Accidents are nothing new, but when humanity entered the industrial age, workplace accidents became a lot more…deadly. Improvements in manufacturing, power production, transportation, mining, and every other industry out there may have brought about the modern world, but they came at a cost.

Industrial accidents have been happening since the early days of the industrial age, and many of them were preventable. Often, oversight and regulations could have mitigated a disaster, or the ever-present “human error” problem could have been stopped before things got out of hand. Unfortunately, for these ten accidents, many died, but they didn’t have to.

Related: 10 Myths Humans Have Used To Explain Natural Disasters

10 The Port Chicago Disaster: The United States

On the evening of July 17, 1944, the San Francisco east bay experienced a massive explosion that lit up the night sky. The blast originated at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine when a cargo ship that was being loaded with ammunition destined for the Pacific theater exploded.

The blast resulted in the deaths of 320 sailors and civilians. An additional 390 people were injured in the worst homefront disaster of WWII. The Port Chicago Disaster highlighted unsafe working conditions at Port Chicago. This led to hundreds of sailors refusing to load munitions.

As a result, the so-called “Port Chicago 50” were convicted of mutiny and were given 15 years of hard labor and a dishonorable discharge. By 1946, all but three were released. The incident sparked controversy over the proceedings, which many felt unfairly discriminated against the sailors.

Nearly two-thirds of the dead were enlisted African Americans. This fact and the subsequent court-martial resulted in widespread allegations of discrimination within the ranks. In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution officially exonerating the court-marshaled men.

How it could have been avoided: This disaster resulted from unsafe working conditions and a lack of training. Most of the dead weren’t trained to load munitions, and the hectic schedule created room for errors.^[1]

9 The San Juanico Disaster: Mexico

On November 19, 1984, a massive explosion destroyed the liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tank farm in San Juanico, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico. A series of blasts completely destroyed the farm, and it consumed 11,000 cubic meters (388,000 cubic feet) of LPG, amounting to one-third of Mexico City’s supply.

The explosion resulted in significant destruction at the farm and the nearby town of San Juan Ixhuatepec. The total death toll isn’t known, but it is estimated to be between 500 and 600 dead, with 5,000 to 7,000 people suffering severe burns. The San Juanico Disaster remains the deadliest LPG disaster in world history.

The explosion resulted from an LPG leakage, which was likely caused by a buildup of excess pressure. This resulted in the formation of a vapor cloud that ignited when it came in contact with an open fire pit around 5:40 am. The subsequent explosions were so massive, they registered on seismographs at the University of Mexico.

How it could have been avoided: The gas detection system installed at the farm was found to be ineffective. Had it been in proper working order, the leak would have been detected, keeping the system from rupturing, which led to the explosion.^[2]

8 The Oppau Explosion: Germany

On September 21, 1921, around 4,500 metric tons of ammonium sulfate mixed with ammonium nitrate fertilizer (mischsaltz) exploded. The resulting blast killed between 560 and 600 people, and it wounded around 2,000 more. The explosion resulted from the workers’ use of dynamite to loosen the chemical mixture from a 20-meter-tall (66-foot) silo. This was actually considered a safe and standard practice, and it worked about 20,000 times before the disaster.

On the day of the explosion, it turned out that the mixture of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate fertilizer wasn’t a 50/50 mixture as everyone believed. Tests performed after WWI found that any mixture consisting of less than 60% nitrate wouldn’t explode. Because of this, using dynamite to free the mix from the silo was common.

Unfortunately, the last time this was attempted, the dynamite acted as a detonator, and the silo exploded. It was so loud, people heard it in north-eastern France and as far as Munich, Germany. Around 80% of the buildings in Oppau were destroyed, leaving thousands homeless.

How it could have been avoided: The previous test’s conclusions about the mixture proved to be false. Additionally, the plant’s mixture wasn’t producing ammonium sulfate nitrate at the desired 50/50 ratio. Changes in the manufacturing process a few months earlier made the substance more explosive, which wasn’t considered. The explosion could have been avoided had these facts been known.^[3]

7 Courrières Mine Disaster: France

Mining accidents have been going on for as long as people have dug into the dirt. Still, none have reached the level of severity as the Courrières Mine Disaster. On March 10, 1906, a coal-dust explosion resulted in Europe’s worst mining accident. The explosion caused the deaths of 1,099 miners when it tore the mine apart around 06:30 in the morning.

Nearby residents woke to the massive blast, which didn’t kill everyone in the mine. Around 500 of the 1,795 miners that went into the mine were able to escape to the surface after the explosion. Unfortunately, most of them were severely burned or were suffering from having inhaled various mine gases.

The explosion was the result of a fire that began the previous afternoon. A fire broke out in the Cecil Pit, which the miners attempted to extinguish by depriving it of air. They sealed off the outlets, leaving the fire to smolder. Unfortunately, fissures in the pit’s walls released flammable gasses into the area. This caused the explosion, which blasted debris throughout the mine.

How it could have been avoided: The cause of the fire remains a contentious debate to this day. Still, it might have been avoided had the miners used safer Davy lamps in lieu of naked flame lamps. Ensuring there were no exposed flames in the mine should have prevented the fire and subsequent coal dust explosion.^[4]

6 The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: Ukraine

Most people know of this one, but it bears repeating again based on its massive impact. On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed what would become the most devastating nuclear accident ever seen. The No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, USSR, resulted in more cost and casualties than any other disaster of its kind. Unlike the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, the Chernobyl disaster resulted from numerous (avoidable) human errors.

The reactor was put into an unstable status during a planned safety test, but the operators weren’t aware of the risk this posed. They continued with their test, which completed and triggered a reactor shutdown. Unfortunately, the reactor didn’t shut down; instead, it began an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction.

The influx of energy caused the core to melt down, resulting in several explosions. This caused a fire and released radioactive contaminants into the air that blanketed Western Europe and the USSR with nuclear fallout. Around 100 people died as a result of the disaster. Still, as many as 16,000 people throughout Europe died due to the spread of radiation.

How it could have been avoided: A series of events—all of which could have been avoided—resulted in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Incorrect operating instructions, poor training, a faulty design, and operator negligence were all to blame for the accident.^[5]

5 Benxihu Colliery Disaster: China

During WWII, the Japanese took complete control of a previously joint Chinese-Japanese mining operation in Benxi Liaoning, China. Unfortunately, the mine experienced a catastrophic coal-dust explosion on April 26, 1942. When the explosion happened, it sent flames bursting all the way to the mine shaft entrance, which Japanese guards blocked.

The Japanese guards kept people from entering the mine, holding off all rescue attempts. To complicate matters, they also shut off the ventilation and sealed the pit opening. They did this without evacuating anyone from within the mine, leaving the surviving Chinese workers to suffocate and die. This increased the death toll significantly, which the Japanese reported as 34.

This number was later corrected twice until it was listed at 1,549 people. The Benxihu Colliery Disaster was the worst in the history of coal mining, which is saying something, as there have been numerous deadly accidents worldwide.

How it could have been avoided: It’s not clear whether or not the explosion was preventable. That said, a Soviet investigation found that most of the deaths occurred when the guards sealed the mine off, leaving more than a thousand to die of carbon monoxide poisoning, and those deaths were likely preventable.^[6]

4 The Collapse of Rana Plaza: Bangladesh

Garment factories have been the site of numerous workplace disasters, but they pale compared to what happened to the Dhaka garment factory in Savar Upazila in the Dhaka District, Bangladesh. Rana Plaza was an eight-story commercial building that housed the garment factory, and on April 24, 2013, it collapsed.

On April 23, cracks appeared in the building, which pushed the owners of a bank, several apartments, and some shops to close. Unfortunately, the building’s owners didn’t follow suit, and the garment workers were made to return the following day. The cracks widened, and during the morning rush, the building collapsed due to widespread structural failure.

How it could have been avoided: The Rana Plaza collapse is the deadliest structural failure and deadliest garment-factory disaster in history, but it didn’t have to be. The building collapsed due to several factors, all of which were avoidable. It was constructed on a filled-in pond, making for a poor structural base.

Additionally, the building wasn’t rated for industrial use, and it was constructed with three additional floors that weren’t included on the building permit. Cheap materials and an overt disregard for safety led to the building’s collapse, but had the owners heeded the warning the day prior, the building would have collapsed, but it wouldn’t have taken 1,134 people with it.^[7]

3 The Bhopal Disaster: India

The vast majority of the incidents on this list involve an explosion of some kind, but that’s not always the deadliest kind of industrial accident. On December 2, 1984, the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, had a leak. The gas leak would continue to the next day, though it didn’t result in an explosion…the reality is far worse.

The leak exposed the surrounding area to methyl isocyanate gas, a highly toxic organic compound used in the production of pesticides. It is incredibly deadly, so when a giant cloud of the stuff covered the land, the people suffered. The final death toll amount still hasn’t been determined, but the numbers range from at least 3,787 to as many as 16,000.

Deaths were horrific, but so too were the injuries. More than half a million people were injured, with many suffering debilitating and disabling injuries. The leak was caused via a backflow of water into a tank, which kept methyl isocyanate from properly flowing.

How it could have been avoided: The accident resulted from slack management and continuously deferred maintenance. It was so clearly the result of terrible oversight, the accident led to eight Union Carbide employees being convicted of death by negligence.^[8]

2 The Halifax Explosion: Canada

On the morning of December 6, 1917, the SS Mont-Blanc collided with the SS Imo in a strait connecting the upper Halifax Harbor to Bedford Basin. The collision was problematic because the Mont-Blanc was carrying high explosives. After the crash, a fire broke out on board, which resulted in an incredible explosion estimated to amount to 2.9 kilotons of TNT.

At the time, it was the largest manmade explosion ever made, though nobody wanted to go down in history for the accident. The explosion killed 1,782 people in the immediate area. The deaths came from the explosion itself, the blastwave, debris, fires, and collapsed buildings in the immediate area. In addition, around 9,000 people were injured from the blast.

Almost every manmade structure within an 800-meter (half-mile) radius was utterly destroyed. Trees were snapped in half, and debris scattered for miles. News of the Halifax Explosion quickly spread, and it wasn’t long before an official investigation was implemented to determine what happened. In the end, it was found that both vessels were to blame for the accident.

How it could have been avoided: Both ships were granted clearance to enter the strait, but the Imo did so at excessive speed. When it approached the Mont-Blanc, an attempt was made to avoid an accident. Unfortunately, that became impossible, and the two vessels slammed into one another. Had the Mont-Blanc had a guard ship, and if the Iwo maintained safe speeds, the accident probably wouldn’t have occurred.^[9]

1 The Banqiao Dam Failure: China

The Banqiao Dam failure wasn’t related to a single dam that failed; it involved 62 dams failing consecutively. In August 1975, Typhoon Nina caused increased flooding, which resulted in the total failure of the Banqiao Dam and 61 other dams spread through Henan, China. The failure resulted in the third deadliest flood in recorded history.

The area affected was immense and included a population of 10.15 million spread across 30 cities. A total of three million acres, or 12,000 square kilometers (4,600 square miles), were inundated with water. More than five million homes were destroyed. While the death toll has never been confirmed, it’s estimated to be somewhere between 171,000 and 240,000.

The cause of the dam failure wasn’t the typhoon. Granted, it didn’t help, but the typhoon didn’t destroy the dams that failed. Instead, the barriers failed for multiple reasons ranging from poor construction materials and bad design to widespread ecosystem damage, which led to the destruction of a forested region, making the flooding possible.

How it could have been avoided: The main issue was how the dams were built—with an emphasis on water retainment and no concern over potential flooding. The Great Leap Forward resulted in widespread engineering projects like dams, but at such a speed that safety and quality were compromised. Had the dam been better designed and built to better standards, it’s likely they would have held under the strain of Typhoon Nina. ^[10]

Industrial growth was the driving force in creating the modern world. The economic progress of a country greatly depends on its industrial progress. But this industrial growth, in most cases, comes with a useless byproduct or end-cycle waste. This industrial waste cannot be left casually lying around, so we have to ask: what do they do with it? The answer may surprise you—or maybe not—but it’s apparent that it can become a ticking bomb with severe consequences to the ecology of that area.

That is why handling this industrial junk is a big challenge. After a while, certain types of industrial waste have become endemic to a few areas. These places receive a massive amount of that industrial junk from around the world every year. The situation is such that these places are now known for the type of useless waste dumped there. This list includes ten of the world’s most unique industrial graveyards, now famous for the industrial junk thrown there.

Related: 10 Truly Troubling Facts About The Clothing Industry

10 Tire Graveyard, Sulabiya, Kuwait

The first industrial junk graveyard on our list is so big that it is visible from space. And when seen from space, a black carpet-like mass is visible on the ground. This area in Kuwait holds more than 50 million tires. Anyone arriving at this place for the first time will start scratching their head, trying to understand where they collected this colossal number of tires from? The second question that will come to mind is why?

The answer to the “where” question is that the tires came from Kuwait and the rest of the world. The answer to why is that from 1980 to 2001, Kuwait dealt in the business of importing used tires from the world—especially from the U.S. and Europe. Kuwait provided a space in its desert for other countries to throw their unwanted tire junk.

But in two decades, the size of this rubber junk became so huge that Kuwait had to ban these imports in 2001. Now Kuwait is trying hard to dispose of the 50 million tires. It has started using recycling technology to make money from these tires, but the sheer quantity of tires outweighs any benefit as a resource. Frequent fires are reported in this tire graveyard, causing enormous environmental damage. These tire fires are also difficult to control and require considerable resources.^[1]

9 Car Graveyard, Old Car City, Georgia, USA

Used cars fill the second industrial junk graveyard on our list. The cars here are vintage ones. And with 4,500+ cars and trucks, this is the world’s largest graveyard of vintage automobiles. Old Car City was opened in 1931 in Georgia, USA. The initial plan of this junkyard was to collect scrap metal from cars, and this became a main focus, particularly during WW2.

But in later years, this junk haven became famous for its vintage car models. Most of the car models are from 1972 or earlier. Today, the junkyard also serves as an old car museum, containing more than 4,000 great American classic cars. It is a popular tourist place, with people from all over visiting to see its extensive vintage car collection.^[2]

8 E-Waste Graveyard, Agbogbloshie, Ghana

E-waste forms the majority of industrial junk the 21st century produces. Ours is an age of smartphones, computers, and electronic devices. Modern-day consumerism promotes updating our smartphones and computers every year. This tendency leaves behind an ever-growing stockpile of old, discarded electronic devices, which otherwise were in perfect working order. About 50 million tons of e-waste gets created every year, and this enormous amount of e-waste cannot all be recycled. E-waste is accepted by technology companies if recyclable. But what cannot be recycled becomes a waste of space and liability and needs to be discarded.

As often happens, wasteful developed countries need to find somewhere to dump their waste. And many times, that place is a less-developed country, usually in Africa or South America. In the case of e-waste, the country is Ghana. A wasteland area now, Agbogbloshie in Ghana has become the world’s biggest e-waste dumpsite. About 10,000 local workers work daily in this graveyard. Some e-waste of used goods gets sold in poor African countries at low prices. From other e-waste, the workers extract precious elements using acid, chemicals, and fire. This process badly affects the local population’s health because of the toxins released. Until a strong nation decides to shoulder responsibility, this e-waste graveyard will keep becoming more harmful to the human population.

Despite being the source of thousands of livelihoods (and health problems), the government of Ghana leveled this site and the recycling center and market near it. Now, the work done with the tons of e-waste still coming in has now moved underground—closer to where people live, bringing the health risks home.^[3]

7 Plastic Jungle Graveyard, Malaysia

In this next item on our list, we see the plastic jungle graveyard in Malaysia. Plastic waste is something very few countries like to keep on their land. Malaysia tried to sustain a business based on importing plastic waste from all over the world. Malaysia planned to convert that plastic waste into marketable products. So, very quickly, Malaysia became the plastic graveyard of the world.

But like other countries on this list, the imported plastic waste became too much to handle for Malaysia. The benefits of importing plastic waste were reduced as the mountain of waste grew, the task of treating plastic waste becoming intimidating. As a result, Malaysia has started returning unwanted plastic waste to European countries. Now Malaysia is left with the daunting task of handling plastic waste stockpiles on its soil, but there is no easy solution for it. The more plastic waste remains, the more environmental problems it will cause.^[4]

6 WWII Bombs Graveyard, Beaufort’s Dyke Submarine Trench

World War 2 was the last full-scale war that engulfed the entire world. There is no accurate count of the bombs dropped by both sides in the war. But after the end of WW2, getting rid of all those unexploded bombs became a headache for the allied nations. The United Kingdom government decided to use a natural submarine trench in their ocean waters for this task.

This trench is called Beaufort’s Dyke, and it is a 50-kilometer-long (31-mile) trench in the North Channel’s water. This channel divides Northern Ireland and Scotland, and Beaufort’s Dyke sits right in between this channel. Since WW2, the UK has dumped about 1.15 million tons of conventional and chemical bombs in this trench. This figure makes it the largest bomb graveyard in the world. Unfortunately for the UK, it was discovered that the dumping did not start or end with WWII. It is believed the UK used this area from the 1920s until 1976.

Weapons experts feel that this amount of unexploded artillery in one place is like a ticking time bomb—no pun intended. Because after years of corrosion, the shells of the bombs are more likely to corrode, potentially leading to explosions. Because of Beaufort’s Dyke, plans for a bridge between Ireland and Scotland have always been rejected. Also, sometimes the bombs from this trench wash up on the nearby coasts and cause problems. The world’s largest bomb graveyard can cause an explosion of unimaginable proportions if it ever triggers, so safe disposal of this graveyard is in the best interest of everyone.^[5]

5 Alang Shipyard, Gujarat, India

There is a saying, “A mighty storm is inconsequential when facing a mighty ship.” But every mighty ship at one point has to call it a day. After a ship is decommissioned or no longer of use, it is often sent to various desolate shipyards around the world. In these yards, the past glory of the ship is ripped apart for the price of the metal. Ships get dismantled down to the last possible detail.

Alang Shipyard in Gujarat, India, is one such graveyard for ships. Annually, 400–500 ships arrive at Alang for dismantling. The entire coastline of Alang has views of ships at different stages of dismantling. To a movie buff, these ships might look like Godzilla has half-eaten these ships. The sound of metal banging is the only sound echoing apart from the waves. The toxic waste from these ships is also a big problem in Alang as the toxic waste from the process has destroyed the marine life near the yard. Despite being a 100-billion-dollar industry, a visit to Alang evokes feelings of attending the funeral of a once-mighty ship.^[6]

4 Clothes Dumping Site, Atacama Desert, Chile

The next item on our list is a unique graveyard in the Atacama Desert located in Chile. It is an uninhabited and barren desert situated close to the Chilean port city of Iquique. This graveyard is like the dead-end of the clothing supply chain. It receives about 60,000 thousand tons of unwanted clothing every year, with Chile being the largest importer of used clothing. About 40% of these used clothes are sold again in poor Latin American countries.

However, the clothes that find no buyers—even by weight—will get dumped into the Atacama Desert. This clothing graveyard now has mountains of unused and discarded clothing. And these mountains keep growing as truckloads of clothes get dumped here every year. Some of these clothes are high-end fashion apparel, while others result from the devastating effects of fast fashion. This giant graveyard reflects the mindless consumerism of humans.^[7]

3 Nuclear Waste Graveyard, Hanford Nuclear Site, Washington, USA

The next item on our list is the Hanford Nuclear Site, situated near the Colombia River in Washington State and spread over a 1,517-square-kilometer (586-square-mile) area. Through the Cold War, the Hanford Site produced plutonium for nuclear weapons. Two-thirds of the U.S. nuclear weapons have received plutonium from this facility. Now, this facility serves as a nuclear waste graveyard.

At Hanford, about 56 million gallons of liquid nuclear waste lie in underground storage tanks. The solid waste lies buried underground, but it is still dangerous as it won’t lose its radioactivity for many years. There have been instances of storage tanks leaking radioactive waste. The employees working at the Hanford Site have reported getting deadly diseases like cancer after working here. Hanford is the largest nuclear waste graveyard in the world and could become a Chernobyl-like disaster if any nuclear spill happens.^[8]

2 Spacecraft Graveyard, Point Nemo, Pacific Ocean

A space mission is a noble task and a symbol of human progress. But this noble cause also has problems of its own. Like all things in life, spacecraft have an end-cycle phase. In this phase, it creates spacecraft junk. The junk includes rockets that have ejected satellites or decommissioned and damaged spaceships. Not many people know what happens to defunct spaceships or satellites. One thing is sure: they cannot be left rotating around the earth. It would become a potential danger for future space missions.

Therefore, a dumping site for spacecraft junk was required. For this purpose, scientists chose the most remote location on Earth. This exact location is called Point Nemo and lies in the Pacific Ocean. Point Nemo is the farthest from any landmass on Earth. According to scientists, the remoteness of this point made it the best choice for dumping space junk. A spacecraft reentering the earth’s atmosphere gets superheated, and the chance of its burning debris injuring anyone is least at Point Nemo. Any diver crazy enough to reach the Point Nemo sea bed will find many famous spaceships lying in peace.^[9]

1 Glass Beach, Ussuri Bay, Russia

The last place on our list is a 67-kilometer-long (42-mile) bay area in the Great Gulf. For years this site was a dumping spot for the neighboring glass industry and locals throwing empty alcohol bottles. Truckloads of waste glass bottles were thrown in this bay, making it the glass dumping ground of the world.

The thoughtless human behavior converted this beautiful bay into an unsightly dumping site. But then, like a savior, Mother Nature decided to step in. Now, this human-made mess has been turned into something stunningly beautiful.

Using the tidal waves at the bay, with slow and steady erosion, nature turned these piercing glass pieces into colorful pebbles. This entire bay now looks like a rainbow has landed on it or like you are looking through a kaleidoscope. Ussuri Bay is now a famous tourist spot, where people come to see what miracle nature has done with the garbage thrown at it.^[10]