The most catastrophic shipwrecks in the history of the fleet

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Since ancient times, ships have been shipwrecked. Scientists estimate that today more than two million ships are buried at the bottom of the sea ocean. Some of them managed to become cultural heritage and are under the protection of UNESCO. Unfortunately, many maritime accidents were accompanied by a large number of casualties. Whatever one may say, but a person against the sea element is powerless.

1. "General Slocum"

The most terrible disaster, which claimed the lives of 957 people, occurred in 1904 in the waters of New York with the paddle steamer General Slocum. On June 15, the ship took on board 1,388 passengers, most of whom were women with children, who went to a church event that ill-fated day. A couple of hours later, New Yorkers saw a picture of burning people jumping out of a blazing steamer. The investigation, which lasted for several years, proved that an unextinguished cigarette was the cause of the fire. After this incident, increased requirements for fire safety began to be imposed on all ships.

2. "USS Arizona"

The largest disaster in the history of the navy happened with the American battleship USS Arizona on December 29, 1941. The ship, sunk by Japanese pilots, became the largest floating memorial to the victims of Pearl Harbor. By fate, USS Arizona was deployed by order of the US President from the Japanese war zone to Hawaii. As a result, America lost 1,117 soldiers and its best ship. Despite the fact that the ship has been lying on the ocean floor for more than seventy years, it continues to pollute the sea with oil residues.

3. "Royal Mail Ship Lusitania"

Perhaps one of the most famous shipwrecks since the Titanic was the sinking of the American passenger liner Royal Mail Ship Lusitania in 1915. As a result of the disaster, 1,198 passengers and about two hundred crew members were killed. The ship was hit by a German torpedo off the coast of Ireland. Many historians agree that the death of the Royal Mail Ship Lusitania caused the United States to enter World War I against Germany. Later it turned out that in addition to passengers, the liner was carrying several million cartridges, which was the reason for the attack of the German submarine.

4. "Titanic"

The legendary Titanic will forever remain the most famous passenger ship and shipwreck symbol in the history of the world's fleet. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Titanic was the largest passenger liner, the pinnacle of technological progress. The ship was called unsinkable and promised a great future. But the ocean had other plans in this regard. The first flight of the Titanic in 1912 was the last for him. Having collided with an iceberg, the liner sank to the bottom in a matter of minutes, taking the lives of 1,517 men, women and children.

5. "Sultana"

In the mid-19th century, passenger ships were not yet subject to such stringent safety and rescue requirements. Often the number of lifeboats on liners was so small that they could only accommodate a third of the passengers. This played a cruel joke with the American wooden steamer "Sultana". According to Novate.ru, out of 2,400 passengers on board, only 600 survived. The crash occurred as a result of an explosion in one of the boilers. The fire consumed the wooden ship with lightning speed. Many victims had to jump into the icy water, as there was simply not enough room in the boats.

6. "Le Joola"

The second largest number of victims was the shipwreck of the ferry "Le Joola". The worst disaster occurred on September 26, 2002, as a result of which at least 1,860 passengers were killed. The death of Le Joola is a prime example of negligence and breach of requirements. On that day, there were about 2,000 people on board the ferry, which was almost four times the permissible limit. It was not possible to determine the exact number of passengers, as many traveled without tickets. The ship capsized due to strong winds and flooding of water on the deck. Le Joola sank in just five minutes, leaving no chance of salvation.

7. "Donja Paz"

For more than thirty years, the sinking of the cargo-passenger ferry "Donja Pass" remains the largest maritime disaster in history and is included in the list of the largest accidents of the 20th century. As a result of the collision of the ferry with the tanker "Vector" 4375 people died. Only 26 passengers managed to survive. After the tragedy, the ship owner and the Filipino carrier Sulpicio Lines, who operated the ship, were found guilty and soon filed for bankruptcy. As with Le Joola, the actual number of passengers on the ferry was three times the capacity.