|
Rank
|
Event
|
Date
|
Number of deaths
|
|
1
|
The World Trade Center
New York, NY
|
September 11, 2001
|
2,666
|
|
2
|
S.S. Sultana steamship boiler explosion and fire
Mississippi River
|
April 27, 1865
|
1,547
|
|
3
|
Forest fire
Peshtigo, WI, and envions
|
October 8, 1871
|
1,152
|
|
4
|
General Slocum excursion steamship fire (PDF, 774 KB)
New York, NY
|
June 15, 1904
|
1,030
|
|
5
|
Iroquois Theater
Chicago, IL
|
December 30, 1903
|
602
|
|
6
|
Forest fire
Cloquet, MN, and environs
|
October 12, 1918
|
559
|
|
7
|
Cocoanut Grove night club
|
November 28, 1942
|
492
|
|
8
|
S.S. Grandcamp and Monsanto Chemical Company plant
Texas City, TX
|
April 16, 1947
|
468
|
|
9
|
Forest fire
Hinckley, MN, and environs
|
September 1, 1894
|
418
|
|
10
|
Monongha Mine coal mine explosion
Monongha, WV
|
December 6, 1907
|
361
|
|
11
|
North German Lloyd lines steamship
Hoboken, NJ
|
June 30, 1900
|
326
|
|
12
|
Munitions ships and depot explosion
Port Chicago, CA
|
July 17, 1944
|
322
|
|
13
|
Ohio State Penitentiary
Columbus, OH
|
April 21, 1930
|
320
|
|
14
|
Earthquake and fire
San Francisco, CA
|
April 18, 1906
|
315*
|
|
15
|
Consolidated School gas explosion (PDF, 826 KB)
New London, TX
|
March 18, 1937
|
294
|
|
16
|
Conway's Theater
Brooklyn, NY
|
December 5, 1876
|
285
|
|
17
|
Coal mine explosion
Mather, PA
|
May 19, 1928
|
273
|
|
18
|
Coal mine explosion
Dawson, NM
|
October 22, 1913
|
263
|
|
19
|
St. Paul Mine coal mine explosion
Cherry, IL
|
November 13, 1909
|
259
|
|
20
|
Great Chicago Fire
Chicago, IL
|
October 8-9, 1871 |
250 |
* Estimates for this incident are quite varied, with estimates as high as 800; no estimates separate fire from non-fire deaths.
Disclaimer: Death tolls are based on information in NFPA’s records. Please contact us at osds@nfpa.org to provide any updated information.
Source: NFPA archive files, 1984 Fire Alamanac, National Safety Council's Accident Facts, and The Great International Disaster Book by James Cornell, Pocket Books New York, 1976.