Random Worst Man-Made Disasters in China (9 items)

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  (#9) Yellow River Flood (1938)

  Date: June 5, 1938
  Location: Huayuankou, Zhengzhou, China
  Deaths: 800,000 (approximately)

  There are two different notable Yellow River Floods in China's history, both of which were devastating. The first, which took place in 1887, was an unavoidable result of torrential rains, ultimately killing over 900,000 people. The Yellow River Flood of 1938, however, was no accident - it was strategically planned by the Chinese Nationalist Party as a deterrent to encroaching Japanese forces during the second Sino-Japanese War. As planned, surrounding villages were flooded and destroyed as part of the military strategy. Over 800,000 people died, and millions more were driven from their homes and indefinitely displaced.
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  (#3) Yangtze River Pollution

  Date: September 7, 2012
  Location: Chongqing, China
  Deaths: Unknown

  On September 7, 2012, residents of Chongqing awoke to discover that the city's Yangtze River had turned vibrantly red overnight. Turns out this wasn't the first time such a thing had occurred in the region: the Jian River in Luoyang had changed color similarly a few months earlier, thanks to a nearby chemical plant illegally dumping toxic dyes into the water. The Yangtze has become one of China's most corrupted rivers, with nearly a 75% increase in pollution over the past 50 years. These dramatic rises in water pollution have resulted in rampant E. Coli infections and up to 50% higher rates of infectious diseases like hepatitis and dysentery.
  
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  (#6) Banqiao Dam Tragedy

  Date: August 9, 1975
  Location: Zhumadian City, Henan Province, China
  Deaths: 26,000

  Thanks partially to faulty construction, the Banquiao Dam in Henan Province failed to contain flooding from massive rainfall in August of 1975. This led to massive damages throughout the region, including approximately 26,000 deaths. The dam's architect had been critical of China's safety regulations, and had originally proposed a far more comprehensive version of the dam, but his initial proposals were rejected. China's government took pains to emphasize the unexpected amount of rainfall that led to the flooding, while also downplaying the lack of foresight in the dam's construction.
  
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  (#8) Benxihu Colliery Explosion

  Date: April 26, 1942
  Location: Benxi, Liaoning, China
  Deaths: 1,549 (approx)

  Over a third of annual deaths related to coal mining accidents occur in China. One of the most famous incidents occurred in 1942, when an amalgamation of gas and coal dust ignited inside a mine shaft. Hundreds of workers were trapped inside, and the situation was worsened by Japanese guards who sealed off the pit head and ventilators without fully evacuating the shaft first. The final death toll was well over 1,500, making it the most deadly disaster in the history of coal mining.
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  (#1) Guiyu's E-Waste Graveyard

  Date: Current/ongoing
  Location: Guiyu, China
  Deaths: Unknown

  Probably the largest site in the world for "e-waste" (un-recycled electronic components) is located in Guiyu. The accumulation of these materials has become such a devastating problem that the entire area has been transformed into a wasteland of dismantled circuitboards and bricked iPhones. Over 80% of the world's discarded electronics end up in Guiyu. Residents suffer from an increased rate of miscarriages, and over 88% of children in the region suffer from lead poisoning.
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  (#5) Jilin Chemical Plant Explosions

  Date: November 13, 2005
  Location: Jilin Province, China
  Deaths: 6

  Supposedly due to inadequate response from workers who had been instructed to clear a dangerous blockage in the plant's processing tower, a string of chemical explosions erupted in Jilin City's Jilin Chemical plant in November of 2005. Tens of thousands of nearby citizens were evacuated, dozens of chemical plant workers were injured, and 6 of them were killed. As a byproduct of the explosions, over 100 tons of deadly pollutants were introduced into the nearby Songhua River, polluting nearby groundwater. Officially, the explosions were blamed on workers who inadequately cleared a dangerous blockage in the plant's processing tower.
  

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