# List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll

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.

## 100 or more deaths

* Air New Zealand Flight 901 in 1979
* Napier Town Hall following the earthquake
* Illustration of the HMS Orpheus wreck
* Christchurch Cathedral following the earthquake
* Tangiwai memorial plaque
* Illustration of the SS Tararua wreck
* SS Wairarapa wreck
* Illustration of the Mount Tarawera eruption
| Deaths | Name | Type | Date | Location | Notes |
| 257 | Air New Zealand Flight 901 | airliner accident | 28 Nov 1979 | Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica | Controlled flight into terrain |
| 256 | 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake | earthquake | 3 Feb 1931 | 20 km north of Napier | |
| 200+ | 1820s Southland tsunami | tsunami | 1820s | Orepuki beach | Possibly more than 200 killed |
| 189 | HMS Orpheus | shipwreck | 7 Feb 1863 | off Manukau Heads, near Auckland | |
| 185 | 2011 Christchurch earthquake | earthquake | 22 Feb 2011 | Christchurch | |
| 151 | Tangiwai disaster | train wreck/lahar | 24 Dec 1953 | Whangaehu River | |
| 135+ | 1st Little Waihi landslide | landslide | 1780 | Waihi Village | |
| 131 | SS Tararua | shipwreck | 29 Apr 1881 | off Waipapa Point | |
| 121 | SS Wairarapa | shipwreck | 29 Oct 1894 | off Great Barrier Island | |
| 108–153 | 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera | volcanic eruption | 10 Jun 1886 | Mount Tarawera | |

## 50 to 99 deaths

* Clipper ship Fiery Star
* SS Penguin
* Wreck of the General Grant
* Burial of victims of the Brunner Mine disaster
* Salvage operations on the wreck of TEV Wahine
* Cape Terawhiti, where the City of Dunedin sank
* The Al Noor Mosque, where the Christchurch mosque shootings began
| Deaths | Name or description | Type | Date | Location | Notes |
| 87 | Fiery Star | shipwreck | 11 May 1865 | 240 km off the Chatham Islands | |
| 75 | SS Penguin | shipwreck | 12 Feb 1909 | off Cape Terawhiti | |
| 68 | General Grant | shipwreck | May 1866 | Auckland Island | 10 castaways survived the wreck and were successfully rescued. |
| 65 | Brunner Mine disaster | mine explosion | 26 Mar 1896 | Brunner | |
| 65 | 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 |
| 53 | TEV Wahine | shipwreck | 10 Apr 1968 | Barrett Reef, Wellington Harbour | |
| 52 | 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 |
| 51+ | Blizzard and Flood of 1863 | floods and blizzards | Jul 1863 – Aug 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 attack | 15 Mar 2019 | Christchurch | |

## 10 to 49 deaths

* SS Elingamite
* Ralph Mine disaster
* Ballantyne's fire seen from ChristChurch Cathedral
* Seacliff asylum, before the fire
* Kaitangata Mine disaster memorial
* SS Dunedin
* SS Marlborough
* MV Kaitawa
* MV Joyita
* SS Assaye
* NAC flight 441 memorial
* Hyde railway disaster memorial
* Strongman Mine disaster memorial
* The Ongarue railway disaster
* Restored grave of Dundonald's mate, Auckland Islands
* Octagon building fire
* Remains of sulphur mine, White Island
| Deaths | Name or description | Type | Date | Location | Notes |
| 49 | Featherston Prisoner of war camp riot | riot | 25 Feb 1943 | Featherston | |
| 45 | SS Elingamite | shipwreck | 9 Nov 1902 | off West Island in the Three Kings Islands | |
| 43 | Ralph Mine disaster | mine explosion | 12 Sep 1914 | Huntly | methane and coal dust explosion |
| 41 | Ballantyne's store disaster | fire | 18 Nov 1947 | Christchurch | |
| 40+ | 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 |
| 37 | Seacliff Lunatic Asylum | fire | 8 Dec 1942 | Seacliff | |
| 34 | Kaitangata Mine disaster | mine explosion | 21 Feb 1879 | Kaitangata | explosion of fire-damp (methane) |
| 34 | SS Taiaroa | shipwreck | 11 Apr 1886 | Waiau Toa / Clarence River mouth | |
| 34 | Dunedin | shipwreck (presumed) | 1890 | between Oamaru and London | |
| 30 | Marlborough | shipwreck (presumed) | 1890 | between Lyttelton and London | |
| 29 | MV Kaitawa | shipwreck | 23 May 1966 | near Pandora Bank, Cape Reinga | |
| 29 | Pike River Mine disaster | mine explosion | 19 Nov 2010 | northwest of Greymouth | large methane explosion |
| 26 | Barque Maria | shipwreck | 1851 | Cape Terawhiti | |
| 25+ | 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 |
| 25 | MV Joyita | ghost ship | Oct 1955 | En route from Apia, Samoa to Tokelau | |
| 24 | Assaye | shipwreck (presumed) | 1890 | between 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 accident | 3 Jul 1963 | Kaimai Ranges | |
| 22 | launch Ranui | shipwreck | 30 Dec 1950 | off Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty | |
| 22 | 2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption | volcanic eruption | 9 Dec 2019 | Whakaari/White Island | |
| 21 | brigantine Sophia Pate | shipwreck | Aug 1841 | Kaipara Harbour | |
| 21 | Kopuawhara flash flood of 1938 | flood | 19 Feb 1938 | Destroyed the Kopuawhara railway workers camp | |
| 21 | Hyde railway disaster | rail accident | 4 Jun 1943 | near Hyde | |
| 20+ | Tsunami from 1868 Arica earthquake | tsunami | 13 Aug 1868 | Chatham Islands | |
| 20 | schooner St. Vincent | shipwreck | 14 Feb 1869 | Palliser Bay | |
| 20 | RNZAF Douglas C-47 disappearance | air accident | 24 Sep 1945 | en route from Vanuatu | |
| 19 | Strongman Mine | mine explosion | 19 Jan 1967 | near Greymouth | |
| 18 | Canoe on Lake Rotorua | boating accident | 16 Apr 1870 | near Mokoia Island on Lake Rotorua | |
| 18 | Clyde | shipwreck | 6 Nov 1884 | Horseshoe Bay, near Akaroa, Banks Peninsula | |
| 18 | Canoe on Motu River | boating accident | 4 Aug 1900 | Motu River – 25 miles from Opotiki | There were 16 children and 2 adults in the six person canoe |
| 18 | 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. |
| 18 | Lastingham | shipwreck | 1 Sep 1884 | Cape Jackson, Cook Strait | |
| 17 | Ongarue railway disaster | rail accident | 6 Jul 1923 | Ongarue | |
| 17 | 1929 Murchison earthquake | earthquake | 17 Jun 1929 | Murchison | |
| 16 | 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. |
| 16 | Capitaine Bougainville | shipwreck | 3 Sep 1975 | Whananaki | |
| 15 | Lockheed Lodestar airliner crash | air accident | 18 Mar 1949 | near Waikanae | |
| 15 | MV Holmglen | shipwreck | 24 Nov 1959 | near Timaru | |
| 15 | Brynderwyns bus accident | road accident | 7 Feb 1963 | Brynderwyn Hills | |
| 15 | Derry Castle | shipwreck | 20 Mar 1887 | Enderby Island, Auckland Islands | |
| 14 | Hutt River flood | floods | 17 Jan 1858 | Hutt Valley | |
| 14 | Two Hudson bombers lost off the New Zealand coast | air accident | 21 Aug 1944 | en route from Fiji | No. 4 Squadron RNZAF |
| 14 | Aramoana massacre | spree killing | 13 Nov 1990 | Aramoana, near Dunedin | |
| 14 | Cave Creek disaster | structural failure | 28 Apr 1995 | Paparoa National Park | |
| 13 | Tasmania | shipwreck | 1897 | Māhia Peninsula | |
| 13 | SS Ventnor | shipwreck | 28 Oct 1902 | off Omapere, Hokianga | |
| 13 | NAC Electra air crash | air accident | 23 Oct 1948 | on Mount Ruapehu | |
| 12 | L'Alcmène | shipwreck | 3 Jun 1851 | Baylys Beach, Kaipara | A French navy corvette |
| 12 | ferry Pride of the Yarra and paddle steamer Favourite | collision | 6 Jul 1863 | Otago Harbour | |
| 12 | Cafe Chantant fire, The Octagon, Dunedin | fire | 8 Sep 1879 | Dunedin | |
| 12 | Barque Lizzie Bell | shipwreck | 24 Jul 1901 | Waimate, Taranaki | |
| 12 | barque Dundonald | shipwreck | 7 Mar 1907 | Disappointment Island, Auckland Islands | |
| 12 | 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. |
| 12 | Cyclone of 1936 | storm | 1 Feb 1936 | North Island and upper South Island | A tropical cyclone that originated near the Solomon Islands |
| 11 | Glen Afton No. 1 mine | Coal mine fire | 24 Sep 1939 | Huntly | 11 miners, including the mine manager, died from carbon monoxide asphyxia |
| 11 | B17 bomber crash | air accident | 12 Jun 1942 | RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai | |
| 11 | 2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash | air accident | 7 Jan 2012 | near Carterton | |
| 11 | Cyclone Gabrielle | cyclone | 12 Feb 2023–16 Feb 2023 | North Island and northern South Island | |
| 10 | Shamrock sailing boat | shipwreck | 1834 | Queen Charlotte Sound | Capsized and sank. Exact location unknown. |
| 10 | Brig Australia | shipwreck | 23 May 1873 | off Cape Campbell | |
| 10 | White Island sulphur mine | lahar following volcano crater wall collapse | 10 Sep 1914 | Whakaari/White Island | No bodies found. |
| 10 | Husky and Argo lost to storm in yacht race | shipwrecks | 21 Jan 1951 | between Wellington and Christchurch | |
| 10 | 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

| 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 1941–9 Oct 1941 | Kowhitirangi, near Hokitika | four police officers and three civilians killed |
| 7 | Cyclone Bola | cyclone | 6 Mar 1988–12 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 | |
| 4 | Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 | air accident | 9 Jun 1995 | Tararua Range, near Palmerston North | |
| 4 | 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods | flood | 27 Jan 2023–2 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

| Deaths | Description | Date | Location | Notes |
| 8,600 | 1918 flu pandemic | 1918 October–December | nationwide | |
| 3,623 | COVID-19 pandemic | 2020 February–ongoing | nationwide | Total deaths attributed to COVID-19 as at 17 December 2023. (Statistics updated weekly.) |
| 713 | HIV/AIDS pandemic | 1983–ongoing | nationwide | As of December 2014. |
| 69 | 2009 swine flu pandemic | 2009 April–September | nationwide | |

## Significant incidents of New Zealanders being killed overseas

| Confirmed Deaths | Name | Type | Date | Location | Notes |
| 470 | 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 |
| 100 | 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 | |
| 89 | Knowsley Hall | shipwreck (presumed) | 1879 | between London and Lyttelton | |
| 79 | Matoaka | shipwreck (presumed) | 1869 | between Lyttelton and London | |
| 24 | Pan Am Flight 816 | air accident | 22 Jul 1973 | Papeete, French Polynesia | from list of passengers from Auckland |
| 15 | 1943 RNZAF Catalina crash | air accident | 5 Jun 1943 | south of Fiji | |
| 14 | Pan Am Flight 806 | air accident | 30 Jan 1974 | Pago Pago, American Samoa | Only New Zealand deaths listed |
| 12 | 1945 RNZAF Catalina crash | air accident | 27 Jan 1945 | off Beqa, Fiji | |
| 10 | Bere Ferrers rail accident, train hit NZ troops on tracks by platform | train accident | 24 Sep 1917 | Bere Ferrers, Devon, UK | |