As Russia’s Krasheninnikov Volcano erupts for the first time in 600 years, the Mirror takes a look at some of the worst volcanic disasters in human history
Today, for the first time in 600 years, Russia’s Krasheninnikov Volcano has erupted, with an ash plume reaching up to six kilometres (3.7 miles) expelled overnight.
Shocking photographs show smoke billowing several miles high from the peak, while a large ash cloud drifted towards the Pacific Ocean.
This comes after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Russia’s Far East coast on Wednesday, July 30.
The monster quake flooded a fishing port with tsunami waves, where terrified residents were seen fleeing from buildings in panic. Multiple injuries have been reported.
It’s understood that the quake set off Klyuchevskoy, the area’s most active volcano, and also sent tsunami waves across to Japan, Hawaii, and the US West Coast.
As a number of areas face tsunami alerts, the Mirror takes a look at some of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. It comes after horror moment a Japan tsunami sends gigantic wall of water smashing into coast.
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Tambora, Indonesia (1815)
In April 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, erupted. This was to be the worst eruption in 10,000 years and would ultimately claim the lives of 92,000 people, as per Oregon State University.
Around 10,000 of these individuals died as a direct result of the violent explosion, with 100 cubic kilometers (24 cubic miles) of deadly gases, dust, and rock spewed out into the surrounding atmosphere. The rest died as a result of the catastrophic aftereffects, with the destruction leading to widespread disease and a devastating famine.
The impact of Mount Tambora was so great that it could be felt across the world, with ash dispersing far and wide, resulting in calamitous climate disruptions. The following year, 1816, was referred to as ‘The Year Without A Summer’, and subsequent crop failures in the Northern Hemisphere led to severe food shortages.
Krakatoa, Indonesia (1883)
In August 1883, Krakatoa, a volcano in the Sunda Strait, a body of water which runs between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, erupted with the power of a 200-megatonne bomb.
Some 36,417 people died, with the eruption directly resulting in a 30m tsunami, which obliterated 165 coastal villages on both Java and Sumatra. The scale of such a tragedy is difficult to fathom.
As per the Natural History Museum, in the months that followed, the entire Earth cooled by an average of 0.6°C, while the particles of ash gave the moon an eerie bluish appearance in certain parts of the globe.
Mt. Pelee, Martinique ( 1902)
The vibrant port city of Saint-Pierre, Martinique, was once referred to as the ‘Paris of the West Indies’, with the 19th-century writer Lafcadio Hearn once describing it as “the sensation of some happy dream.”
Then, in the spring of 1902, Mt. Pelée awoke from its slumber. On the morning of May 8, scorching ash came down the mountain at speeds of 300 miles per hour, destroying Saint-Pierre, with the hellish avalanche claiming the lives of an estimated 27,000 people.
According to History.com, only two individuals survived the horror, including the prisoner Ludger Sylbaris, who survived thanks to the protection of his partially underground cell. In his later career as a circus attraction, Ludger earned the nickname “the man who lived through Doomsday”.
Ruiz, Colombia (1985)
As previously reported by the geophysics magazine Eos, the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz volcano was so devastating that it changed the way Colombian volcanologists approached their field of study, knowing that public education was required to prevent further tragedies.
As told in Colombian filmmaker Rubén Mendoza’s harrowing documentary El valle sin sombras (The valley without shadows), survivor Gabrielina Ferruccio recalled how, when ash began falling on the town of Armero on November 12, 1985, she headed to see her local priest for advice. She was told to “enjoy this beautiful show, it will never be seen again.”
At around 6 pm that evening, fellow survivor Edilma Loiza shared how “a fire truck went through town telling everybody to stay at home, to not leave home or panic.” Just five hours later, all hell broke loose, with the eruption causing catastrophic avalanches of landslides and debris flows to engulf Armero.
In a town of 30,000 citizens, 25,000 lost their lives. One of the most haunting stories to emerge in the aftermath was that of 13-year-old Omayra Sánchez Garzón, who was stuck for 60 hours in the debris of her ruined house, her legs pinned in such a way that rescue would have been impossible.
Photojournalist Frank Fournier photographed the young girl in the final hours of her life. The powerful picture has been used to highlight reported government failures to respond adequately to the volcano’s threat.
Unzen, Japan (1792)
The eruption of Mount Unzen in May 1792 is understood to be the most deadly volcanic eruption in the history of Japan, with the death toll reaching a devastating 14,300.
In the months leading up to the mass tragedy, those in the Unzen area experienced a number of earthquakes and eruptions, which ultimately culminated in a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, as per EBSCO.
This violent earthquake led to the collapse of a volcanic dome, resulting in landslides pouring debris into the Ariake Sea. Large volumes of water were displaced, triggering tsunami waves as high as 187 feet (57 meters). Coastal towns suffered the brunt of the nightmarish tsunami, with Shimabara, Higo, and Amakusa suffering the most.
Those who visit the region today can still see the landscape scar from the Mayuyama landslide all these years later, a haunting reminder of the lives lost.
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