New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Is it the jinx of 26? The catastrophic flash floods that tore through Nepal on August 26 are the latest addition to a grim history of disasters that struck on the 26th – right from the 1939 earthquake in Turkey that killed more than 32,700 people to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in which 228,000 people were killed, missing and presumed dead.
And it is not just about natural disasters, which include the Gujarat earthquake of 2001 that killed about 20,000 people. The date is also when the Mumbai terror siege began on the night of November 26, 2008 and of the Chernoby nuclear accident on April 26, 1986.
Here is a look at the major tragedies that unfolded on the 26th: NATURAL DISASTERS ———————— *AUGUST 26, 2026: NEPAL FLASH FLOODS A massive flash flood swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district and downstream areas after a sudden surge of water and debris entered the Bhote Koshi river system. The flood inundated settlements, washed away roads and bridges and damaged hydropower projects and other infrastructure. As of August 31, authorities reported over 900 deaths and nearly 4,500 missing.
*OCTOBER 26, 2015: HINDU KUSH EARTHQUAKE A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region, affecting Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of northern India. The quake caused widespread damage and reportedly killed about 400 people, with most casualties reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
*MAY 26, 2006: YOGYAKARTA EARTHQUAKE, INDONESIA A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near Yogyakarta on Indonesia’s Java island, causing extensive destruction. Thousands of homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed, and more than 5,700 people killed.
*JULY 26, 2005: MAHARASHTRA FLOODS Exceptionally heavy monsoon rainfall lashed Maharashtra on July 26, 2005, triggering catastrophic flooding, particularly in Mumbai. The city received around 944 mm of rain in 24 hours, inundating roads, homes and railway lines and bringing normal life to a standstill. A total of 1,094 people were killed in Maharashtra.
*DECEMBER 26, 2004: INDIAN OCEAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra on December 26, triggering a massive tsunami that swept across countries bordering the Indian Ocean. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were among the worst affected. About 228,000 people were killed or left missing and presumed dead, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
*DECEMBER 26, 2003: BAM EARTHQUAKE, IRAN A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Iranian city of Bam on December 26, destroying much of the historic city and surrounding settlements. Thousands of buildings collapsed, and estimates of the death toll varied, with figures of about 31,000 widely reported.
*MARCH 25-26, 2002: AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKES A series of earthquakes struck northern Afghanistan overnight on March 25-26, devastating parts of Baghlan province. Mud-brick homes collapsed, and thousands of people were left homeless. Early estimates put the death toll as high as 1,800, although subsequent assessments varied significantly during the rescue and recovery operation.
*JANUARY 26, 2001: GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE A powerful earthquake struck Gujarat on January 26, 2001, devastating large parts of the state, particularly the Kutch region. More than 166,000 people were injured, and around 20,000 were killed.
*APRIL 26, 1990: GONGHE EARTHQUAKE, CHINA A magnitude 7 earthquake struck China’s Qinghai province on April 26, 1990, causing severe damage in the Gonghe region and killing more than 100 people.
*NOVEMBER 26, 1987: PANTAR EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI, INDONESIA A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Pantar area of Indonesia on November 26, 1987, generating a tsunami. The disaster killed 125 people.
*MAY 26, 1983: SEA OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI, JAPAN A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off northern Japan on May 26, 1983, triggering a tsunami that hit coastal areas of Akita and Aomori prefectures. The tsunami caused most of the casualties, with 104 people killed.
*JULY 26, 1963: SKOPJE EARTHQUAKE A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Skopje, then part of Yugoslavia, on July 26, 1963. Much of the city was devastated; more than 200,000 people were left homeless, and about 1,070 were killed.
*NOVEMBER 26, 1943: LADIK EARTHQUAKE, TURKEY A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Ladik-Samsun-Havza region of Turkey on November 26, 1943. The earthquake caused extensive destruction across northern Turkey and killed about 4,020 people.
*DECEMBER 26-27, 1939: ERZINCAN QUAKE, TURKEY A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Erzincan region of Turkey on December 26, 1939, causing widespread destruction along the North Anatolian fault. Thousands of buildings collapsed, and about 32,700 people were killed.
*SEPTEMBER 26, 1932: LERISSOS EARTHQUAKE, GREECE A powerful earthquake struck the Chalkidiki peninsula of Greece on September 26, 1932, severely damaging Lerissos and surrounding areas. Hundreds of houses were destroyed, and a tsunami was also recorded. Historical estimates of the death toll range from about 160 to nearly 500.
*NOVEMBER 26, 1930: NORTH IZU EARTHQUAKE, JAPAN A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Japan’s Izu peninsula on November 26, 1930. The quake caused widespread damage, with landslides and fires adding to the destruction. Around 250 people were killed, with later catalogues recording 272 deaths.
HUMAN-MADE TRAGEDIES —————————– *SEPTEMBER 26, 2023: QARAQOSH WEDDING HALL FIRE, IRAQ A fire broke out at a wedding hall in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, after indoor pyrotechnics ignited highly flammable material. The fire spread rapidly through the crowded venue, killing more than 100 people and injuring dozens.
*AUGUST 26, 2021: KABUL AIRPORT BOMBING A suicide bomber from Islamic State-Khorasan province detonated an explosive near the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on August 26, 2021, as thousands of people gathered during the US-led evacuation from Afghanistan. At least 183 people, including 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US service members, were killed.
*NOVEMBER 26, 2008: MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS The Mumbai terror attacks began on the night of November 26, 2008, when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists launched coordinated attacks at several locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The siege lasted nearly three days. A total of 166 victims were killed, while nine attackers were also killed and more than 300 people were injured.
*MAY 26, 1991: LAUDA AIR FLIGHT 004 CRASH A Lauda Air Boeing 767 flying from Bangkok to Vienna crashed in Thailand on May 26, 1991, after an uncommanded deployment of an engine thrust reverser caused the aircraft to lose control and break apart. All 223 people aboard were killed.
*APRIL 26, 1986: CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER Reactor no. 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in then-Soviet Ukraine exploded during a safety test on April 26, 1986, releasing large amounts of radioactive material. The immediate official death toll was 31, while the incident caused widespread radiation exposure across parts of Europe. Long-term deaths attributable to radiation remain a matter of scientific estimation rather than a directly counted toll.
*APRIL 26, 1942: BENXIHU COLLIERY DISASTER, CHINA A gas and coal dust explosion ripped through the Benxihu coal mine in China’s Liaoning province on April 26, 1942. Carbon monoxide poisoning following the explosion killed 1,549 miners, making it one of history’s deadliest mining disasters. PTI PRN SAP MIN MIN MIN
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