Kursk"

Environmental disasters have their own specifics - during them not a single person may die, but at the same time very significant damage to the environment will be caused. Nowadays, the culprit of environmental disasters is mainly man. The growth of industrial and agricultural production not only brings material benefits, but is also slowly killing our habitat. Therefore, the biggest environmental disasters in the world are imprinted in human memory for a long time.

1. Oil leakage from the Prestige tanker

The Bahamian-flagged single-hull tanker Prestige was built by the Japanese shipyard Hitachi to transport crude oil and launched in 1976. In November 2002, while passing through the Bay of Biscay, the tanker encountered a strong storm off the coast of Galicia, as a result of which it received a 35 m long crack, from which about a thousand tons of fuel oil began to leak per day.
Spanish coast services refused to allow the dirty ship to enter the nearest port, so they tried to tow it to Portugal, but a similar refusal was received there. In the end, the restless tanker was towed to the Atlantic. On November 19, it sank completely, splitting into two parts, which sank to the bottom to a depth of about 3,700 m. Since it was impossible to repair the damage and pump out the oil products, over 70,000 cubic meters of oil ended up in the ocean. A spot more than a thousand kilometers long formed on the surface along the coastline, causing enormous damage to the local fauna and flora.
For Europe, this was the most catastrophic oil spill in history. The damage from it was estimated at 4 billion euros, and 300,000 volunteers worked to eliminate its consequences.

2. Exxon Valdez tanker wreck

On March 23, 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker, fully loaded with oil, sailed from a terminal in the Alaskan port of Valdez, bound for the Californian port of Long Beach. Having taken the ship out of Valdez, the pilot handed over control of the tanker to Captain Joseph Jeffrey, who by that time was already “tipsy.” There were icebergs in the sea, so the captain was forced to deviate from the course, notifying the coast guard. Having received permission from the latter, he changed course, and at 23 o'clock he left the wheelhouse, leaving control of the ship to the third mate and the sailor, who had already served their watch and needed a 6-hour rest. In fact, the tanker was controlled by an autopilot, guided by a navigation system.
Before leaving, the captain instructed the mate that two minutes after passing abeam the island it was necessary to change course. The assistant conveyed this order to the sailor, but either he himself was late, or his execution was late, but at half past twelve on the night of March 24, the tanker crashed into Blythe Reef. As a result of the disaster, 40,000 cubic meters of oil spilled into the ocean, and environmentalists believe that much more. 2,400 km of coastline were polluted, making the accident one of the world's most significant environmental disasters.

Hazardous natural phenomena mean extreme climatic or meteorological phenomena that occur naturally in that area...

3. Chernobyl disaster

All people born in the USSR are notorious for the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Its consequences are still in effect today and will continue to haunt us for many years to come. On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, completely destroying the reactor, and tons of radioactive materials were released into the environment. At the time of the tragedy itself, 31 people died, but this is only the tip of the iceberg - it is simply impossible to calculate the number of victims and injured from this accident.
Officially, about 200 people who were directly involved in its liquidation are considered to have died from the accident; all of them were killed by radiation sickness. The nature of all of Eastern Europe suffered enormous damage. Tens of tons of radioactive uranium, plutonium, strontium and cesium were dispersed into the atmosphere and began to slowly settle to the ground, carried by the wind. The authorities’ desire not to widely publicize what happened so that panic would not start among the population contributed to the tragedy of the unfolding events around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Therefore, many thousands of residents of cities and villages who were not included in the alienated 30-kilometer zone carelessly remained in their places.
In subsequent years, there was a surge in cancer among them, mothers gave birth to thousands of deformities, and this is still observed. In total, due to the spread of radioactive contamination in the area, the authorities had to evacuate over 115,000 people living within a 30-kilometer zone around the nuclear power plant. More than 600,000 people took part in the elimination of this accident and its lingering consequences, and enormous amounts of money were spent. The territory directly adjacent to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is still a restricted area because it is unsuitable for habitation.

Throughout the history of mankind, powerful earthquakes have repeatedly caused colossal damage to people and caused a huge number of casualties among the population...

4. Accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant

But the largest environmental disaster in human memory happened on March 11, 2011. It all started with a strong earthquake and a powerful tsunami, which disabled the backup diesel generators and power supply system of the nuclear power plant. This led to dysfunction of the reactor cooling system and melting of the core in three power units of the station. During the accident, hydrogen was released, which exploded, destroying the outer shell of the reactor, but the reactor itself survived.
Due to the leak of radioactive substances, the level of radiation quickly began to increase, because the depressurization of the shells of the fuel elements caused the leak of radioactive cesium. On March 23, 30 kilometers from the station in the ocean, water samples were taken, which showed an excess of the norms for iodine-131 and cesium-137, but the radioactivity of the water was increasing and by March 31 it exceeded the normal level by almost 4400 times, because even after the accident the water was contaminated with radiation continued to leak into the ocean. It is clear that after some time, animals with strange genetic and physiological changes began to be found in local waters.
The spread of radiation was facilitated by the fish themselves and other marine animals. Many thousands of local residents had to be resettled from the radiation-contaminated area. A year later, on the coast near the nuclear power plant, radiation exceeded the norm by 100 times, so decontamination work will continue here for a long time.

5. Bhopal disaster

The disaster in Bhopal, India was truly terrible, not only because it caused enormous damage to the state’s nature, but also because it claimed the lives of 18,000 residents. A subsidiary of the Union Carbide Corporation was building a chemical plant in Bhopal, which, according to the original design, was supposed to produce pesticides used in agriculture.
But in order for the plant to become competitive, it was decided to change the production technology towards something more dangerous and complex, which would not require more expensive imported raw materials. But a series of crop failures led to a decrease in demand for the plant’s products, so the owners decided to sell it in the summer of 1984. Funding for the operating enterprise was curtailed, the equipment gradually wore out and no longer met safety standards. In the end, liquid methyl isocyanate overheated in one of the reactors, causing a sharp release of its vapors, which ruptured the emergency valve. In a matter of seconds, 42 tons of toxic vapors entered the atmosphere, which formed a deadly cloud with a diameter of 4 kilometers over the plant and the surrounding area.
The affected area included residential areas and a railway station. The authorities did not manage to inform the population about the danger in time, and there was a critical shortage of medical personnel, so on the very first day, 5,000 people died after inhaling poisonous gas. But for a number of years after this, poisoned people continued to die, and the total number of victims of that accident is estimated at 30,000 people.

A tornado (in America this phenomenon is called a tornado) is a fairly stable atmospheric vortex, most often occurring in thunderclouds. He's visual...

6. Disaster at the Sandoz chemical plant

One of the most terrible environmental disasters, which caused incredible damage to nature, occurred on November 1, 1986 in prosperous Switzerland. Chemical and pharmaceutical giant Sandoz's plant, built on the banks of the Rhine near Basel, produced a variety of chemicals used in agriculture. When a strong fire broke out at the plant, about 30 tons of pesticides and mercury compounds entered the Rhine. The water in the Rhine has turned an ominous red color.
The authorities prohibited residents living on its banks from leaving their homes. Downstream, in some German cities the centralized water supply had to be cut off, and residents were brought drinking water in tanks. Almost all the fish and other living creatures died in the river, some species were irretrievably lost. Later, a program was adopted until 2020, the goal of which was to make the waters of the Rhine suitable for swimming.

7. Disappearance of the Aral Sea

Back in the middle of the last century, the Aral was the fourth largest lake in the world. But the active withdrawal of water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya for irrigating cotton and other crops led to the fact that the Aral Sea began to quickly become shallow, divided into 2 parts, one of which has already completely dried up, and the second will follow its example in the coming years.
Scientists estimate that from 1960 to 2007, the Aral Sea lost 1,000 cubic kilometers of water, which led to its reduction by more than 10 times. Previously, 178 species of vertebrates lived in the Aral Sea, but now there are only 38.
For decades, agricultural waste has been dumped into the Aral Sea and settled at the bottom. Now they have turned into poisonous sand, which the wind carries fifty kilometers around, polluting the surrounding area and destroying vegetation. Vozrozhdeniya Island has long been turned into part of the mainland, but once upon a time there was a testing ground for bacteriological weapons on it. There are burial places with such deadly diseases as typhus, plague, smallpox, and anthrax. Some pathogens are still alive, so they can spread into inhabited areas thanks to rodents.

Occasionally, tsunami waves occur in the ocean. They are very insidious - in the open ocean they are completely invisible, but as soon as they approach the coastal shelf, they...

8. Flixborough chemical plant accident

In the British city of Flixborough there was a Nipro plant that produced ammonium nitrate, and on its territory 4000 tons of caprolactam, 3000 tons of cyclohexanone, 2500 tons of phenol, 2000 tons of cyclohexane and many other chemicals were stored. But various technological containers and spherical tanks were insufficiently filled, which increased the risk of explosion. In addition, the plant's reactors contained various flammable materials under high pressure and high temperature.
The administration sought to increase the plant's productivity, but this reduced the effectiveness of fire extinguishing agents. The company's engineers were often forced to turn a blind eye to deviations from technological regulations and neglect safety standards - a familiar picture. Finally, on June 1, 1974, the plant was shaken by a powerful explosion. Instantly, the production premises were engulfed in flames, and the shock wave from the explosion swept through the surrounding populated areas, shattering windows, tearing roofs off houses and injuring people. 55 people died then. The power of the explosion was estimated at 45 tons of TNT. But worst of all, the explosion was accompanied by the emergence of a large cloud of toxic fumes, which is why the authorities had to urgently evacuate residents of some neighboring settlements.
The damage from this man-made disaster was estimated at 36 million pounds - it was the most expensive emergency incident for British industry.

9. Fire on the Piper Alpha oil rig

In July 1988, a major disaster occurred on the Piper Alpha platform, which was used for oil and gas production. Its consequences were aggravated by the indecisive and ill-considered actions of the personnel, due to which, out of 226 people working on the platform, 167 died. For some time after the accident, oil products continued to flow through the pipes, so the fire did not die out, but flared up even more. This disaster resulted not only in human casualties, but also in great environmental damage.

Rosstat and various rating agencies closely monitor the cost of goods and services in various localities in Russia. They are all together...

10. Explosion of an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico

On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deep Water Horizon oil production platform, owned by British Petroleum and located in the Gulf of Mexico, causing huge amounts of oil to be released from an uncontrolled well into the sea for a long time. The platform itself sank into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Experts were only able to roughly estimate the volume of spilled oil, but one thing is clear - this disaster became one of the most terrible for the biosphere not only of the Gulf Coast, but also of the Atlantic Ocean. Oil was poured into the water for 152 days, 75,000 square meters. km of water in the bay were covered with a thick oil film. All states whose coasts overlook the Gulf of Mexico (Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi) suffered from pollution, but Alabama suffered the most.
About 400 species of rare animals were threatened with extinction, and thousands of seabirds and amphibians died on oil-filled shores. The Office of Specially Protected Resources reported that there had been an outbreak of mortality among cetaceans in the gulf following the oil spill.

Sometimes it is quite difficult to assess the scale of a particular global catastrophe, because the consequences of some of them can appear many years after the incident itself.

In this article we will present the 10 worst disasters in the world that were not caused by deliberate actions. Among them are incidents that occurred on water, in the air, and on land.

Fukushima accident

The disaster, which occurred on March 11, 2011, simultaneously combines the features of man-made and natural disasters. A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of nine and the subsequent tsunami caused a failure of the power supply system of the Daiichi nuclear plant, as a result of which the cooling process of reactors with nuclear fuel was stopped.

In addition to the monstrous destruction that was caused by the earthquake and tsunami, this incident led to serious radioactive contamination of the territory and water area. In addition, the Japanese authorities had to evacuate more than two hundred thousand people due to the high likelihood of severe illness due to exposure to severe radiation. The combination of all these consequences gives the right to the Fukushima accident to be called one of the worst disasters in the world in the twenty-first century.

The total damage from the accident is estimated at $100 billion. This amount includes the costs of eliminating the consequences and paying compensation. But we must not forget that work to eliminate the consequences of the disaster is still ongoing, which accordingly increases this amount.

In 2013, the Fukushima nuclear power plant was officially closed, and only work to eliminate the consequences of the accident is being carried out on its territory. Experts believe that it will take at least forty years to clean up the building and the contaminated area.

The consequences of the Fukushima accident are a reassessment of safety measures in the nuclear energy industry, a drop in the price of natural uranium, and, accordingly, a decrease in the prices of shares of uranium mining companies.

Collision at Los Rodeos Airport

Perhaps the world's worst aircraft accident occurred in the Canary Islands (Tenerife) in 1977. At Los Rodeos airport, two Boeing 747 airliners, which belonged to KLM and Pan American, collided on the runway. As a result, 583 out of 644 people died, including both passengers and airline crews.

One of the main reasons for this situation was the terrorist attack at Las Palmas airport, which was carried out by terrorists from the MPAIAC organization (Movimiento por la Autodeterminación e Independencia del Archipiélago Canario). The terrorist attack itself did not cause any casualties, but the airport administration closed the airport and stopped accepting planes, fearing further incidents.

Because of this, Los Rodeos became congested as it was diverted by planes that were bound for Las Palmas, in particular two Boeing 747 flights PA1736 and KL4805. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the fact that the plane owned by Pan

American had enough fuel to land at another airport, but the pilots obeyed the air traffic controller's orders.

The cause of the collision itself was fog, which severely limited visibility, as well as difficulties in negotiations between controllers and pilots, which were caused by the thick accents of the controllers, and the fact that the pilots were constantly interrupting each other.

Collision between Dona Paz and tanker Vector

On December 20, 1987, the Philippine-registered passenger ferry Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker Vector, resulting in the world's worst peacetime disaster on the water.

At the time of the collision, the ferry was following its standard Manila-Catbalogan route, which it travels twice a week. On December 20, 1987, at about 06:30, the Dona Paz sailed from Tacloban bound for Manila. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the ferry was passing through the Tablas Strait near Marinduque, and survivors reported clear but rough seas.

The collision occurred after the passengers had fallen asleep; the ferry collided with the Vector tanker, which was transporting gasoline and oil products. Immediately after the collision, a strong fire broke out due to the fact that oil products spilled into the sea. The strong impact and fire almost instantly caused panic among passengers; in addition, according to survivors, there were not the required number of life jackets on the ferry.

Only 26 people survived, of which 24 were passengers from Donya Paz and two people from the Vector tanker.

Mass poisoning in Iraq 1971

At the end of 1971, a shipment of grain treated with methylmercury was imported into Iraq from Mexico. Of course, the grain was not intended to be processed into food, and was to be used only for planting. Unfortunately, the local population did not know Spanish, and accordingly all the warning signs that read “Do not eat.”

It should also be noted that the grain was delivered to Iraq late, since the planting season had already passed. All this led to the fact that in some villages grain treated with methylmercury began to be eaten.

After eating this grain, symptoms such as numbness of the limbs, loss of vision, and loss of coordination were observed. As a result of criminal negligence, about one hundred thousand people received mercury poisoning, of whom about six thousand died.

This incident led the World Health Organization to monitor grain circulation more closely and take the labeling of potentially hazardous products more seriously.

Mass destruction of sparrows in China

Despite the fact that we do not include in our list disasters caused by the deliberate actions of people, this case is an exception, since it was caused by banal stupidity and insufficient knowledge of ecology. Nevertheless, this incident fully deserves the title of one of the most terrible disasters in the world.

As part of the “Great Leap Forward” economic policy, a large-scale fight against agricultural pests was carried out, among which the Chinese authorities identified the four most terrible ones - mosquitoes, rats, flies and sparrows.

Employees of the Chinese Research Institute of Zoology calculated that because of sparrows, the amount of grain that could feed about thirty-five million people was lost during the year. Based on this, a plan was developed to exterminate these birds, which was approved by Mao Zedong on March 18, 1958.

All the peasants began to actively hunt birds. The most effective method was to keep them from falling to the ground. To do this, adults and children shouted, hit basins, waved poles, rags, etc. This made it possible to frighten the sparrows and prevent them from landing on the ground for fifteen minutes. As a result, the birds simply dropped dead.

After a year of hunting sparrows, the harvest really increased. However, later caterpillars, locusts, and other pests that ate the shoots began to actively breed. This led to the fact that after another year, harvests fell sharply, and famine occurred, which led to the death of 10 to 30 million people.

Piper Alpha oil rig disaster

The Piper Alpha platform was built in 1975, and oil production started on it in 1976. Over time, it was converted for gas production. However, on July 6, 1988, a gas leak occurred, which led to an explosion.

Due to indecisive and ill-considered actions of the personnel, 167 people out of 226 on the platform died.

Of course, after this event, oil and gas production on this platform was completely stopped. Insured losses totaled approximately US$3.4 billion. This is one of the most famous disasters in the world associated with the oil industry.

Death of the Aral Sea

This incident is the biggest environmental disaster on the territory of the former Soviet Union. The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake, after the Caspian Sea, Lake Superior in North America, and Lake Victoria in Africa. Now in its place is the Aralkum desert.

The reason for the disappearance of the Aral Sea is the creation of new irrigation canals for agricultural enterprises in Turkmenistan, which took water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers. Because of this, the lake has retreated greatly from the shore, which has led to the exposure of the bottom covered with sea salt, pesticides and chemicals.

Due to natural evaporation of the Aral Sea during the period from 1960 to 2007, the sea lost about a thousand cubic kilometers of water. In 1989, the reservoir split into two parts, and in 2003, the volume of water was about 10% of its original volume.

The result of this incident was serious changes in climate and landscape. In addition, of the 178 species of vertebrate animals that lived in the Aral Sea, only 38 remain;

Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion

The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform that occurred on April 20, 2010 is considered one of the largest man-made disasters in terms of its negative impact on the environmental situation. 11 people died directly from the explosion and 17 were injured. Two more people died during the liquidation of the consequences of the disaster.

Due to the fact that the explosion damaged pipes at a depth of 1,500 meters, approximately five million barrels of oil spilled into the sea over 152 days, creating a slick with an area of ​​75,000 kilometers; in addition, 1,770 kilometers of coastline were polluted.

The oil spill endangered 400 animal species and also led to a fishing ban.

Eruption of Mont Pele volcano

On May 8, 1902, one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in human history occurred. This incident led to the emergence of a new classification of volcanic eruptions, and changed the attitude of many scientists to volcanology.

The volcano awakened back in April 1902, and within a month, hot vapors and gases, as well as lava, accumulated inside. A month later, a huge grayish cloud burst out at the foot of the volcano. The peculiarity of this eruption is that the lava did not come out from the top, but from side craters that were located on the slopes. As a result of a powerful explosion, one of the main ports of the island of Martinique, the city of Saint-Pierre, was completely destroyed. The disaster claimed the lives of thirty thousand people.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis

This disaster unfolded as follows:

• Cyclone Nargis formed on April 27, 2008, in the Bay of Bengal, and initially moved towards the coast of India, in a northwest direction;
• On April 28, it stops moving, but the wind speed in the spiral vortices began to increase significantly. Because of this, the cyclone began to be classified as a hurricane;
• On April 29, the wind speed reached 160 kilometers per hour, and the cyclone resumed movement, but in a northeast direction;
• On May 1, the wind direction changed to the east, and at the same time the wind was constantly increasing;
• On May 2, the wind speed reached 215 kilometers per hour, and at noon it reached the coast of Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy Province.

According to the UN, 1.5 million people were injured as a result of the violence, of whom 90 thousand died and 56 thousand were missing. In addition, the major city of Yangon was seriously damaged, and many settlements were completely destroyed. Part of the country was left without telephone communications, internet and electricity. The streets were littered with debris, debris from buildings and trees.

To eliminate the consequences of this disaster, the united forces of many countries of the world and international organizations such as the UN, EU, and UNESCO were needed.

That disaster films are bad these days. But I want to look at the collapsing miracles of technology and the surviving heroes! We remembered 10 disaster films, which are based on real events, and not the weak imagination of the screenwriters. Go!

10. “And the Storm Came” (2016)

Director: Craig Gillespie.

Starring: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster.

1952, USA. The oil tanker Pendleton sank off the coast. Only the local coast guard manages to help the crew members. The problem is that she only has light boats at her disposal, which may not withstand the storm.

The film is not bad, but the authors went too far with pathos and seriousness. Sometimes you don’t even believe that everything was filmed based on a real story - the characters shown in the film seem so far-fetched. However, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the writers decided to “tweak” the characters’ characteristics by setting the “heroism” perk to the maximum.

9. “The Perfect Storm” (2000)

Director: Wolfgang Petersen.

Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly.

In 1991, the Atlantic coast of the United States was covered by the so-called “perfect” or Halloween storm. The disaster destroyed the fishing vessel Andrea Gail. The sailors went fishing, trying to compensate for the previous unsuccessful catch. No one ever returned from the voyage.

According to reports from captain Andrea Gail, shortly before the ship stopped communicating, the wave height exceeded nine meters. There are claims that the sailors were killed by a 30-meter wave, although this is considered unlikely. But for the film it’s what you need.

There is only one complaint about the picture. “The Perfect Storm” speculates too much, successfully exploiting the fact that there is no reliable information about what happened to Andrea Gail.

8. Deepwater Horizon (2016)

Director: Peter Berg.

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin.

It seems that the explosion on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico happened quite recently. But no - seven years have passed. The echoes of the event still resonate loudly, and environmentalists continue to sound the alarm. The giant oil spill caused a lot of trouble.

The film, which takes its name from an oil platform, tells the story of station workers who find themselves face to face with fire. Cut off from the world by expanses of water, brave men solve problems as best they can - in their own way, in a simple, but effective way.

The accident killed 13 people. The filmmakers see the British oil and gas giant BP as the only culprit behind the fiery nightmare. This company still cannot recover from the consequences of the scandal.

7. “Earthquake” (2010)

Director: Feng Xiaogang.

Cast: Xu Fan, Zhang Jingchu, Yang Lixin.

The main thing is not to confuse this film with the work of the same name by Sarik Andreasyan. It is best to focus on the year of release: the Chinese film was released in 2010, and the Russian film in 2016.

The film is based on the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. It lasted less than a second, but in terms of the number of victims and the scale of destruction it became the second in the written history of mankind. As a result of the disaster, from 240 to 655 thousand people died, about 5 million houses were destroyed.

Feng Xiaogang's film does not try to embrace the immensity and show all the horrors that the earthquake brought. Instead, it focuses on the story of one family who physically survived a terrible tragedy, but are psychologically unable to cope with it, even decades later.

6. “The Impossible” (2012)

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland.

Another film about family life through the prism of a natural disaster. The tsunami that hits Thailand takes the hero Ewan McGregor and his household by surprise when he comes on vacation. The elements will scatter everyone, but in the end the family will be reunited.

The tragedy occurred at the very end of 2004. An underwater earthquake caused a giant tsunami over 15 meters high in the Indian Ocean. As a result, about 300 thousand people died.

This time, it's not just the tsunami backdrop that's real, but also the family's story. The film was based on the story of a Spanish family that was lucky enough to survive the tsunami.

5. “K-19” (2002)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, Peter Sarsgaard.

They say that the sailors called the Soviet nuclear submarine K-19 “Hiroshima” due to frequent accidents. Kathryn Bigelow's film tells about one of these accidents, which can easily be included in the ranks of man-made disasters.

During one of the submarine's cruises in 1961, the reactor cooling system was damaged, as a result of which gamma radiation began to increase sharply. Despite the efforts of the crew, within several hours the ship and its crew were completely contaminated with radiation. Eight crew members soon died due to radiation sickness.

Participants in the event generally reacted negatively to the release of K-19. According to survivors, too much in the film is fictitious, from technical aspects to relationships between submariners. There was neither rebellion nor desire to surrender to the Americans. Well, that's what a movie is, even if it's based on reality - the main thing is that it's interesting to watch.

4. “Survive” (1992)

Director: Frank Marshall.

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, Josh Hamilton.

On October 13, 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force airliner operated charter flight FAU 571 on the route Montevideo - Mendoza - Santiago. There were 40 people on board the plane - the Old Christians rugby team, relatives of the athletes and support staff. Not far from its destination, the ship was caught in a cyclone, crashed into a mountain and collapsed. 12 people died immediately, and the rest had to fight for their lives against cold and hunger. The guys waited for help for more than two months. He managed to survive by eating the corpses of his comrades.

Thanks to a strong story, the film turned out strong. But “Survive” is exactly the case when it’s not the visual effects that come first, but the psychology. What would you do in the shoes of these unfortunate people? Condemn, forgive or understand? There's plenty of action too. The film was even nominated for an MTV award for the episode with the plane crash.

Some scenes of the film today look too naive - the considerable age of the film affects it. Still, we recommend watching this movie, because it will certainly encourage you to learn more about what happened to the castaways in the Andes in the fall of 1972.

3. “Miracle on the Hudson” (2016)

Director: Clint Eastwood.

Cast: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart.

A film adaptation of a true story that happened on January 15, 2009 with an Airbus A320 flying from New York. One of two films in our rating in which there is a disaster, but no deaths. Yes, the movie came out a bit bland, but it looks great as a thorough reconstruction of events.

The plane had just taken off from the New York airport runway when, a minute and a half later, it collided with a flock of birds. The crew had to make several decisions that were fateful for dozens of passengers. As a result, a huge colossus flopped onto the Hudson River. After this, the pilot Chesley Sullenberger was dragged through the courts, but in the end everything worked out.

Clint Eastwood records everything that happened in a detached manner, without particularly trying to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. But as always, the lead actor, Tom Hanks, did his best.

17.04.2013

Natural disasters unpredictable, destructive, unstoppable. Perhaps this is why humanity fears them most. We offer you the top rating in history, they claimed a huge number of lives.

10. Banqiao Dam collapse, 1975

The dam was built to contain the effects of about 12 inches of rainfall daily. However, in August 1975 it became clear that this was not enough. As a result of the collision of cyclones, Typhoon Nina brought with it heavy rains - 7.46 inches per hour, which means 41.7 inches daily. In addition, due to clogging, the dam could no longer fulfill its role. Over the course of a few days, 15.738 billion tons of water burst through it, which swept through the surrounding area in a deadly wave. More than 231,000 people died.

9. Earthquake in Haiyan, China, 1920

As a result of the earthquake, which is on the 9th line in the top ranking deadliest natural disasters in history, 7 provinces of China were affected. In the Hainian region alone, 73,000 people died, and more than 200,000 people died nationwide. The tremors continued for the next three years. It caused landslides and large ground cracks. The earthquake was so strong that some rivers changed course, and natural dams appeared in some.

8. Tangshan Earthquake, 1976

It occurred on July 28, 1976 and is called the strongest earthquake of the 20th century. The epicenter was the city of Tangshan, located in Hebei Province, China. In 10 seconds, practically nothing remained of a densely populated, large industrial city. The number of victims is about 220,000.

7. Antakya (Antioch) earthquake, 565

Despite the small number of details that have survived to this day, The earthquake was one of the most destructive and claimed more than 250,000 lives and caused enormous damage to the economy.

6. Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami, 2004

Happened on December 24, 2004, just in time for Christmas. The epicenter was located off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The hardest hit countries were Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. The second earthquake in history with a magnitude of 9.1 -9.3. it was the cause of a number of other earthquakes around the globe, for example in Alaska. It also caused a deadly tsunami. More than 225,000 people died.

5. Indian cyclone, 1839

In 1839, an extremely large cyclone hit India. On November 25, a storm practically destroyed the city of Coringa. He literally destroyed everything he came into contact with. 2,000 ships docked at the port were wiped off the face of the earth. The city was not restored. The storm surges it attracted killed more than 300,000 people.

4. Cyclone Bola, 1970

After Cyclone Bola swept through the lands of Pakistan, more than half of the arable land was contaminated and spoiled, a small part of the rice and grains was saved, but famine could no longer be avoided. In addition, about 500,000 people died from the heavy rains and flooding that it caused. Wind force -115 meters per hour, hurricane - category 3.

3. Shaanxi Earthquake, 1556

The most destructive earthquake in history occurred on February 14, 1556 in China. Its epicenter was in the Wei River Valley and as a result, about 97 provinces were affected. Buildings were destroyed, half the people living in them were killed. According to some reports, 60% of the population of Huasqian province died. A total of 830,000 people died. The tremors continued for another six months.

2. Yellow River Flood, 1887

The Yellow River in China is extremely susceptible to flooding and overflowing its banks. In 1887, this resulted in the flooding of 50,000 square miles around. According to some estimates, the flood claimed the lives of 900,000 – 2,000,000 people. Farmers, knowing the characteristics of the river, built dams that saved them from the annual floods, but that year, the water swept away both the farmers and their homes.

1. Flood of central China, 1931

According to statistics, the flood that occurred in 1931 became the most terrible in history. After a long drought, 7 cyclones came to China at once, bringing with them hundreds of liters of rain. As a result, three rivers overflowed their banks. The flood killed 4 million people.

At the turn of the millennium, many people, willy-nilly, thought about the end of the world, but filmmakers did not miss the opportunity to make money on these phobias. That is why over the past few years a huge number of disaster films with various destructive scenarios have been released, and the genre itself has become one of the highest grossing ones. AiF.ru suggests recalling 10 exciting films in which life on Earth was under threat.

What is the movie "San Andreas" about?

"Armageddon", dir. Michael Bay, 1998

In 1998, one of the highest-grossing directors on the planet Michael Bay made the film "Armageddon" with Bruce Willis,Ben Affleck And Liv Tyler starring. The picture frightened viewers of a possible collision with our planet of a giant asteroid. According to the plot of the film, in order to save humanity, NASA specialists want to drill into an asteroid and blow it up from the inside. “Armageddon” was deservedly nominated for an Oscar in four categories at once, because it was made according to all the laws of the genre: grandiose special effects, a heart-warming love story, a dynamic plot and a cynical script.

Bruce Willis. Special signs.

"The Earth's Core: Throw into the Underworld", dir. John Amiel, 2003

Unlike "Armageddon", the film "Earth's Core: Throw into the Underworld" did not find a response in the hearts of the majority of viewers and cannot boast of box office success. However, it deserves to be on our list if only because of its unusual threat to the planet. According to the director John Amiel, humanity is facing an “underground apocalypse”: the Earth’s core will stop rotating. This means that soon all life on the surface of our planet will die. The only way to save the world is to detonate a powerful nuclear bomb deep underground, thus spinning the core. The task of saving humanity in the film is entrusted to an international team ( Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank,Stanley Tucci). The fate of the heroes is quite predictable, but it is still fascinating to watch them.

“The Day After Tomorrow”, dir. Roland Emmerich, 2004

Movie Roland Emmerich“The Day After Tomorrow” is dedicated to another, non-cosmic catastrophe. The massive melting of glaciers is causing the temperature of the world's oceans to drop sharply and the Earth's climate to change. Heavy rains begin over the United States, turning into continuous snowfall, and the temperature drops very quickly (to enhance the effect of the disaster, the Hollywood director deliberately accelerated the development of all climate changes). The film “The Day After Tomorrow” is literally filled with natural disasters and mass deaths. It vividly shows the flooding of New York, and Roland Emmerich's scene of the destruction of Los Angeles was especially impressive, which even won the MTV Movie Awards for best action scene in 2005.

"Inferno", dir. Danny Boyle, 2007

“Dark days are coming” - this is the slogan the director of the film “Inferno” warns viewers with. Danny Boyle. The film takes place in 2057, when the Sun is gradually going out and the life of humanity is under threat. Earthlings see the only way to escape: one after another they send spaceships to a bright star in order to ignite it again with the help of a nuclear charge. The director of “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Beach” and “Trainspotting” wanted to captivate the audience this time too: in “Hell” there is something to think about, something to be scared of and something to admire. Script and acting by talented actors ( Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans,Rose Byrne) keeps you in suspense throughout the entire film.

"The Apparition", dir. M. Night Shyamalan, 2008.

Spectacular environmental thriller M. Night Shyamalan introduces viewers to another possible danger for earthlings. A massive suicide epidemic is beginning in several states on the east coast of the United States: the virus, which authorities tend to associate with terrorists and ordinary people with the authorities, is transmitted through airborne droplets. These are actually toxins that were accidentally released into the air. In 2008, the film was an incredible box office success, and in Bridgend, due to a series of suicides that engulfed the city, The Happening was even banned from showing.

"2012", dir. Roland Emmerich, 2009

Many impressionable people waited with horror for December 2012, when, according to the Mayan calendar, the end of the world could come. The plot of the film "2012" Roland Emmerich built precisely on these events. Huge tsunamis and strong earthquakes turn people's lives into hell. Everyone thinks only about how to escape the flood, because only 40,000 people can fit into the pre-built “arks”. The film “2012” had a great resonance on forums, social networks and blogs, people all over the world discussed the possibility of an impending disaster. Scientists even had to comment on the film and calm the excited public. As a result, the total gross of the Hollywood film amounted to $769 million.

“The Sign”, Alex Proyas, 2009

Mystical blockbuster Alex Proyas With Nicolas Cage starring the story of a message to the future that warns people about the end of the world. A mysterious sheet covered with numbers falls into the hands of a young professor. The scientist establishes a connection between these dates and the largest global disasters that have occurred on Earth over the past 50 years. Now the world knows about possible disasters, all that remains is to find out how to prevent them and what will happen when the chain of these dates ends. Viewers note that “The Sign” retains an element of unpredictability until the last frame, and all scenes of plane crashes, subway accidents and burning forests are shown effectively and naturally.

"Melancholia", dir. Lars von Trier, 2011

Melancholia is the most romantic and mysterious disaster film on our list. The idea for the painting came from Lars von Trier during one of the therapy sessions he attended to overcome his depression. The doctor told the cult director that people suffering from depression react more calmly to stressful situations because they are initially prepared for the worst. A few years later, these words were embodied in the script for the film “Melancholia”. The painting shows the life story of Justine ( Kirsten Dunst) against the backdrop of an impending catastrophe: the asteroid Melancholia is approaching the Earth, capable of destroying all life on our planet. Lars von Trier focused on the psychology of a person doomed to death. His characters rush between despair, panic, apathy and hysteria. And slow motion footage of the last seconds of life on Earth can impress even the most experienced viewer.

"Metro", dir. Anton Megerdichev, 2013.

Although the film “Metro” does not show an apocalypse on a planetary scale, it is still included in our list because it is dedicated to one of the most common human phobias. In 2013, Russian director Anton Megerdichev made a film about the disaster in the Moscow subway, based on the novel Dmitry Safonov. According to the plot of the film, the widespread construction of new buildings in the center of Moscow leads to the fact that a crack appears in one of the metro tunnels. As a result of a violation of the tightness of the ceiling, water from the Moscow River enters the tunnel. The mad flow threatens not only the collapse of the metro tunnels, but also the destruction of the entire city. According to many film critics, the film “Metro”, if not the origin, then at least revived the genre of disaster films in Russia.

"San Andreas Fault", dir. Brad Peyton, 2015.

Disaster movie Brad Peyton“The San Andreas Fault” topped the Russian box office ratings last weekend. The plot of the film revolves around an earthquake that shook California and led to the formation of a huge cleft in the ground near the city of San Andreas. The main character of the blockbuster is rescue pilot Ray Gaines ( Dwayne Johnson) goes in search of his missing daughter, who may have survived the terrible disaster. Many viewers who watched “San Andreas Fault” in 3D format were delighted with what they saw. Of course, the amount of destruction and expensive special effects per minute of viewing is off the charts. But the main thing that can be taken away from Brad Peyton’s picture is that man is nothing compared to the forces of nature and no amount of steel or houses can save him.