Titanic, This name surely brings back nostalgic memories, but surely not the ones we can cherish. The Titanic met with a Colosseum accident that swept away 1500 lives. In the year 1912, the voyage that started from Southampton was on its way to New York. It met its untimely demise when it hit the formidable force known as the iceberg in the oceans of the North Atlantic. Since then, humanity has wept with the heartbreaking memories of its survivors. However, it wasn't the only time humanity suffered a deep loss. There have been times in the history of human evolution when we have seen grief in its most bizarre form. In this blog, we'll try to shed light on such incidents.
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RMS Lusitania:
The RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner. It was used to travel back and forth between the United States and England. It travelled between the years 1907 and 1915 before it met its untimely demise. The ship set its final sail on May 1, 1915, from Southampton to New York, US. This was also the time when World War I was taking place. German U-Ships were targeting military as well as civilian vessels. Which made travel more difficult through the water route. On May 7, as Lusitania was approaching the coast of Ireland, It got spotted by the German Submarine U-20. Commanded by Kapitanleutnant Walther Schwieger, it fired a torpedo towards the Lusitania on its starboard side, which resulted in a big explosion. Within just 18 minutes of the strike, the ship sank into the ocean. A total of 1198 people died in 1959 in that event.
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MV Wilhelm Gustloff:
The MV Wilhelm Gustloff was a Nazi cruise ship built in 1937. Initially, it served as a luxury cruise ship that operated in the Baltic Sea. The Ship was later repurposed and changed to a Military Transport Vessel in WW2. It travelled between the years 1936 and 1945 before it met its demise. The tragic incident took place on January 30th, 1945. The ship was carrying about 10,000 (estimated) passengers, which included military personnel, refugees, and civilians. The Soviet Commander of the S-13 submarine, Captain Alexander Marinesko, launched an attack on the Wilhelm, resulting in the sinking of the ship. In only about 45 minutes after the attack, the Sea devoured the whole cruise, which led to the deaths of about 5 to 9 thousand people.
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RMS Empress of Ireland:
The RMS Empress of Ireland was a Canadian Ocean Liner. It served as a passenger liner between 1906 and 1914, making travel easy for the UK and Canada. The incident occurred in 1914. On May 28, 1914, it was travelling through the St. Lawrence River, unaware that tragedy was awaiting them. In the dense fog of the Saint Lawrence River, the Norwegian Collier ship SS Storstad made a collision with the RMS Empress, resulting in damage on the starboard side. The ship sank after some accidents and killed almost 66% of its passengers. The dense fog and interrupted communication were the reasons behind this great tragedy that sank the Empress, resulting in the deaths of 1012 people in 1477.
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MV Dona Paz:
The MV Dona Paz was a Philippine ferry. It was initially built in Japan in 1963 and was used for cargo and passengers. Initially, It was named Himeyuri Maru, but after an acquisition by a Philippine shipping company, Sulpici Lines, it got renamed to MV Dona Paz, and throughout the years until its demise, it operated in the Philippines, connecting the islands of Luzon and Leyte. The incident took place on December 20, 1987. MD Dona Paz was heavily crowded with passengers on board. The usual capacity of the Ship is around 1500, but that day it had about 4386 passengers. Due to various factors, it lost control and collided with the Oil Tanker MT Vector off the coast of Mindoro, Philippines. The collision resulted in a fire on both ships, killing an estimated 4 to 4.5 thousand people from both ships combined. It's still considered the worst disaster in maritime history.
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SS Sultana:
The SS Sultana was a SteamShip built to transport Cargo and passengers on the Mississipi River. During the American Civil War, it was tasked with retrieving the freed Union soldiers from prison. The incident took place on April 27, 1865. When the boat carrying the Union soldiers was crossing the Mississippi River, the boiler of the boat exploded, killing around 1800 to 1900 people. There are various reasons that led to the disaster. For instance, the ship was overcrowded with passengers and the maintenance wasn't done on time, or it may have something to do with the rush to get passengers to safety. Nevertheless, It ended up in flames and cost thousands of people their lives.
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MV Princess of the Stars:
The MV Princess of the Stars was a Philippine passenger ferry. It served as a passenger ferry between 1984 and 2008. The disastrous incident took place on June 21, 2008. The MV Princess was off the coast of Sibuyan Island, Philippines, when it encountered a typhoon. The ship capsized and sank due to its powerful effects, sweeping away more than 800 people with it.
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MS Estonia:
The MS Estonia was a Swedish-built ferry operated by the Estonian shipping company Estline. It provided regular ferry service between Tallinn, Estonia, and Stockholm, Sweden. It operated from 1980 to 1994. On September 28, 1994, while en route from Tallinn to Stockholm, the MS Estonia encountered severe weather conditions, including strong winds and high waves, in the Baltic Sea. The ship's bow visor, which was intended to protect against water entering the car deck, became damaged due to the rough seas. As a result of the damage to the bow visor and the extreme weather, the MS Estonia began to list heavily to starboard. Water entered the car deck, causing further instability. The ship's stability was compromised, and it eventually capsized and sank. Tragically, around 852 people lost their lives in this disaster.
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MV Sewol:
The MV Sewol was a ferry operated by Chonghaejin Marine Company. It primarily transported passengers and vehicles between Incheon and Jeju, South Korea. It was built in 1994 and was named The Ferry Naminoue. It provided the service between 1994 and 2014. This incident took place on April 16, 2014. Off the coast of southern South Korea, a ship capsized and sank in the ocean. Which resulted in the deaths of 304 people. The causes are still contemplated as a mix of instability, improper stowage of cargo, and overloading.
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RMS Atlantic:
The RMS Atlantic was a British passenger steamship. It was intended to transport mostly people and freight between Europe and North America. It provided the service between 1870 and 1873. The incident took place on March 31, 1873. While en route from Liverpool, England, to New York City, the RMS Atlantic struck rocks off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The ship's navigational calculations were incorrect due to a combination of factors, including weather conditions and errors in determining the ship's position. The ship's collision with the rocks and subsequent grounding led to the deaths of at least 535 people, including passengers and crew members.
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MV Costa Concordia:
The MV Costa Concordia was a passenger cruise ship. The MV Costa Concordia primarily operated in the Mediterranean Sea, offering cruise itineraries to popular destinations along the coasts of Italy, Greece, and other Mediterranean countries. It provided the service from 2006 to 2012. The incident took place on January 13, 2012. The ship tragically struck rocks near the island of Giglio, Italy, during a risky manoeuvre known as a "salute," which involved sailing close to the island's coast. The collision caused a large gash in the ship's hull, leading to flooding and a loss of stability. The ship's evacuation was disorderly and challenging due to the ship's tilt and confusion among passengers and crew. Thirty-two people lost their lives in the disaster, including passengers and crew members.
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