Disasters
Minute-by-minute reconstructions of history's catastrophes
Bhopal: The Night the Gas Leaked
A cost-cutting shutdown let dozens of tons of toxic gas escape over a sleeping Indian city, the deadliest industrial disaster ever recorded.
The Boston Molasses Flood: When a Tank of Syrup Killed 21 People
A steel tank burst in Boston's North End on January 15, 1919, sending a 15-foot wave of molasses at 35 mph through the streets, killing 21.
Chernobyl: The Night Reactor 4 Exploded
A flawed safety test met a reactor design flaw the operators were never told about. The result: the worst nuclear disaster in history.
The Halifax Explosion: The Blast That Flattened a City
Two ships collided in Halifax Harbour in 1917, unleashing the largest man-made blast before the atomic bomb and killing nearly 2,000 people.
The Hindenburg Disaster: Minute by Minute
On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg burned at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 people in 34 seconds. Its exact cause is still argued over.
Tenerife: How Two 747s Collided on a Foggy Runway
A bomb threat, thick fog, and one ambiguous radio call: how two Boeing 747s collided at Tenerife in aviation's deadliest disaster.