List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll

Diyila Dagbani Wikipedia

Din doli ŋɔ na nyɛla Alaamu nima din niŋ New Zealand ka tahi kpibu na, di kali la alaamu kara (ka yihi tɔbu nuu) di niŋ New Zealand ni di tiŋgbani yaɣa bee ka New Zealand bichini nima be din ni, saha di ni niŋ ka nyɛvuli din yi nyɛ pia bee n gari.

Kpibu kɔbigu bee din gari[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Deaths Name Type Date Location Notes
Air New Zealand Flight 901 airliner accident 28 Nov 1979 Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica Controlled flight into terrain
[1][2] 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake earthquake 3 Feb 1931 20 km north of Napier
+ 1820s Southland tsunami tsunami 1820s Orepuki beach Possibly more than 200 killed
Tɛmplet:HMS shipwreck 7 Feb 1863 off Manukau Heads, near Auckland
[3] 2011 Christchurch earthquake earthquake 22 Feb 2011 Christchurch
Tangiwai disaster train wreck/lahar 24 Dec 1953 Whangaehu River
+[4] 1st Little Waihi landslide landslide 1780 Waihi Village
Tɛmplet:SS shipwreck 29 Apr 1881 off Waipapa Point
Tɛmplet:SS shipwreck 29 Oct 1894 off Great Barrier Island
–153[5][6] 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera volcanic eruption 10 Jun 1886 Mount Tarawera

50 to 99 deaths[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Deaths Name or description Type Date Location Notes
Fiery Star shipwreck 11 May 1865 240 km off the Chatham Islands
SS Penguin shipwreck 12 Feb 1909 off Cape Terawhiti
[7] General Grant shipwreck May 1866 Auckland Island 10 castaways survived the wreck and were successfully rescued.
[8] Brunner Mine disaster mine explosion 26 Mar 1896 Brunner
[9] 2nd Little Waihi Landslide landslide 7 May 1846 Waihi Village Tribal leader Mananui Te Heuheu Tukino II and most of his family were killed in the landslide[10]
[11] TEV Wahine shipwreck 10 Apr 1968 Barrett Reef, Wellington Harbour
City of Dunedin shipwreck 20 May 1865 off Cape Terawhiti There are estimates of between 250 and 600 passengers perishing, but these reports were 20 or more years later
+ Blizzard and Flood of 1863 floods and blizzards Jul 1863Aug 1863 Central Otago goldfields The actual death toll was probably higher because of the transient nature of the miners and the ruggedness of the country
Christchurch mosque shootings terrorist attack 15 Mar 2019 Christchurch

10 to 49 deaths[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Deaths Name or description Type Date Location Notes
Featherston Prisoner of war camp riot riot 25 Feb 1943 Featherston
SS Elingamite shipwreck 9 Nov 1902 off West Island in the Three Kings Islands
Ralph Mine disaster mine explosion 12 Sep 1914 Huntly methane and coal dust explosion[12]
Ballantyne's store disaster fire 18 Nov 1947 Christchurch
+[13][14] Great storm of 1868, flash floods and 12 shipwrecks storm 3 Feb 1868 Predominantly eastern areas of New Zealand Death toll likely understated as impact on many Māori unknown
Seacliff Lunatic Asylum fire 8 Dec 1942 Seacliff
Kaitangata Mine disaster mine explosion 21 Feb 1879 Kaitangata explosion of fire-damp (methane)
[13][15] SS Taiaroa shipwreck 11 Apr 1886 Waiau Toa / Clarence River mouth
[16] Dunedin shipwreck (presumed) 1890 between Oamaru and London
Marlborough shipwreck (presumed) 1890 between Lyttelton and London
[17] MV Kaitawa shipwreck 23 May 1966 near Pandora Bank, Cape Reinga
Pike River Mine disaster mine explosion 19 Nov 2010 northwest of Greymouth large methane explosion[18]
Barque Maria shipwreck[15] 1851 Cape Terawhiti
+[19][20] Storm of 1897 floods and shipwreck 16 Apr 1897 North Island flooding at Clive, boating accidents, and the wreck of the Zuleika near Cape Palliser. 25 confirmed deaths and 6 unconfirmed
[21][22] MV Joyita ghost ship Oct 1955 En route from Apia, Samoa to Tokelau
[23] Assaye shipwreck (presumed) 1890 between London and Wellington; wreckage washed up at the Chatham Islands 7 months after the ship left London
New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 air accident 3 Jul 1963 Kaimai Ranges
[24] launch Ranui shipwreck 30 Dec 1950 off Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty
2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption volcanic eruption 9 Dec 2019 Whakaari/White Island
[25][26] brigantine Sophia Pate shipwreck Aug 1841 Kaipara Harbour
[27] Kopuawhara flash flood of 1938 flood 19 Feb 1938 Destroyed the Kopuawhara railway workers camp
Hyde railway disaster rail accident 4 Jun 1943 near Hyde
+[28] Tsunami from 1868 Arica earthquake tsunami 13 Aug 1868 Chatham Islands
[15] schooner St. Vincent shipwreck 14 Feb 1869 Palliser Bay
[29] RNZAF Douglas C-47 disappearance air accident 24 Sep 1945 en route from Vanuatu
[30] Strongman Mine mine explosion 19 Jan 1967 near Greymouth
[31] Canoe on Lake Rotorua boating accident 16 Apr 1870 near Mokoia Island on Lake Rotorua
[32] Clyde shipwreck 6 Nov 1884 Horseshoe Bay, near Akaroa, Banks Peninsula
[33] Canoe on Motu River boating accident 4 Aug 1900 Motu River – 25 miles from Opotiki[34] There were 16 children and 2 adults in the six person canoe
[35] ketch Enterprise and steamer Tauranga shipwreck 23 Jul 1870 between Cape Rodney and Sail Rock, Hauraki Gulf Those lost — fourteen crew and four passengers — all came from the Tauranga. The crew of the Enterprise survived in the ship's longboat.[36]
[37] Lastingham shipwreck 1 Sep 1884 Cape Jackson, Cook Strait
Ongarue railway disaster rail accident[13] 6 Jul 1923 Ongarue
[38] 1929 Murchison earthquake earthquake 17 Jun 1929 Murchison
[39] 1943 Liberator crash at Whenuapai air accident 2 Aug 1943 Whenuapai Those killed were mainly Japanese civilians who were being repatriated in a prisoner exchange.
[40] Capitaine Bougainville shipwreck 3 Sep 1975 Whananaki
[13] Lockheed Lodestar airliner crash air accident 18 Mar 1949 near Waikanae
[41] MV Holmglen shipwreck 24 Nov 1959 near Timaru
[42] Brynderwyns bus accident road accident 7 Feb 1963 Brynderwyn Hills
[43] Derry Castle shipwreck 20 Mar 1887 Enderby Island, Auckland Islands
[44][45] Hutt River flood floods 17 Jan 1858 Hutt Valley
[46] Two Hudson bombers lost off the New Zealand coast air accident 21 Aug 1944 en route from Fiji No. 4 Squadron RNZAF
[47] Aramoana massacre spree killing 13 Nov 1990 Aramoana, near Dunedin
Cave Creek disaster structural failure 28 Apr 1995 Paparoa National Park
[15] Tasmania shipwreck 1897 Māhia Peninsula
[48] SS Ventnor shipwreck 28 Oct 1902 off Omapere, Hokianga
NAC Electra air crash air accident 23 Oct 1948 on Mount Ruapehu
[49] L'Alcmène shipwreck 3 Jun 1851 Baylys Beach, Kaipara A French navy corvette
[50] ferry Pride of the Yarra and paddle steamer Favourite collision 6 Jul 1863 Otago Harbour
[51] Cafe Chantant fire, The Octagon, Dunedin fire 8 Sep 1879 Dunedin
[52] Barque Lizzie Bell shipwreck 24 Jul 1901 Waimate, Taranaki
[53] barque Dundonald shipwreck 7 Mar 1907 Disappointment Island, Auckland Islands
[54][55] Brigantine Rio Loge shipwreck (presumed) Jan 1909 Last seen in Cook Strait on 14 January, en route from Kaipara to Dunedin May have caused the wreck of the Penguin a month later.[56]
[57] Cyclone of 1936 storm 1 Feb 1936 North Island and upper South Island A tropical cyclone that originated near the Solomon Islands
[58] Glen Afton No. 1 mine Coal mine fire 24 Sep 1939 Huntly 11 miners, including the mine manager, died from carbon monoxide asphyxia
[59] B17 bomber crash air accident 12 Jun 1942 RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai
[60] 2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash air accident 7 Jan 2012 near Carterton
[61] Cyclone Gabrielle cyclone 12 Feb 202316 Feb 2023 North Island and northern South Island
[62] Shamrock sailing boat shipwreck 1834 Queen Charlotte Sound Capsized and sank. Exact location unknown.
[63] Brig Australia shipwreck 23 May 1873 off Cape Campbell
White Island sulphur mine lahar following volcano crater wall collapse 10 Sep 1914 Whakaari/White Island No bodies found.[64][65]
[66] Husky and Argo lost to storm in yacht race shipwrecks 21 Jan 1951 between Wellington and Christchurch
[67] Aspiring Air Britten-Norman Islander, collided with terrain air crash 8 Aug 1989 Upper Dart Valley

NOTE: The exact number of deaths in some early New Zealand shipwrecks is not fully recorded. There may be several shipwrecks not listed here which claimed ten or more lives.

Significant incidents resulting in fewer than 10 deaths[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Deaths Name or description Type Date Location Notes
9 1855 Wairarapa earthquake earthquake 23 Jan 1855 Lake Wairarapa
9 2010 Fox Glacier FU-24 crash air accident 4 Sep 2010 Fox Glacier
7 1941 Kowhitirangi shootings spree killing 8 Oct 19419 Oct 1941 Kowhitirangi, near Hokitika four police officers and three civilians killed
7 Cyclone Bola cyclone 6 Mar 198812 Mar 1988 North Island
7 Mangatepopo Canyon disaster flood 15 Apr 2008 Tongariro National Park
7 2015 Fox Glacier helicopter crash air accident 21 Nov 2015 Fox Glacier
6 Raurimu massacre spree killing 8 Feb 1997 Raurimu
5 Loafers Lodge fire fire 16 May 2023 Newtown, Wellington
Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 air accident 9 Jun 1995 Tararua Range, near Palmerston North
4 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods flood 27 Jan 20232 Feb 2023 upper North Island
3 1968 Inangahua earthquake earthquake 24 May 1968 near Inangahua Junction
3 2023 Auckland shooting shooting 20 Jul 2023 Auckland CBD
2 1966 Air New Zealand DC-8 crash air accident 4 Jul 1966 near Auckland Airport
2 Air New Zealand Flight 4374 air accident 17 Feb 1979 near Auckland Airport
2 Airwork Flight 23 air accident 3 May 2005 near Stratford
2 2010 Canterbury earthquake earthquake 4 Sep 2010 near Darfield
2 2016 Kaikōura earthquake earthquake 14 Nov 2016 near Waiau
1 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake earthquake 2 Mar 1987 near Edgecumbe

Pandemics and health crises[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Deaths Description Date Location Notes
1918 flu pandemic 1918 October–December nationwide [68]
3,623[69] COVID-19 pandemic 2020 February–ongoing nationwide Total deaths attributed to COVID-19 as at 17 December 2023.[69][70] (Statistics updated weekly.)
HIV/AIDS pandemic 1983–ongoing nationwide As of December 2014.[71]
69 2009 swine flu pandemic 2009 April–September nationwide [72]

Significant incidents of New Zealanders being killed overseas[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Confirmed Deaths Name Type Date Location Notes
[73] Cospatrick ship lost to fire 17 Nov 1874 640 km south-west of the Cape of Good Hope, en route to Auckland Only 3 people survived
[74] The Trevelyan (immigrant ship en route from Glasgow) storm 3 Jun 1888 Presumed foundered off the South African coast, en route to Port Chalmers, New Zealand
[75] Knowsley Hall shipwreck (presumed) 1879 between London and Lyttelton
[76] Matoaka shipwreck (presumed) 1869 between Lyttelton and London
[77] 1943 RNZAF Catalina crash air accident 5 Jun 1943 south of Fiji
[78][79] Pan Am Flight 806 air accident 30 Jan 1974 Pago Pago, American Samoa Only New Zealand deaths listed
[80] 1945 RNZAF Catalina crash air accident 27 Jan 1945 off Beqa, Fiji
[81] Bere Ferrers rail accident, train hit NZ troops on tracks by platform train accident 24 Sep 1917 Bere Ferrers, Devon, UK

See also[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Kundivihira[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

  1. Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia, edition 4 (1995). Article: |earthquake 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, Hawke's Bay region, Napier
  2. Welch, Denis (4 February 2006). "Shake, Rattle & Roll". New Zealand Listener (3430): 29–30. A larger death toll of 258 includes two missing, presumed dead.
  3. List of deceased – Christchurch earthquake. New Zealand Police (9 February 2012). Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  4. Waihi Landslide Archived 15 Silimin gɔli October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, GeoNet News, Vol. 2, February 2003, p. 7. Death toll calculated by subtracting death tolls for two later landslides (64 and 1 in 1846 and 1910 respectively) from the total of "more than 200" given for all three.
  5. The eruption's death toll is uncertain. While 153 is a commonly quoted figure, only 108 named victims have been identified. Death list Archived 4 Silimin gɔli June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Anheizen.com.
  6. In 2007, the General Manager of the Earthquake Commission said that "... Ngati Hinemihi oral accounts put the death toll in the thousands." David Middleton (2007). A Roof Over Their Heads? The challenge of accommodation following disasters Archived 28 Silimin gɔli May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Five more died before the survivors were rescued 18 months later.
  8. Brunner Mine explosion. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  9. Lamorna Cooper, Hipaua Steaming Cliffs and Little Waihi Landslide, Tephra, Vol. 19, June 2002, 42–47.
  10. Tɛmplet:DNZB
  11. The original Wahine death toll was 51; two names were added 22 and 40 years later. Six more people were killed by Cyclone Giselle elsewhere in New Zealand.
  12. New Zealand Disasters – Mining: Ralph's Mine, Christchurch City Libraries
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 New Zealand disasters timeline, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  14. Great storm of 1868, flash floods and 12 shipwrecks
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Disasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 18 September 2007.
  16. Dunedin, which cites W.H. Brett's White Wings: Fifty years of sail in the New Zealand Trade, Vol. I. 1925.
  17. NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS AND TRAGEDIES – SINKING OF MV KAITAWA – 1966.
  18. Beswick, Angela. Pike River: Second explosion, no survivors. 3 News.
  19. NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS – CLIVE FLOODS – 1897.
  20. The Wreck of The "Zuleika", Palliser Bay. Quotes from NZ Truth, 16 March 1976.
  21. Field, Michael (6 March 2012). "1955 Pacific mystery to be finally marked". stuff.co.nz. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/6531254/1955-Pacific-mystery-to-be-finally-marked.
  22. All 25 on board were missing when the boat was found, and are presumed dead.
  23. Assaye from England to Auckland 1874.
  24. NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS – RANUI SINKING – 1950.
  25. Ryburn, Wayne (1999). Tall Spars, Steamers & Gum. Auckland, N.Z.: Kaipara Publications. p. 230. ISBN 0-473-06176-7.
  26. Not many remember the 'Sophia Pate' 1841 Kaipara Harbour.
  27. New Zealand Disasters – Kopuawhara flood, Christchurch City Libraries.
  28. Only deadly NZ tsunami on record hit the Chathams, 150 years ago. Stuff.co.nz (13 August 2018).
  29. ASN Accident Description (RNZAF [NZ3526)] (24 September 1945).
  30. New Zealand Disasters – Strongman Mine Explosion, Christchurch City Libraries.
  31. Rotorua. Terrible boat disaster — Eighteen natives drowned, Daily Southern Cross| volume=XXVI| issue=3953, 23 April 1870, Page 4
  32. Clyde, Dive New Zealand Magazine.
  33. Casualties, Evening Star | issue=11329, 25 August 1900, Page 8
  34. "Sad boating disaster". The Daily Telegraph (9835): p. 5. 7 August 1900. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DTN19000807.2.25.
  35. New Zealand Historical Data – Ship "Tauranga".
  36. Ingram, C. W. N., and Wheatley, P. O., (1936) Shipwrecks: New Zealand disasters 1795–1936. Dunedin, NZ: Dunedin Book Publishing Association. pp. 170–171.
  37. The Lastingham Wreck[permanent dead link], Paul's Dive Planet.
  38. Eileen McSaveney, Historic earthquakes – The 1929 Arthur's Pass and Murchison earthquakes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 21 September 2007. Accessed 2008-01-05.
  39. Livingstone, Bob (1998). Under the Southern Cross: The B-24 Liberator in the South Pacific. Turner. p. 115. ISBN 1-56311-432-1.
  40. Whananaki Coastal Walk.
  41. Disasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks – Holmglen, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 18 September 2007.
  42. New Zealand Disasters – Brynderwyns bus accident, Christchurch City Libraries.
  43. The Derry Castle. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
  44. Weekly Feature – Early settler had leading role Archived 2 Silimin gɔli July 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 2003.
  45. Disastrous flood at the Hutt - 14 lives lost, Daily Southern Cross, 16 February 1858, Page 3
  46. McLintock, A. H., ed. (1966). "Pre-war and Wartime Accidents". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  47. [13 murder victims plus perpetrator]
  48. Disasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks – Ventnor, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 18 September 2007. The cargo included the remains of 499 Chinese miners who had died in NZ and whose remains were being repatriated. The wreck was discovered in December 2012.102-year-old SS Ventnor shipwreck mystery revealed.
  49. Wreck of the Alcmène – Shipwrecks – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  50. Wreck information Archived 5 Silimin gɔli March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Quay Stuff.
  51. NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS – OCTAGON FIRE, DUNEDIN – 1879.
  52. NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS – BARQUE LIZZIE BELL SINKING – 1901.
  53. Three more died before being rescued.
  54. "The Rio Loge". Press. Press Association (Wellington): p. 11. 13 February 1909. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19090213.2.102.
  55. "Supposed Hull of Rio Loge". Poverty Bay Herald: p. 5. 22 February 1909. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=PBH19090222.2.38&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0--.
  56. Stacey Wood; Greer McDonald (11 February 2009). "Search for wreck of Penguin". The Dominion Post. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/archive/national-news/1397733/Search-for-wreck-of-Penguin.
  57. Eight destructive New Zealand storms, Marilynn McLachlan, New Zealand Herald, Auckland, 4:00 PM Friday 14 March 2014 Retrieved 26 January 2016
  58. Sherwood, Alan & Phillips, Jock. "Coal and coal mining". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 April 2009.
  59. Lomas, David (10 April 2010). Secret deaths. The New Zealand Listener.
  60. Hot air balloon crash near Carterton kills 11. Stuff.co.nz.
  61. Cyclone Gabrielle updates: Death toll rises, half of uncontactable reports resolved (19 February 2023).
  62. Add them to the list: Underwater survey discovers new wrecks in Marlborough Sounds, Oliver Lewis, Stuff.co.nz, Last updated 12:42, 1 September 2017, retrieved 1 September 2017
  63. "Loss of the brig Australia, at Cape Campbell". Grey River Argus: p. 2. 7 June 1873. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=GRA18730607.2.4&dliv=&e=-------10--1----2--.
  64. Whakaari (White Island) and Motuhora (Whale Island). A report to the Waitangi Tribunal. 50–51. New Zealand Government (November 1993).
  65. The 1914 White Island/Whakaari mining disaster (16 June 2015).
  66. Yacht Wrecked in Ocean Race. The Press 6 (29 January 1951).
  67. Accident description. Aviation Safety Network.
  68. Epidemic | NZHistory, New Zealand history online. Nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  69. 69.0 69.1 COVID-19: Current cases - COVID-19 cases summary (en). Ministry of Health NZ (19 December 2023).
  70. COVID-19 Active Cases in New Zealand - Deceased. Global Risk Consulting Group (GRC) (19 December 2023).
  71. UNAIDS Country Progress Report New Zealand: Reporting Period: January 2014 – December 2014 (April 2015). Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  72. Gosset, Katy (2020-03-17). Swine Flu 2009/2010 (en-nz).
  73. John Wilson, The voyage out – Fire on the Cospatrick, from Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 21 September 2007. Accessed 2008-05-20.
  74. The Mercury newspaper (Hobart, Australia), [1], Tuesday 30 October 1888
  75. Tɛmplet:Usurped, Board of Trade, 1880. Accessed 21 May 2008.
  76. The Missing New Zealand Ship 'MATOAKA', which cites The Times, London, 22 March 1870, page 9. Accessed 21 May 2008.
  77. ASN Accident Description (RNZAF [NZ4006)] (5 June 1943).
  78. ASN Accident Description (Pan Am-806) (30 January 1974).
  79. "Crash Investigation Underway". News Bulletin (Pago Pago, American Samoa). 1 February 1974. https://scontent.fhlz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/13581960_779061095567740_7318163759676777254_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=2&_nc_sid=9267fe&_nc_ohc=UTlC57ELyjcAX-E1gbR&_nc_ht=scontent.fhlz1-1.fna&oh=e610010565966bbdf59fcb7102311f94&oe=6008928D.[permanent dead link]
  80. ASN Accident Description (RNZAF [NZ4022)] (27 January 1945).
  81. Devon – BBC News. Retrieved 15 September 2016.

External links[mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ]

Tɛmplet:Disasters