The situation around the Great Barrier Reef continues to deteriorate and threatens to turn into the biggest disaster in human history. reCensor remembered when the ecology was still in a state of emergency due to human actions.
Scientists believe that, despite all the efforts of environmentalists, in the near future the world's largest coral reef is threatened with destruction. More recently, experts have noted that more than 50% of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is at the stage of death. According to updated data, the figure increased to 93%.
The formation of such a unique natural formation occurred about 10 thousand years ago. It includes almost 3 thousand different coral reefs. The length of the Great Barrier Reef is 2.5 thousand kilometers with an area of 344 thousand square kilometers. The coral reef is home to billions of diverse living organisms.
In 1981, UNESCO recognized the Great Barrier Reef as a protected natural wonder. However, in 2014, environmentalists began to notice that many corals had lost their color. It should be noted that similar changes have occurred in many coral reefs around the world, so scientists initially thought that this was a standard anomaly. But after a few months, it became clear that the number of bleached corals was growing exponentially.
Terry Hughes, who is the head of the Center excellence in Coral Reef Research at James Cook University, said that coral bleaching almost always leads to their death. “Corals can be saved if the bleaching rate does not reach 50% percent. More than half of the Great Barrier Reef's corals currently have bleaching rates between 60% and 100%.
Environmentalists have been sounding the alarm for several years now, as the death of corals will lead to the disappearance of the entire ecosystem. Coral bleaching occurred in several stages. In 2015, there was the largest wave of bleaching, but scientists believe that the largest extinction is yet to come. “The reason for this is climate change associated with global warming. The temperature of the waters in the oceans has risen greatly, as a result of which the corals began to die. The saddest thing is that we do not know how to counter this problem, so the extinction of the Great Barrier Reef will continue further, ”the scientists state. 
Also, one of the reasons for the extinction of corals is the catastrophe of a large industrial tanker that occurred in 2010. As a result of the collapse of the tanker, more than 65 tons of coal and 975 tons of oil fell into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
Experts are confident that this incident has become an irreparable environmental disaster. "AT modern world a trend has formed that leads to the fact that due to extremely careless human activity, almost all animals inhabiting our planet will die. Even the death of the Aral Sea cannot be compared with the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef,” notes Professor Terry Hughes.
Most of the largest environmental tragedies occurred in the XX-XXI centuries. Below is a list of the 10 largest environmental disasters in history, information about which was collected by reCensor correspondents.
One of the largest incidents that caused serious damage to the environment is the crash of the Prestige oil tanker. The incident happened on November 19, 2002 on the coast of Europe. The ship got into a strong storm, because of which a huge hole was formed in its hull, more than 30 meters long. Every day, the tanker carries at least 1,000 tons of oil, which is thrown into the waters of the Atlantic. In the end, the tanker broke into two parts, sinking with all the cargo stored on it. The total amount of oil that entered the Atlantic Ocean was 20 million gallons.
2 Bhopal Leak methyl isocyanate
In 1984, the largest toxic fumes leak in history occurred. methyl isocyanate in the city of Bhopal. The tragedy caused the death of more than 3 thousand people. In addition, another 15,000 people later died as a result of exposure to the poison. According to experts, the volume of lethal vapors that ended up in the atmosphere amounted to about 42 tons. It is still unknown what caused the accident.
3. Explosion at the Nipro plant
In 1974, at the Nipro plant, located in the UK, there was a powerful explosion, followed by a fire. According to experts, the explosion was so powerful that it could only be repeated by collecting 45 tons of TNT. 130 people became victims of the incident. However, most big problem was the release of ammonium, as a result of which thousands of people were admitted to hospitals with diseases of the eyesight and respiratory tract.
4. The largest pollution of the North Sea
In 1988, the largest accident in the history of oil production occurred on the Piper Alpha oil platform. Damage from the accident amounted to US$4 billion. The accident caused a powerful explosion that completely destroyed the oil platform. Almost all the personnel of the enterprise died during the accident. Over the following days, oil continued to flow into the North Sea, which is now one of the most polluted waters in the world.
5. The largest nuclear disaster
The largest environmental disaster in the history of mankind is the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which occurred in 1986 on the territory of Ukraine. The cause of the explosion was an accident in the fourth power unit nuclear power plant. The explosion caused the death of more than 30 people.
However, the most terrible consequence is the release of huge amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. At the moment, the number of people who died as a result of radiation contamination in subsequent years has exceeded several thousand. Their number continues to grow, despite the galvanized sarcophagus that sealed the exploded reactor.
In 1989, a major environmental disaster occurred on the coast of Alaska. The oil tanker "Exxon Valdez" hit the reef and received a serious hole. As a result, the entire contents of 9 million gallons of oil ended up in the water. Almost 2.5 thousand kilometers of the coast of Alaska were covered with oil. This accident caused the death of tens of thousands of living organisms living both in water and on land.
In 1986, as a result of the tragedy at the Swiss factory chemical industry the river Rhine is no longer safe for swimming. The chemical plant burned for several days. During this time, more than 30 tons of toxic substances spilled into the water, destroying millions of living organisms, and polluting all drinking sources.
In 1952 in London there was terrible disaster, the reasons for which are still unknown. On December 5, the capital of Great Britain plunged into caustic smog. At first, the townspeople took it for ordinary fog, but after a few days it did not dissipate. People began to arrive at hospitals with symptoms of lung diseases. In just 4 days, about 4 thousand people died, most of them children and the elderly.
9. Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
In 1979, another oil disaster occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident happened at the Istok-1 drilling rig. As a result of malfunctions, almost 500 thousand tons of oil spilled into the water. The well was closed only a year later.
10. The crash of the oil tanker "Amoco Cadiz"
In 1978, the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The cause of the crash was the underwater rocks, which the captain of the ship did not notice. As a result of the disaster, the coast of France was flooded with 650 million liters of oil. Due to the crash of an oil tanker, tens of thousands of fish and birds that lived in the coastal region died.
TOP 10 largest environmental disasters in history updated: July 7, 2016 by: EDITION
Environmental disasters happen after the negligence of people who work in industrial plants. One mistake can cost thousands human lives. Unfortunately, environmental disasters happen quite often: these are gas leaks, oil spills,. Now let's talk in more detail about each catastrophic event.
One of the environmental catastrophes is the significant loss of water in the Aral Sea, the level of which has dropped by 14 meters over 30 years. It split into two reservoirs, and most marine animals, fish and plants died out. Part of the Aral Sea dried up, covered with sand. There is a shortage in this area drinking water. And although attempts are being made to restore the water area, there is a high probability of the death of a huge ecosystem, which will be a loss on a planetary scale.
Another disaster occurred in 1999 at the Zelenchukskaya HPP. In this area, there was a change in the rivers, the transfer of water, and the amount of humidity significantly decreased, which contributed to the decrease in the populations of flora and fauna, the Elburgan Reserve was destroyed.
One of the most global catastrophes is the loss of molecular oxygen contained in water. Scientists have found that over the past half century, this indicator has fallen by more than 2%, which has an extremely negative effect on the state of the waters of the World Ocean. Due to the anthropogenic impact on the hydrosphere, a decrease in the oxygen level in the near-surface water column was observed.
Water pollution with plastic waste has a detrimental effect on water areas. Particles that enter the water can change the natural environment of the ocean and have an extremely negative impact on marine life(animals mistake plastic for food and mistakenly swallow chemical elements). Some particles are so small that they cannot be seen. At the same time, they have a serious impact on the ecological state of waters, namely: they provoke a change climatic conditions, accumulate in the organisms of marine inhabitants (many of which are consumed by humans), reduce the resource content of the ocean.
One of the catastrophes on a global scale is the rise in the water level in the Caspian Sea. Some scientists believe that in 2020 the water level may rise by another 4-5 meters. This will lead to irreversible consequences. Cities and industrial enterprises located near water will be flooded.
The largest oil spill occurred in 1994, known as the Usinsk disaster. Several breaks occurred in the oil pipeline, resulting in the spilling of over 100,000 tons of oil products. In places where the spill occurred, vegetation and animal world was practically destroyed. The area received the status of an ecological disaster zone.
In 2003, an oil pipeline broke through near Khanty-Mansiysk. More than 10,000 tons of oil leaked into the Mulymya River. Animals and plants died out, both in the river and on the ground in the area.
Another disaster happened in 2006 near Bryansk, when 5 tons of oil spilled over 10 square meters on the ground. km. Polluted water resources within this radius. An ecological disaster occurred due to a hole in the Druzhba oil pipeline.
In 2016, two environmental disasters have already happened. Near Anapa, in the village of Utash, oil has leaked from old wells that are no longer in use. The size of soil and water pollution is about a thousand square meters killed hundreds of waterfowl. On Sakhalin, more than 300 tons of oil spilled into Urkt Bay and the Gilyako-Abunan River from a non-working oil pipeline.
Quite often there are accidents and explosions at industrial enterprises. So in 2005 there was an explosion at a Chinese factory. A large amount of benzene and pesticides got into the river. Amur. In 2006, 50 kg of chlorine was released at the Khimprom enterprise. In 2011, bromine leaked at the railway station in Chelyabinsk, which was transported in one of the wagons of a freight train. There was a fire in 2016 nitric acid at a chemical plant in Krasnouralsk. There were many forest fires in 2005 for various reasons. The environment has suffered huge losses.
Perhaps these are the main environmental disasters that have occurred in the Russian Federation over the past 25 years. The reason for them is inattention, negligence, mistakes that people have made. Some disasters have occurred due to outdated equipment, the failure of which was not detected during the time. All this led to the death of plants, animals, diseases of the population and human deaths.
On the territory of Russia in 2016, there were many large and small disasters that further aggravated the state of the environment in the country.
First of all, it is worth noting that in the late spring of 2016, an oil spill occurred in the Black Sea. This happened due to oil leakage into the water area. As a result of the formation of a black oil slick, several dozen dolphins, populations of fish and other marine life died. Against the backdrop of this incident, a big scandal erupted, but experts say that the damage done is not excessively huge, but the damage to the Black Sea ecosystem is still done and this is a fact.
Another problem occurred during the transfer of Siberian rivers to China. As environmentalists say, if the regime of rivers is changed and directed to China, then this will affect the functioning of all the surrounding ecosystems in the region. Not only river basins will change, but many species of flora and fauna of the rivers will also die. The damage will also be done to the nature located on land, a large number of plants, animals and birds will be destroyed. Droughts will occur in some places, crop yields will fall, which will inevitably lead to a lack of food for the population. In addition, climate change will occur and soil erosion may occur.
Smoke clouds and smog are another problem in some Russian cities. First of all, it is typical for Vladivostok. The source of smoke here is a waste incineration plant. This literally prevents people from breathing and they develop various respiratory diseases.
In general, in 2016, several major environmental disasters occurred in Russia. To eliminate their consequences and restore the state of the environment, the necessary large financial costs and the efforts of experienced professionals.
In Russia, 2017 has been declared the "Year of Ecology", so various thematic events will be held for scientists, public figures and the general population. It is worth thinking about the state of the environment in 2017, as several environmental disasters have already occurred.
One of the biggest environmental problems in Russia is oil pollution. This occurs as a result of violations of mining technology, but most often accidents occur during the transportation of oil. When it is transported by sea tankers, the threat of a catastrophe increases significantly.
At the beginning of the year, in January, an environmental emergency occurred in the Golden Horn Bay of Vladivostok - an oil spill, the source of pollution of which was not established. The oil stain spread over an area of 200 sq. meters. As soon as the accident occurred, the rescue service of Vladivostok began to eliminate it. Specialists cleared an area of 800 square meters, collecting approximately 100 liters of a mixture of oil and water.
In early February there was a new disaster associated with an oil spill. This happened in the Komi Republic, namely in the city of Usinsk in one of the oil fields due to damage to the oil pipeline. Approximate damage to nature is the spread of 2.2 tons of oil products over 0.5 hectares of territory.
The third environmental catastrophe in Russia associated with an oil spill was an incident on the Amur River off the coast of Khabarovsk. Traces of the spill were discovered in early March by members of the All-Russian Popular Front. The "oil" footprint comes from sewer pipes. As a result, the spot covered 400 sq. meters of the coast, and the territory of the river is more than 100 square meters. meters. As soon as the oil stain was discovered, the activists called the rescue service, as well as representatives of the city administration. The source of the oil spill was not found, but the incident was recorded in a timely manner, so the prompt elimination of the accident and the collection of the oil-water mixture made it possible to reduce the damage caused to the environment. An administrative case was initiated on the fact of the incident. Water and soil samples were also taken for further laboratory research.
In addition to the fact that it is dangerous to transport petroleum products, emergencies can also occur in oil refineries. So at the end of January in the city of Volzhsky, an explosion and burning of oil products occurred at one of the enterprises. As experts have established, the cause of this disaster is a violation of safety rules. It was fortunate that there were no human casualties in the fire, but considerable damage was done to the environment.
In early February, a fire broke out in Ufa at one of the plants specializing in oil refining. Firefighters were engaged in liquidation of a fire at once that allowed to contain elements. The fire was extinguished within 2 hours.
In mid-March, a fire broke out at an oil products warehouse in St. Petersburg. As soon as the fire broke out, the warehouse workers called rescuers, who arrived immediately and began to eliminate the accident. The number of employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations exceeded 200 people who managed to put out the fire and prevent a major explosion. The fire covered an area of 1000 sq. meters, as well as part of the wall of the building was destroyed.
In January, a brown fog formed over Chelyabinsk. All this is a consequence of industrial emissions from the city's enterprises. The atmosphere is so polluted that people are suffocating. Of course, there are city authorities where the population can apply with complaints during the period of smoke, but this did not bring tangible results. Some enterprises do not even use cleaning filters, and fines do not encourage the owners of dirty industries to start caring about the city's environment. As city officials say simple people, per recent times the amount of emissions has increased dramatically, and the brown fog that shrouded the city in winter is proof of this.
A “black sky” appeared in Krasnoyarsk in mid-March. This phenomenon indicates that harmful impurities are dispersed in the atmosphere. As a result, a situation of the first degree of danger has developed in the city. It is believed that in this case, the chemical elements that affect the body do not cause pathologies or diseases in humans, but the damage caused to the environment is still significant.
The atmosphere is also polluted in Omsk. Recently there was a major release harmful substances. Experts found that the concentration of ethyl mercaptan was 400 times higher than normal. Soars in the air bad smell which was even noticed ordinary people who were unaware of what had happened. In order to bring to justice those responsible for the accident, all factories that use this substance in production are being checked. The release of ethyl mercaptan is very dangerous because it causes nausea, headache and incoordination of people.
Significant air pollution with hydrogen sulfide was found in Moscow. So in January there was a major release of chemicals at an oil refinery. As a result, a criminal case was initiated, since the release led to a change in the properties of the atmosphere. After that, the plant's activity more or less returned to normal, Muscovites began to complain less about air pollution. However, in early March, some excesses of the concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere were again detected.
A big accident occurred at the research institute in Dmitrovgrad, namely the smoke of the reactor plant. The fire alarm went off instantly. The operation of the reactor was stopped to eliminate the problem - oil leakage. A few years ago, this device was examined by experts, and it was found that the reactors can still be used for about 10 years, but emergencies occur regularly, due to which radioactive mixtures are released into the atmosphere.
In the first half of March, a fire broke out at a chemical industry plant in Tolyatti. 232 rescuers and special equipment were involved in its liquidation. The cause of this incident is most likely a cyclohexane leak. Harmful substances got into the air.
Humanity will never forget about the accident on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform. The explosion and fire happened on April 20, 2010, 80 kilometers from the coast of Louisiana, at the Macondo field. The oil spill was the largest in US history and effectively ruined the Gulf of Mexico. We remembered the largest man-made and environmental disasters in the world, some of which almost worse than tragedy Deepwater Horizon.
Could the accident have been avoided? Man-made disasters often occur as a result of natural disasters, but also because of worn-out equipment, greed, negligence, inattention... The memory of them serves as an important lesson for humanity, because natural disasters can harm people, but not the planet, but man-made ones threaten absolutely the entire world around us.
15. Explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West - 15 victims
On April 17, 2013, an explosion occurred at a fertilizer plant in West Texas. The explosion occurred at 19:50 local time and it completely destroyed the plant, which belonged to the local company Adair Grain Inc. The explosion destroyed a school and a nursing home located next to the plant. About 75 buildings in the city of West were seriously damaged. The explosion killed 15 people, about 200 people were injured. Initially, there was a fire at the plant, and the explosion happened at the moment when firefighters were trying to cope with the fire. At least 11 firefighters have died.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was so strong that it could be heard about 70 km from the plant, and the US Geological Survey recorded ground vibrations of magnitude 2.1. "It was like an atomic bomb explosion," eyewitnesses said. Residents in a number of areas near the West were evacuated due to the leakage of ammonia used in the manufacture of fertilizers, the authorities warned everyone about the leakage of toxic substances. A no-fly zone was introduced over West at an altitude of up to 1 km. The city looked like a war zone...
In May 2013, a criminal case was opened on the fact of the explosion. The investigation revealed that the company had been storing the chemicals that caused the explosion in violation of safety requirements. The US Chemical Safety Committee found that the company failed to take the necessary measures to prevent fire and explosion. In addition, at that time there were no regulations that would prohibit the storage of ammonium nitrate near populated areas.
14. Flooding of Boston with molasses - 21 victims
The molasses flood in Boston occurred on January 15, 1919, after a giant molasses reservoir exploded in Boston's North End, sending a wave of sugary liquid through the streets of the city at great speed. 21 people died, about 150 were hospitalized. The disaster occurred at the Purity Distilling Company distillery during Prohibition (fermented molasses was widely used to produce ethanol at the time). On the eve of the introduction of a complete ban, the owners tried to have time to make as much rum as possible ...
Apparently, due to metal fatigue in an overflowing tank with 8700 m³ of molasses, sheets of metal connected by rivets dispersed. The ground trembled, and a wave of molasses up to 2 meters high poured into the streets. The pressure of the wave was so great that it moved the freight train off the tracks. Nearby buildings were flooded to a meter high, some collapsed. People, horses, dogs got stuck in a sticky wave and died from suffocation.
A Red Cross mobile hospital was deployed in the disaster zone, a US Navy unit entered the city - the rescue operation lasted a week. The molasses was removed with sand, which absorbed the viscous mass. Although the factory owners blamed the anarchists for the explosion, the townspeople secured payments totaling $600,000 (today about $8.5 million) from them. According to Bostonians, even now, on hot days, a sugary smell of caramel emanates from old houses ...
13. Explosion at the Phillips chemical plant in 1989 - 23 victims
The explosion at the Phillips Petroleum Company chemical plant occurred on October 23, 1989, in Pasadena, Texas. Due to the oversight of the employees, a large leak of combustible gas occurred, and there was a powerful explosion, equivalent to two and a half tons of dynamite. A tank of 20,000 gallons of isobutane gas exploded and the chain reaction caused 4 more explosions.
During scheduled maintenance, the air ducts on the valves were accidentally closed. Thus, the control room displayed that the valve was open, while it was as if it were closed. This led to the formation of a cloud of steam, which exploded from the slightest spark. The initial explosion was recorded as 3.5 on the Richter scale and fragments of the explosion were found within a radius of 6 miles from the explosion.
Many of the fire hydrants failed, and the water pressure in the remaining hydrants dropped dramatically. It took firefighters more than ten hours to bring the situation under control and completely extinguish the flames. 23 people died and 314 were injured.
12. Fire at the pyrotechnic factory in Enschede in 2000 - 23 victims
On May 13, 2000, as a result of a fire at the pyrotechnic factory S.F. Fireworks in the Dutch city of Enschede (Enshede) was an explosion, killing 23 people, including four firefighters. The fire started in the central building and spread to two full containers of fireworks illegally stored outside the building. Several subsequent explosions occurred with the largest explosion felt as far away as 19 miles.
During the fire, a significant part of the Rombek district burned down and was destroyed - 15 streets were burned, 1,500 houses were damaged, and 400 houses were destroyed. In addition to 23 deaths, 947 people were injured and 1,250 people were left homeless. Fire crews arrived from Germany to help fight the fire.
When S.F. Fireworks built a pyrotechnic factory in 1977, it was located far from the city. As the city grew, new low-cost housing surrounded the warehouses, causing horrendous destruction, injury, and death. Most of the locals had no idea that they lived in such close proximity to the fireworks warehouse.
11. Explosion at a chemical plant in Flixboro - 64 victims
An explosion occurred in Flixborough, England on June 1, 1974, killing 28 people. The accident happened at the Nipro plant, which was engaged in the production of ammonium. The disaster caused a whopping £36 million in property damage. British industry has never known such a catastrophe. The chemical plant in Flixboro has practically ceased to exist.
A chemical plant near the village of Flixboro specialized in the production of caprolactam, the starting product for synthetic fibers.
The accident happened like this: the bypass pipeline connecting reactors 4 and 6 broke, and steam began to escape from the outlets. A cloud of cyclohexane vapors was formed, containing several tens of tons of the substance. The source of ignition of the cloud was probably a torch hydrogen plant. Due to an accident at the plant, an explosive mass of heated vapors was thrown into the air, for which the slightest spark was enough to ignite. 45 minutes after the accident, when the mushroom cloud reached the hydrogen plant, there was a powerful explosion. The explosion in its destructive power was equivalent to the explosion of 45 tons of TNT, detonated at a height of 45 m.
About 2,000 buildings outside the enterprise were damaged. In the village of Amcotts, across the River Trent, 73 out of 77 houses were badly damaged. In Flixboro, located at a distance of 1200 m from the center of the explosion, 72 out of 79 houses were destroyed. 64 people died from the explosion and subsequent fire, 75 people at the enterprise and outside were injured of varying severity.
Under pressure from the owners of the Nipro company, plant engineers often deviated from the established technological regulations and ignored safety requirements. Bad experience this disaster showed that chemical plants need to have a high-speed automatic system fire extinguishing system, which allows to eliminate the combustion of solid chemicals no later than 3 seconds.
10 Hot Steel Spill - 35 Victims
On April 18, 2007, 32 people died and 6 were injured when a ladle containing molten steel fell at the Qinghe Special Steel Corporation plant in China. Thirty tons of liquid steel heated to 1500 degrees Celsius fell from the overhead conveyor. Liquid steel broke through the doors and windows into the adjacent room, where the shift workers were.
Perhaps the most horrifying fact that the study of this catastrophe uncovered is that it could have been prevented. The immediate cause of the accident was the misuse of substandard equipment. The investigation concluded that there were a number of safety deficiencies and breaches that contributed to the accident.
When emergency services reached the crash site, they were stopped by the heat of the molten steel and were unable to reach the victims for a long time. After the steel began to cool, they found 32 victims. Surprisingly, 6 people miraculously survived this accident, and with severe burns were taken to the hospital.
9. The collapse of the train with oil in Lac-Megantic - 47 victims
The explosion of the train with oil occurred on the evening of July 6, 2013 in the town of Lac-Megantic in Quebec, Canada. A train owned by The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, carrying 74 tanks of crude oil, has derailed. As a result, several tanks caught fire and exploded. It is known about 42 dead, 5 more people are missing. As a result of the fire that engulfed the city, approximately half of the buildings in the city center were destroyed.
In October 2012, on the diesel locomotive GE C30-7 #5017, when repairing the engine, in order to complete the repair as soon as possible, epoxy materials. In subsequent operation, these materials collapsed, the locomotive began to smoke heavily. Leaking fuels and lubricants accumulated in the turbocharger housing, which led to a fire on the night of the crash.
The train driver was Tom Harding. At 23:00 the train stopped at Nantes station, on the main track. Tom contacted the dispatcher and reported problems with the diesel, strong black exhaust; the solution of the problem with the diesel locomotive was postponed until the morning, and the driver left to spend the night in a hotel. The train with the diesel locomotive running and dangerous goods was left overnight at an unattended station. At 23:50, the 911 service received a message about a fire on the lead diesel locomotive. The compressor was not working in it, and the pressure in the brake line was decreasing. At 00:56, the pressure dropped to such a level that the hand brakes could not hold the cars and the uncontrolled train went down the slope towards Lac Megantic. At 00:14, the train derailed at a speed of 105 km/h and ended up in the city center. Cars derailed, explosions followed, and burning oil spilled along the railroad.
People in a nearby cafe, feeling the tremors of the earth, decided that an earthquake had begun and hid under the tables, as a result, they did not have time to escape from the fire ... This railway accident became one of the deadliest in Canada.
8. Crash on Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP- at least 75 victims
The accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station is an industrial man-made disaster that occurred on August 17, 2009 - a "rainy day" for the Russian hydropower industry. As a result of the accident, 75 people died, serious damage was caused to the equipment and premises of the station, and electricity production was suspended. The consequences of the accident affected the ecological situation in the water area adjacent to the HPP, the social and economic spheres of the region.
At the time of the accident, the HPP was carrying a load of 4100 MW, out of 10 hydraulic units, 9 were in operation. At 8:13 local time on August 17, the destruction of hydroelectric unit No. 2 occurred with the flow of significant volumes of water through the shaft of the hydroelectric unit under high pressure. The power plant personnel, who were in the engine room, heard a loud bang and saw the release of a powerful column of water.
Streams of water quickly flooded the engine room and the rooms below it. All hydroelectric power plants were flooded, while working GAs experienced short circuits (their flashes are clearly visible on the amateur video of the disaster), which put them out of action.
The non-obviousness of the causes of the accident (according to the Minister of Energy of Russia Shmatko, “this is the largest and most incomprehensible hydropower accident that has ever been in the world”) caused a number of versions that were not confirmed (from terrorism to a water hammer). as the most probable cause accidents are fatigue failures of studs that occurred during the operation of hydraulic unit No. 2 with a temporary impeller and an unacceptable level of vibration in 1981-83.
7. Explosion on the "Piper Alpha" - 167 victims
On July 6, 1988, the Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea was destroyed by an explosion. The Piper Alpha platform, installed in 1976, was the largest structure on the Piper site, owned by the Scottish company Occidental Petroleum. The platform was located 200 km northeast of Aberdeen and served as the site's oil production control center. The platform had a helipad and accommodation for 200 oilmen working in shifts. On July 6, an unexpected explosion occurred on the Piper Alpha. The fire that engulfed the platform did not even give the staff the opportunity to send an SOS signal.
As a result of a gas leak and subsequent explosion, 167 people out of 226 who were on the platform at that moment died, only 59 survived. It took 3 weeks to extinguish the fire, with strong winds (80 mph) and 70 foot waves. The final cause of the explosion could not be established. According to the most popular version, there was a gas leak on the platform, as a result of which a small spark was enough to start a fire. The accident on the Piper Alpha platform led to serious criticism and subsequent revision of the safety standards for oil production in the North Sea.
6. Fire in Tianjin Binhai - 170 victims
On the night of August 12, 2015, two explosions broke out at a container storage area in the port of Tianjin. At 22:50 local time, reports of a fire began to arrive at the warehouses of the Zhuihai company, which transports hazardous chemicals, located in the port of Tianjin. As investigators later found out, it was caused by spontaneous combustion of nitrocellulose dried and heated in the summer sun. Within 30 seconds of the first explosion, a second one occurred - a container of ammonium nitrate. The local seismological service estimated the power of the first explosion at 3 tons of TNT equivalent, the second at 21 tons. Firefighters arrived at the scene for a long time could not stop the spread of fire. The fires raged for several days and there were 8 more explosions. Explosions created huge crater.
The explosions resulted in the death of 173 people, 797 injured, and 8 people are missing. . Thousands of Toyota, Renault, Volkswagen, Kia and Hyundai vehicles were damaged. 7,533 containers, 12,428 vehicles and 304 buildings were destroyed or damaged. In addition to death and destruction, the damage amounted to $ 9 billion. It turned out that three apartment buildings were built within a radius of one kilometer from the chemical warehouse, which is prohibited by Chinese law. Authorities have charged 11 officials from the city of Tianjin in connection with the bombing. They are accused of negligence and abuse of power.
5. Val di Stave, dam burst - 268 victims
In northern Italy, over the village of Stave, the Val di Stave dam collapsed on July 19, 1985. The accident destroyed 8 bridges, 63 buildings, 268 people died. After the disaster, during the investigation it was found that there was a bad Maintenance and a small margin of operational safety.
In the upper of the two dams, rainfall made the drainage pipe less efficient and clogged. Water continued to flow into the reservoir and the pressure in the damaged pipe increased, which also caused pressure on the coastal rock. The water began to seep into the soil, liquefy into mud, and weaken the banks until, finally, erosion occurred. In just 30 seconds, water and mud flows from the upper dam broke through and poured into the lower dam.
4. The collapse of the waste heap in Nambii - 300 victims
By the 1990s, Nambiya, a mining town in southeast Ecuador, had a reputation for being an "aggressive eco-environment". The local mountains were pitted with miners, riddled with holes from mining, the air is humid and filled with chemicals, toxic gases from the mine and a huge waste heap.
On May 9, 1993, much of the coal slag mountain at the end of the valley collapsed, killing about 300 people in a landslide. 10,000 people lived in the village on an area of about 1 square mile. Most of the city's houses were built right at the entrance to the mine tunnel. Experts have long warned that the mountain has become almost hollow. They said that further coal mining would lead to landslides, and after several days of heavy rains, the soil softened, and the worst predictions came true.
3. Texas explosion - 581 victims
A man-made disaster happened on April 16, 1947 in the port of Texas City, USA. A fire aboard the French ship Grandcamp detonated about 2,100 tons of ammonium nitrate ( ammonium nitrate), which led to a chain reaction in the form of fires and explosions on nearby ships and oil storage facilities.
The tragedy killed at least 581 people (including all but one Texas City Fire Department), over 5,000 people were injured, and 1,784 were hospitalized. The port and a significant part of the city were completely destroyed, many enterprises were razed to the ground or burned down. More than 1,100 vehicles were damaged and 362 freight cars were wrecked - property damage was estimated at $100 million. These events sparked the first class action lawsuit against the US government.
The Court found the Federal Government guilty of criminal negligence committed by government agencies and their representatives involved in the production, packaging and labeling of ammonium nitrate, aggravated by gross errors in its transportation, storage, loading and fire prevention measures. 1,394 compensations were paid out, totaling about $17 million.
2. Bhopal disaster - up to 160,000 victims
This is one of the worst man-made disasters in the Indian city of Bhopal. As a result of an accident at a chemical plant owned by the American chemical company Union Carbide, and producing pesticides, the poisonous substance methyl isocyanate was released. It was stored at the factory in three tanks partially dug into the ground, each of which could hold about 60,000 liters of liquid.
The cause of the tragedy was an emergency release of methyl isocyanate vapor, which heated above the boiling point in the factory tank, which led to an increase in pressure and a rupture of the emergency valve. As a result, on December 3, 1984, about 42 tons of toxic fumes were released into the atmosphere. A cloud of methyl isocyanate covered the nearby slums and the railway station, located 2 km away.
The Bhopal disaster is the largest in terms of the number of victims in modern history, resulting in the immediate death of at least 18 thousand people, of which 3 thousand died on the day of the accident, and 15 thousand in subsequent years. According to other sources, the total number of victims is estimated at 150-600 thousand people. A large number of victims is explained by the high population density, untimely informing residents about the accident, lack of medical staff, as well as unfavorable weather conditions- a cloud of heavy vapors carried by the wind.
Union Carbide, responsible for the tragedy, paid the victims $470 million in an out-of-court settlement in 1987 in exchange for a waiver of claims. In 2010, an Indian court recognized seven former leaders Union Carbide India for negligence resulting in loss of life. The convicts were sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 100,000 rupees (approximately $2,100).
1. Tragedy at the Banqiao Dam - 171,000 dead
The designers of the dam cannot even be blamed for this catastrophe, it was designed for severe floods, but this one was completely unprecedented. In August 1975, a typhoon broke through the Banqiao Dam in western China, killing about 171,000 people. The dam was built in the 1950s to generate electricity and prevent floods. Engineers have developed it with a margin of safety for a thousand years.
But on those fateful days in early August 1975, Typhoon Nina immediately produced over 40 inches of rain, exceeding the area's annual rainfall total in just one day. After several days of even heavier rains, the dam gave way and was washed away on 8 August.
The break of the dam caused a wave 33 feet high, 7 miles wide, which traveled at a speed of 30 miles per hour. In total, more than 60 dams and additional reservoirs were destroyed due to the destruction of the Banqiao Dam. The flood destroyed 5,960,000 buildings, killed 26,000 people immediately and another 145,000 died later as a result of famine and epidemics due to natural disaster.
Accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant April 26, 1986, USSR. Accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant - explosive destruction of the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with a release into the environment a large number radioactive substances. The largest accident of its kind in the history of nuclear energy in terms of the number of victims and economic damage.
On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, completely destroying the reactor. The main cause of the accident is believed to be human error. The consequences of the accident are long-term. The number of victims can only be estimated. It is estimated at tens of thousands (the victims include people suffering or dying from radiation sickness, cancer, children with developmental disabilities, born after the accident, and others). The accident caused a tragic environmental disaster. The cloud formed from the burning reactor carried various radioactive materials across Europe and the USSR. Vast territories were exposed to radiation contamination.
Bhopal disaster. December 3, 1984, India. The Bhopal disaster is the largest man-made disaster in terms of the number of victims, caused by an accident at a chemical plant for the production of pesticides in the Indian city of Bhopal. As a result of the release of vapors of methyl isocyanate, 18 thousand people died. The number of victims varies from 150 to 600 thousand. It is believed that the crash was caused by a safety violation.
Limnological catastrophe on Lake Nyos. Lake Nyos after a limnological catastrophe on August 21, 1986, Cameroon. A limnological catastrophe occurred on Lake Nyos, which released a huge amount of carbon dioxide gas. The gas rushed in two streams along the mountain slope, destroying all life at a distance of up to 27 km from the lake. The disaster claimed the lives of 1700 people.
Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, Deepwater Horizon oil rig fire extinguishing April 20, 2010, USA. The accident in the Gulf of Mexico (80 kilometers from the coast of Louisiana) on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform. One of the largest man-made disasters. The accident was the largest oil spill in US history. The accident claimed the lives of 11 people and caused a major environmental disaster.
Conclusion.
Now we are living in a period of a developing global ecological catastrophe caused by human economic activity, which in a matter of decades upset the balance that has been maintained in the biosphere for hundreds of billions of years.
The solution of global problems requires the joint efforts of all countries, but this does not allow for a number of circumstances. The well-being of developed countries does not allow us to see the full depth of the problem. They have the ability to zaminayutsya cleaning the environment of the entire country or the most perilous regions. While developing countries, due to the low level economic development unable to grasp the essence of the catastrophe.
Having studied the consequences of the environmental disasters that have occurred, a very depressing picture appears: billions of victims, lifeless deserts, dried up rivers, seas, oceans, etc. Dead planet.
However, it must be remembered that the subject of natural and man-made disasters is very extensive, and the world is becoming more and more interested in analysis, review and search for new solutions. The study of disasters is essential to the safety and prosperity of mankind.
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Applications.
Rice. 1. Typology of ecological disasters.
The new age has just begun major man-made disasters have shaken the world many times. Thousands of people died, colossal damage was done to the economy of different countries.
Part of the oil was collected, and the rest was taken out of the river with the help of special streams.
After the company crash "Petrobrice" had to pay a large fine to the state in the amount of fifty-six million dollars. The state of the country also received compensation of thirty million dollars.
But the damage caused to the flora and fauna of this amazing corner cannot be compensated by any means.
This technological disaster
quite seriously hit the ecosystem of the river Iguazu and nearby natural regions.
Many species of plants and living organisms living in the water were completely destroyed.
Damaged 6 reactors nuclear power plant, the water colossus disabled the cooling system, which led to a series of global hydrogen explosions and the melting of the core. 
radioactive substances iodine-131 and cesium-137 were released into the atmosphere.
And although the volume of emissions was no more than 20% compared to the Chernobyl accident, the inhabitants of the Japanese island did not feel better.
The total damage from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant disaster was estimated by experts at $74 billion.
And the complete elimination of the consequences of the accident and the dismantling of the destroyed reactors will require about 40 years old!
And it is good that in the service of man there is now for such matters.
July 11, 2011 Cyprus
Cyprus, naval base, near the town of Limassol.
Another thunderous explosion destroyed the island's largest power plant and claimed lives 13 people.
It's small Island state highly dependent on a single source of energy supply. The accident at the power plant has put Cyprus on the brink of an economic crisis.
The perpetrators of the tragedy were found. It turned out to be the President of the Republic Dimitris Christofias. He was extremely negligent in the storage of ammunition, which was confiscated on suspicion of smuggling.
Ammunition was stored literally on the ground of the naval base. Heat did her job. Detonation has occurred.
