Volcanoes play a major role in shaping the surface of the earth. At almost any moment somewhere in the world a volcano erupts. Volcanic eruptions can pose many risks, not necessarily in the direct vicinity of the volcano. Everyone will remember the eruption of Eyjafjallajökul in Iceland in 2010. This eruption didn’t claim any victims, but the volcanic ash disrupted air travel in the northern Atlantic for weeks.
Large eruptions can even obscure the light of the sun, resulting in ‘volcanic winters’ and famine. Other severe threats are mud-, ash- or lava flows or even tsunamis. What are the deadliest volcanic eruptions by (estimated) number of victims? Where and when did they take place? Check the top 10 deadliest volcanic eruptions!
Top 10 deadliest volcanic eruptions
- Vesuvius, Italy, 76 AD – 3,360 deaths
- Vesuvius, Italy, 1631 – 3,500 deaths
- Galunggung, Indonesia, 1822 – 4,011 deaths
- Kelut, Indonesia, 1919 – 5,110 deaths
- Laki, Iceland, 1783 – 9,350 deaths
- Unzen, Japan, 1792 – 14,300 deaths
- Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, 1985 – 25,000 victims
- Mt. Pelee, Martinique, 1903 – 29,025 deaths
- Krakatau, Indonesia, 1883 – 36,417 deaths
- Tambora, Indonesia, 1815 – 92,000 deaths