List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll

Last updated

This is a list of New Zealand disasters by death toll, listing major peacetime disasters which occurred in New Zealand and its territories or involved a significant number of New Zealand citizens, in a specific incident, where the loss of life was 10 or more.

Contents

100 or more deaths

DeathsNameTypeDateLocationNotes
257 Air New Zealand Flight 901 Airliner accident28 November 1979 Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica Controlled flight into terrain
256 [1] [2] 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake Earthquake3 February 193120 km north of Napier
200+ 1820s Southland tsunami Tsunami1820s Orepuki beachPossibly more than 200 killed
189 HMS Orpheus Shipwreck7 February 1863Off Manukau Heads, near Auckland
185 [3] 2011 Christchurch earthquake Earthquake22 February 2011 Christchurch
151 Tangiwai disaster Train wreck due to a lahar damaging a bridge24 December 1953 Whangaehu River
135+ [4] 1st Little Waihi landslideLandslide1780 Waihi Village
131 SS Tararua Shipwreck29 April 1881Off Waipapa Point
121 SS Wairarapa Shipwreck29 October 1894Off Great Barrier Island
108–153 [5] [6] 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera Volcanic eruption10 June 1886 Mount Tarawera

50 to 99 deaths

DeathsName or descriptionTypeDateLocationNotes
87 Fiery Star Shipwreck11 May 1865240 km off the Chatham Islands
75 SS Penguin Shipwreck12 February 1909Off Cape Terawhiti
68 [7] General Grant ShipwreckMay 1866 Auckland Island 10 castaways survived the wreck and were successfully rescued.
65 [8] Brunner Mine disaster Mine explosion26 March 1896 Brunner
65 [9] 2nd Little Waihi LandslideLandslide7 May 1846 Waihi Village Tribal leader Mananui Te Heuheu Tukino II and most of his family were killed in the landslide [10]
53 [11] TEV Wahine Shipwreck10 April 1968 Barrett Reef, Wellington Harbour
52 City of Dunedin Shipwreck20 May 1865Off Cape Terawhiti There are estimates of between 250 and 600 passengers perishing, but these reports were 20 or more years later
51+ Blizzard and Flood of 1863 Floods and blizzardsJuly 1863August 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
51 Christchurch mosque shootings Terrorist attack15 March 2019Christchurch

10 to 49 deaths

DeathsName or descriptionTypeDateLocationNotes
49 Featherston Prisoner of war camp riot Riot25 February 1943 Featherston
45 SS Elingamite Shipwreck9 November 1902Off West Island in the Three Kings Islands
43 Ralph Mine disaster Mine explosion12 September 1914 Huntly Methane and coal dust explosion [12]
41 Ballantyne's store disaster Fire18 November 1947 Christchurch
40+ [13] [14] Great storm of 1868, flash floods and 12 shipwrecksStorm3 February 1868Predominantly eastern areas of New ZealandDeath toll likely understated as impact on many Māori unknown
37 Seacliff Lunatic Asylum Fire8 December 1942 Seacliff
34 Kaitangata Mine disaster Mine explosion21 February 1879 Kaitangata Explosion of fire-damp (methane)
34 [13] [15] SS Taiaroa Shipwreck11 April 1886 Waiau Toa / Clarence River mouth
34 [16] Dunedin Shipwreck (presumed)1890Between Oamaru and London
30 Marlborough Shipwreck (presumed)1890Between Lyttelton and London
29 [17] MV Kaitawa Shipwreck23 May 1966Near Pandora Bank, Cape Reinga
29 Pike River Mine disaster Mine explosion19 November 2010Northwest of Greymouth Large methane explosion [18]
26 Barque Maria Shipwreck [15] 1851 Cape Terawhiti
25+ [19] [20] Storm of 1897 Floods and shipwreck16 April 1897North IslandFlooding at Clive, boating accidents, and the wreck of the Zuleika near Cape Palliser. 25 confirmed deaths and 6 unconfirmed
25 [21] [22] MV Joyita Ghost shipOctober 1955En route from Apia, Samoa to Tokelau
24 [23] Assaye Shipwreck (presumed)1890Between London and Wellington; wreckage washed up at the Chatham Islands 7 months after the ship left London
23 New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 Air accident3 July 1963 Kaimai Ranges
22 [24] launch Ranui Shipwreck30 December 1950Off Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty
22 2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption Volcanic eruption9 December 2019 Whakaari/White Island
21 [25] [26] Brigantine Sophia PateShipwreckAugust 1841 Kaipara Harbour
21 [27] Kopuawhara flash flood of 1938 Flood19 February 1938Destroyed the Kopuawhara railway workers camp
21 Hyde railway disaster Rail accident4 June 1943Near Hyde
20+ [28] Tsunami from 1868 Arica earthquake Tsunami13 August 1868 Chatham Islands
20 [15] Schooner St. VincentShipwreck14 February 1869 Palliser Bay
20 [29] RNZAF Douglas C-47 disappearanceAir accident24 September 1945En route from Vanuatu
19 [30] Strongman Mine Mine explosion19 January 1967Near Greymouth
18 [31] Canoe on Lake Rotorua Boating accident16 April 1870Near Mokoia Island on Lake Rotorua
18 [32] Clyde Shipwreck6 November 1884Horseshoe Bay, near Akaroa, Banks Peninsula
18 [33] Canoe on Motu River Boating accident4 August 1900Motu River – 25 miles from Opotiki [34] There were 16 children and 2 adults in the six person canoe
18 [35] Ketch Enterprise and steamer TaurangaShipwreck23 July 1870Between 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]
18 [37] LastinghamShipwreck1 September 1884 Cape Jackson, Cook Strait
17 Ongarue railway disaster Rail accident [13] 6 July 1923Ongarue
17 [38] 1929 Murchison earthquake Earthquake17 June 1929 Murchison
16 [39] 1943 Liberator crash at Whenuapai Air accident2 August 1943 Whenuapai Those killed were mainly Japanese civilians who were being repatriated in a prisoner exchange.
16 [40] Capitaine BougainvilleShipwreck3 September 1975 Whananaki
15 [13] Lockheed Lodestar airliner crashAir accident18 March 1949Near Waikanae
15 [41] MV Holmglen Shipwreck24 November 1959Near Timaru
15 [42] Brynderwyns bus accident Road accident7 February 1963 Brynderwyn Hills
15 [43] Derry Castle Shipwreck20 March 1887 Enderby Island, Auckland Islands
14 [44] [45] Hutt River floodFloods17 January 1858 Hutt Valley
14 [46] Two Hudson bombers lost off the New Zealand coast Air accident21 August 1944En route from Fiji No. 4 Squadron RNZAF
14 [47] Aramoana massacre Spree killing13 November 1990 Aramoana, near Dunedin
14 Cave Creek disaster Structural failure28 April 1995 Paparoa National Park
13 [15] TasmaniaShipwreck1897 Māhia Peninsula
13 [48] SS Ventnor Shipwreck28 October 1902Off Omapere, Hokianga
13 NAC Electra air crash Air accident23 October 1948On Mount Ruapehu
12 [49] L'AlcmèneShipwreck3 June 1851Baylys Beach, KaiparaA French navy corvette
12 [50] Ferry Pride of the Yarra and paddle steamer FavouriteCollision6 July 1863Otago Harbour
12 [51] Cafe Chantant fire, The Octagon, Dunedin Fire8 September 1879Dunedin
12 [52] Barque Lizzie BellShipwreck24 July 1901 Waimate, Taranaki
12 [53] Barque Dundonald Shipwreck7 March 1907 Disappointment Island, Auckland Islands
12 [54] [55] Brigantine Rio LogeShipwreck (presumed)January 1909Last seen in Cook Strait on 14 January, en route from Kaipara to DunedinMay have caused the wreck of the Penguin a month later. [56]
12 [57] Cyclone of 1936 Storm1 February 1936 North Island and upper South Island A tropical cyclone that originated near the Solomon Islands
11 [58] Glen Afton No. 1 mineCoal mine fire24 September 1939 Huntly 11 miners, including the mine manager, died from carbon monoxide asphyxia
11 [59] B17 bomber crashAir accident12 June 1942 RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai
11 [60] 2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash Air accident7 January 2012Near Carterton
11 [61] Cyclone Gabrielle Cyclone12 February 202316 February 2023 North Island and northern South Island
10 [62] Shamrock sailing boatShipwreck1834 Queen Charlotte Sound Capsized and sank. Exact location unknown.
10 [63] Brig AustraliaShipwreck23 May 1873Off Cape Campbell
10White Island sulphur mine lahar following volcano crater wall collapse10 September 1914 Whakaari/White Island No bodies found. [64] [65]
10 [66] Husky and Argo lost to storm in yacht raceShipwrecks21 January 1951Between Wellington and Christchurch
10 [67] Aspiring Air Britten-Norman Islander, collided with terrainAir crash8 August 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

DeathsName or descriptionTypeDateLocationNotes
9 1855 Wairarapa earthquake Earthquake23 January 1855 Lake Wairarapa
9 2010 Fox Glacier FU-24 crash Air accident4 September 2010 Fox Glacier
7 1941 Kowhitirangi shootings Spree killing8 October 19419 October 1941 Kowhitirangi, near Hokitika Four police officers and three civilians killed
7 Cyclone Bola Cyclone6 March 198812 March 1988 North Island
7 Mangatepopo Canyon disaster Flood15 April 2008 Tongariro National Park
7 2015 Fox Glacier helicopter crash Air accident21 November 2015 Fox Glacier
6 Raurimu massacre Spree killing8 February 1997 Raurimu
5 Loafers Lodge fire Fire16 May 2023 Newtown, Wellington
4 Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 Air accident9 June 1995 Tararua Range, near Palmerston North
4 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods Flood27 January 20232 February 2023Upper North Island
3 1968 Inangahua earthquake Earthquake24 May 1968Near Inangahua Junction
3 2023 Auckland shooting Shooting20 July 2023 Auckland CBD
2 1966 Air New Zealand DC-8 crash Air accident4 July 1966Near Auckland Airport
2 Air New Zealand Flight 4374 Air accident17 February 1979Near Auckland Airport
2 Airwork Flight 23 Air accident3 May 2005Near Stratford
2 2010 Canterbury earthquake Earthquake4 September 2010Near Darfield
2 2016 Kaikōura earthquake Earthquake14 November 2016Near Waiau
1 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake Earthquake2 March 1987Near Edgecumbe

Pandemics and health crises

DeathsDescriptionDateLocationNotes
8,600 1918 flu pandemic 1918 October–DecemberNationwide [68]
4,624 [69] COVID-19 pandemic 2020 February–ongoingNationwideTotal deaths attributed to COVID-19 as at 13 April 2025. [69] (Statistics updated weekly.)
713 HIV/AIDS pandemic 1983–ongoingNationwideAs of December 2014. [70]
69 2009 swine flu pandemic 2009 April–SeptemberNationwide [71]

Significant incidents of New Zealanders being killed overseas

Confirmed DeathsNameTypeDateLocationNotes
470 [72] Cospatrick Ship lost to fire17 November 1874640 km south-west of the Cape of Good Hope, en route to AucklandOnly 3 people survived
100 [73] The Trevelyan (immigrant ship en route from Glasgow)Storm3 June 1888Presumed foundered off the South African coast, en route to Port Chalmers, New Zealand
89 [74] Knowsley HallShipwreck (presumed)1879Between London and Lyttelton
79 [75] Matoaka Shipwreck (presumed)1869Between Lyttelton and London
24 [76] Pan Am Flight 816 Air accident22 July 1973 Papeete, French Polynesia From list of passengers from Auckland
15 [77] 1943 RNZAF Catalina crashAir accident5 June 1943South of Fiji
14 [78] [79] Pan Am Flight 806 Air accident30 January 1974 Pago Pago, American Samoa Only New Zealand deaths listed
12 [80] 1945 RNZAF Catalina crashAir accident27 January 1945Off Beqa, Fiji
10 [81] Bere Ferrers rail accident, train hit NZ troops on tracks by platformTrain accident24 September 1917 Bere Ferrers, Devon, UK

See also

References

  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 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 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 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Five more died before the survivors were rescued 18 months later.
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  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.
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