Deadliest, Volcano Eruption, Shield Volcano, Pyroclastic Flow

Below is a list of the most deadly eruptions known. All the numbers of deaths listed here are best guesses; various books give different numbers. This list is based on data in Volcanic Hazards: A Sourcebook on the Effects of Eruptions by Russell J. Blong (Academic Press, 1984).Other eruptions have been as big or bigger than those listed, but occurred in remote areas and did not cause any deaths, such as the 1912 eruption of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes in Alaska. In contrast to the eruptions listed below, the 1980 Mt St Helens eruption in Washington state, was far less dangerous, yet it killed 61 people, as well as thousands of deer and other animals. The ancient eruption at Santorini Island in the Mediterranean Sea in about 1650 BC certainly killed thousands of people (and was the source of the Atlantis legend), but there are no real estimates of the number of deaths.

Volcano	When	Deaths	Major Cause of Death
Vesuvius, Italy	79 AD	3,360	Ash flows and falls
Vesuvius, Italy	1631	3,500	Mudflows, lava flows
Komagatake, Japan	1640	700	Tsunami
Oshima, Japan	1741	1,475	Tsunami
Papandayan, Indonesia	1772	2,957	Ash flows
Laki, Iceland	1783	9,350	Starvation
Asama, Japan	1783	1,377	Ash flows, mudflows
Unzen, Japan	1792	14,300	Volcano collapse, tsunami
Mayon, Philippines	1814	1,200	Mudflows
Tambora, Indonesia	1815	92,000	Starvation
Ruiz, Colombia	1845	700	Mudflows
Cotopaxi, Ecuador	1877	1,000	Mudflows
Galunggung, Indonesia	1882	4,011	Mudflows
Krakatau, Indonesia	1883	36,417	Tsunami
Mt Pelee, Martinique	1902	29,025	Ash flows
Soufriere, St Vincent	1902	1,680	Ash flows
Taal, Philippines	1911	1,335	Ash flows
Kelut, Indonesia	1919	5,110	Mudflows
Lamington, Papua New Guinea	1951	2,942	Ash flows
Hibok-Hibok, Philippines	1951	500	Ash flows
Agung, Indonesia	1963	1,184	Ash flows
El Chichon, Mexico	1982	2,000	Ash flows
Ruiz, Colombia	1985	25,000	Mudflows
Pinatubo, Philippines	1991	800	Roof collapses and disease

Volcano