John Seach, Volcano Live
Volcano Eruption Fatalities - John Seach

Volcanic eruptions are not the most dangerous of natural disasters.
They cause less fatalities than earthquakes, hurricanes and famines.

Fatalities
Volcano
Location
Year
92 000 Tambora Indonesia 1815
36 000 Krakatau Indonesia 1883
29 000 Mt Pelee Martinique 1902
28 000 Nevado del Ruiz Colombia 1985
15 000 Unzen Japan 1792
10 000 Laki Iceland 1783
10 000 Kelut Indonesia 1586
6 000 Santa Maria Guatemala 1902
5100 Kelut Indonesia 1919
5000 Santiaguito Guatemala 1929
4000 Galunggung Indonesia 1822
4000 Vesuvius Italy 1631
3500 Vesuvius Italy 79 AD
3500 El Chichón Mexico 1982
3200 Awu Indonesia 1711
3000 Papandayan Indonesia 1772
3000 Merapi Indonesia 1672
2900 Lamington PNG 1951
2800 Awu Indonesia 1856
2000 Nyiragongo DR Congo 1977
1700 Nyos Cameroon 1986
1560 San Cristobal Nicaragua 1998
1500 La Soufrière Saint Vincent 1902
1500 Awu Indonesia 1892
1480 Oshima-Oshima Japan 1741
1330 Taal Philippines 1911
1300 Merapi Indonesia 1930
1200 Mayon Philippines 1814
1200 Asama Japan 1783
1100 Agung Indonesia 1963
1000 Raung Indonesia 1638
1000 Nevado del Ruiz Colombia 1845
960 Awu Indonesia 1812
800 Cotopaxi Ecuador 1742
740 Pinatubo Philippines 1991
500 Iliwerung Indonesia 1979
500 Rabaul PNG 1938
500 Hibok-Hibok Philippines 1951
460 Bandai-san Japan 1888
400 Vesuvius Italy 1794
400 Cotopaxi Ecuador 1877
350 Vesuvius Italy 1906
265 Semeru Indonesia 1965
253 Semeru Indonesia 1981
212 Kelut Indonesia 1966
200 Oraefajokull Iceland 1362
153 Tarawera New Zealand 1886
151 Ruapehu New Zealand 1953
149 Dieng Indonesia 1979
147 Nyiragongo DR Congo 2002
120 Santorini Greece 1650
106 Dubbi Eritrea 1861
100 Nyiragongo DR Congo 1977
80 Kilauea Hawaii 1790
78 Arenal Costa Rica 1968
75 Mayon Philippines 1993
64 Merapi Indonesia 1994
63 Taupo New Zealand 1846
60 Merapi Indonesia 1979
60 Pinatubo Philippines 1992
57 Mt St Helens USA 1980
56 Mt Etna Italy 1843
50 Dama Ali Ethiopia 1631
48 Santorini Greece 1926
43 Unzen Japan 1991
40 Mt Etna Italy 141 BC
40 Mayon Philippines 1981
37 Lake Monoun Cameroon 1984
35 Kelut Indonesia 1990
33 Santa Maria Guatemala 1990
31 Toliman Guatemala 2002
30 Rinjani Indonesia 1994
27 Vesuvius Italy 1944
27 Galunggung Indonesia 1982
26 Apaneca El Salvador 1990
24 Campi Flegri Italy 1538
23 Mt Cameroon Cameroon 2001
20 Nyamuragira DR Congo 1912
20 Sabancaya Peru 1991
19 Soufriere Hills Montserrat 1997
17 Karthala Comoros 1903
13 Manam PNG 1996
11 White Island New Zealand 1914
9 Vesuvius Italy 1873
9 Vesuvius Italy 1872
9 Mt Etna Italy 1979
6 Maderas Nicaragua 1996
6 Semeru Indonesia 1994
5 Mt Etna Italy 1928
5 Popocatepetl Mexico 1996
4 Tarawera New Zealand 1903
4 Stromboli Italy 1930
4 Stromboli Italy 1919
4 Vesuvius Italy 1805
4 Vesuvius Italy 1682
4 Adatara Japan 1997
3 Piton de la Fournaise Reunion 1972
3 Campi Flegri Italy 1970
3 Aso Japan 1979
3 Kusatu-Shirane Japan 1976
3 Usu Japan 1977
3 Paricutin Mexico 1943
2 Tarawera New Zealand 1917
2 Vesuvius Italy 1737
2 Sangay Ecuador 1976
2 Karkar PNG 1979
2 Merapi Indonesia 2001
2 Mt Etna Italy 1987
2 Semeru Indonesia 2000
2 Aso Japan 1997
2 Yasur Vanuatu 1994
2 Guagua Pichincha Ecuador 1993
2 Kilauea Hawaii 1975
2 Kilauea Hawaii 2001
2 Mt Etna Italy 1929
1 Taupo New Zealand 1910
1 Karthala Comoros 1904
1 Vesuvius Italy 1905
1 Kilauea Hawaii 1924
1 Karangetang Indonesia 1976
1 Santa Maria Guatemala 1978
1 Semeru Indonesia 1981
1 Stromboli Italy 1986
1 Dieng Indonesia 1992
1 Marapi Indonesia 1992
1 Krakatau Indonesia 1993
1 Kilauea Hawaii 1993
1 Unzen Japan 1993
1 Yasur Vanuatu 1995
1 Semeru Indonesia 1997
1 Stromboli Italy 1986
1 Stromboli Italy 2001
1 Mt Etna Italy 1536
1 Mt Etna Italy 2001
1 Raoul Kermadec Is 2006
0 Mt Etna Italy 1669

The number of fatalities on a volcano does not only depend upon the size of the eruption.
The great eruption of Mt Etna in 1669 destroyed the city of Catania but no one was killed.
In contrast a single lahar from melting snow killed 28 000 at Nevado del Ruiz even when the
event was correctly forecast. Timely and credible information to the public helps save lives.
The greatest role for volcanologists is not to predict eruptions but to foresee catastrophic events.

Eruption Injuries without Deaths

Injuries
Volcano
Country
Year
12
Pacaya
Guatemala
1986
6
Sakura-jima
Japan
1986

 


 

Volcano Fatalities
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