List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll

Din doli ŋɔ na nyɛla Alaamu nima din niŋ New Zealand ka tahi kpibu na, di kali la alaamu kara (ka yihi tɔbu nuu) di niŋ New Zealand ni di tiŋgbani yaɣa bee ka New Zealand bichini nima be din ni, saha di ni niŋ ka nyɛvuli din yi nyɛ pia bee n gari. 

Kpibu kɔbigu bee din gari

DeathsNameTypeDateLocationNotesAir New Zealand Flight 901airliner accidentMount Erebus, Ross Island, AntarcticaControlled flight into terrainBateman New Zealand Encyclopedia, edition 4 (1995). Article: |earthquake 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, Hawke's Bay region, Napier  A larger death toll of 258 includes two missing, presumed dead.1931 Hawke's Bay earthquakeearthquake20 km north of Napier+1820s Southland tsunamitsunamisOrepuki beachPossibly more than 200 killedshipwreckoff Manukau Heads, near Auckland 2011 Christchurch earthquake earthquake  ChristchurchTangiwai disastertrain wreck/laharWhangaehu River+Waihi Landslide , 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.1st Little Waihi landslidelandslideWaihi Villageshipwreckoff Waipapa Pointshipwreckoff Great Barrier Island–153The eruption's death toll is uncertain. While 153 is a commonly quoted figure, only 108 named victims have been identified. Death list , Anheizen.com.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 1886 eruption of Mount Taraweravolcanic eruptionMount Tarawera

50 to 99 deaths

DeathsName or descriptionTypeDateLocationNotesFiery Starshipwreck240 km off the Chatham IslandsSS Penguinshipwreckoff Cape TerawhitiFive more died before the survivors were rescued 18 months later.General GrantshipwreckAuckland Island10 castaways survived the wreck and were successfully rescued.Brunner Mine disaster mine explosionBrunnerLamorna Cooper, Hipaua Steaming Cliffs and Little Waihi Landslide , Tephra, Vol. 19, June 2002, 42–47.2nd Little Waihi LandslidelandslideWaihi Village Tribal leader Mananui Te Heuheu Tukino II and most of his family were killed in the landslideThe 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.  shipwreck  Barrett Reef, Wellington HarbourCity of Dunedinshipwreck off Cape Terawhiti There are estimates of between 250 and 600 passengers perishing, but these reports were 20 or more years later+Blizzard and Flood of 1863floods and blizzards –  Central Otago goldfields The actual death toll was probably higher because of the transient nature of the miners and the ruggedness of the country Christchurch mosque shootings terrorist attack  Christchurch 

10 to 49 deaths

DeathsName or descriptionTypeDateLocationNotes Featherston Prisoner of war camp riot riot  Featherston SS Elingamite shipwreck  off West Island in the Three Kings Islands Ralph Mine disaster mine explosionHuntly methane and coal dust explosionNew Zealand Disasters – Mining: Ralph's Mine , Christchurch City LibrariesBallantyne's store disasterfireChristchurch+New Zealand disasters timeline, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.Great storm of 1868, flash floods and 12 shipwrecksGreat storm of 1868, flash floods and 12 shipwrecksstormPredominantly eastern areas of New Zealand  Death toll likely understated as impact on many Māori unknownSeacliff Lunatic AsylumfireSeacliffKaitangata Mine disaster mine explosion  Kaitangata explosion of fire-damp (methane)Disasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 18 September 2007.SS TaiaroashipwreckWaiau Toa / Clarence River mouthDunedin, which cites W.H. Brett's White Wings: Fifty years of sail in the New Zealand Trade, Vol. I. 1925.Dunedin shipwreck (presumed)between Oamaru and LondonMarlborough shipwreck (presumed)between Lyttelton and LondonMV Kaitawashipwrecknear Pandora Bank, Cape ReingaPike River Mine disaster mine explosion  northwest of Greymouth large methane explosionBarque MariashipwreckCape Terawhiti+The Wreck of The "Zuleika", Palliser Bay. Quotes from NZ Truth, 16 March 1976.Storm of 1897floods and shipwreckNorth Islandflooding at Clive, boating accidents, and the wreck of the Zuleika near Cape Palliser. 25 confirmed deaths and 6 unconfirmedAll 25 on board were missing when the boat was found, and are presumed dead.MV Joyitaghost shipEn route from Apia, Samoa to TokelauAssaye shipwreck (presumed)between London and Wellington; wreckage washed up at the Chatham Islands 7 months after the ship left London New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 air accident  Kaimai Rangeslaunch Ranuishipwreckoff Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty2019 Whakaari/White Island eruptionvolcanic eruptionWhakaari/White Islandbrigantine Sophia PateshipwreckKaipara HarbourNew Zealand Disasters – Kopuawhara flood , Christchurch City Libraries. Kopuawhara flash flood of 1938 floodDestroyed the Kopuawhara railway workers campHyde railway disaster rail accidentnear Hyde+Tsunami from 1868 Arica earthquaketsunamiChatham Islandsschooner St. VincentshipwreckPalliser BayRNZAF Douglas C-47 disappearanceair accidenten route from VanuatuNew Zealand Disasters – Strongman Mine Explosion , Christchurch City Libraries.Strongman Minemine explosionnear GreymouthRotorua. Terrible boat disaster — Eighteen natives drowned, Daily Southern Cross| volume=XXVI| issue=3953, 23 April 1870, Page 4 Canoe on Lake Rotoruaboating accidentnear Mokoia Island on Lake RotoruaClyde, Dive New Zealand Magazine.ClydeshipwreckHorseshoe Bay, near Akaroa, Banks PeninsulaCasualties, Evening Star | issue=11329, 25 August 1900, Page 8 Canoe on Motu Riverboating accidentMotu River – 25 miles from OpotikiThere were 16 children and 2 adults in the six person canoeketch Enterprise and steamer Tauranga shipwreckbetween Cape Rodney and Sail Rock, Hauraki GulfThose lost — fourteen crew and four passengers — all came from the Tauranga. The crew of the Enterprise survived in the ship's longboat.Ingram, C. W. N., and Wheatley, P. O., (1936) Shipwrecks: New Zealand disasters 1795–1936. Dunedin, NZ: Dunedin Book Publishing Association. pp. 170–171.The Lastingham Wreck, Paul's Dive Planet.LastinghamshipwreckCape Jackson, Cook StraitOngarue railway disasterrail accidentOngarueEileen McSaveney, Historic earthquakes – The 1929 Arthur's Pass and Murchison earthquakes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 21 September 2007. Accessed 2008-01-05.1929 Murchison earthquakeearthquakeMurchison1943 Liberator crash at Whenuapaiair accidentWhenuapai Those killed were mainly Japanese civilians who were being repatriated in a prisoner exchange.Capitaine BougainvilleshipwreckWhananakiLockheed Lodestar airliner crashair accidentnear WaikanaeDisasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks – Holmglen, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 18 September 2007.MV Holmglenshipwrecknear TimaruNew Zealand Disasters – Brynderwyns bus accident , Christchurch City Libraries.Brynderwyns bus accident road accidentBrynderwyn HillsDerry CastleshipwreckEnderby Island, Auckland IslandsWeekly Feature – Early settler had leading role , Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 2003.Disastrous flood at the Hutt - 14 lives lost, Daily Southern Cross,  16 February 1858,  Page 3Hutt River floodfloodsHutt ValleyTwo Hudson bombers lost off the New Zealand coastair accidenten route from FijiNo. 4 Squadron RNZAF[13 murder victims plus perpetrator]Aramoana massacrespree killingAramoana, near Dunedin Cave Creek disaster structural failure  Paparoa National ParkTasmaniashipwreckMāhia PeninsulaDisasters and Mishaps – Shipwrecks – Ventnor, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 18 September 2007. The cargo included the remains of 499 Chinese miners who had died in NZ and whose remains were being repatriated. The wreck was discovered in December 2012.102-year-old SS Ventnor shipwreck mystery revealed.SS Ventnorshipwreckoff Omapere, HokiangaNAC Electra air crashair accidenton Mount RuapehuL'AlcmèneshipwreckBaylys Beach, KaiparaA French navy corvetteWreck information , Quay Stuff.ferry Pride of the Yarra and paddle steamer FavouritecollisionOtago HarbourCafe Chantant fire, The Octagon, DunedinfireDunedinBarque Lizzie BellshipwreckWaimate, TaranakiThree more died before being rescued.barque DundonaldshipwreckDisappointment Island, Auckland Islands Brigantine Rio Logeshipwreck (presumed)Last seen in Cook Strait on 14 January, en route from Kaipara to DunedinMay have caused the wreck of the Penguin a month later. Eight destructive New Zealand storms, Marilynn McLachlan, New Zealand Herald, Auckland, 4:00 PM Friday 14 March 2014 Retrieved 26 January 2016 Cyclone of 1936 storm North Island and upper South Island A tropical cyclone that originated near the Solomon Islands Glen Afton No. 1 mine Coal mine fireHuntly 11 miners, including the mine manager, died from carbon monoxide asphyxiaB17 bomber crashair accidentRNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai2012 Carterton hot air balloon crashair accidentnear CartertonCyclone Gabriellecyclone–North Island and northern South IslandAdd them to the list: Underwater survey discovers new wrecks in Marlborough Sounds, Oliver Lewis, Stuff.co.nz, Last updated 12:42, 1 September 2017, retrieved 1 September 2017Shamrock sailing boatshipwreckQueen Charlotte SoundCapsized and sank. Exact location unknown. Brig Australiashipwreckoff Cape CampbellWhite Island sulphur mine lahar following volcano crater wall collapseWhakaari/White Island No bodies found.Husky and Argo lost to storm in yacht raceshipwrecksbetween Wellington and ChristchurchAspiring Air Britten-Norman Islander, collided with terrainair crashUpper 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 descriptionTypeDateLocationNotes91855 Wairarapa earthquakeearthquakeLake Wairarapa92010 Fox Glacier FU-24 crashair accidentFox Glacier71941 Kowhitirangi shootingsspree killing–Kowhitirangi, near Hokitikafour police officers and three civilians killed7Cyclone Bolacyclone–North Island7Mangatepopo Canyon disasterfloodTongariro National Park72015 Fox Glacier helicopter crashair accidentFox Glacier6Raurimu massacrespree killingRaurimu5Loafers Lodge firefireNewtown, Wellington Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 air accident Tararua Range, near Palmerston North42023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floodsflood–upper North Island31968 Inangahua earthquakeearthquakenear Inangahua Junction32023 Auckland shootingshootingAuckland CBD21966 Air New Zealand DC-8 crashair accidentnear Auckland Airport2Air New Zealand Flight 4374air accidentnear Auckland Airport2Airwork Flight 23air accidentnear Stratford22010 Canterbury earthquakeearthquakenear Darfield22016 Kaikōura earthquakeearthquakenear Waiau11987 Edgecumbe earthquakeearthquakenear Edgecumbe

Pandemics and health crises
DeathsDescriptionDateLocationNotes  1918 flu pandemic 1918 October–December nationwide  3,623COVID-19 pandemic 2020 February–ongoing nationwideTotal deaths attributed to COVID-19 as at 17 December 2023. (Statistics updated weekly.)   HIV/AIDS pandemic 1983–ongoing nationwide As of December 2014.692009 swine flu pandemic2009 April–Septembernationwide

Significant incidents of New Zealanders being killed overseas
 Confirmed Deaths Name Type Date Location NotesJohn Wilson, The voyage out – Fire on the Cospatrick , from Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 21 September 2007. Accessed 2008-05-20.Cospatrickship lost to fire640 km south-west of the Cape of Good Hope, en route to AucklandOnly 3 people survivedThe Mercury newspaper (Hobart, Australia), , Tuesday 30 October 1888The Trevelyan (immigrant ship en route from Glasgow)stormPresumed foundered off the South African coast, en route to Port Chalmers, New Zealand, Board of Trade, 1880. Accessed 21 May 2008.Knowsley Hall shipwreck (presumed) between London and LytteltonThe Missing New Zealand Ship 'MATOAKA', which cites The Times, London, 22 March 1870, page 9. Accessed 21 May 2008.Matoaka shipwreck (presumed) between Lyttelton and London1943 RNZAF Catalina crashair accidentsouth of FijiPan Am Flight 806air accidentPago Pago, American SamoaOnly New Zealand deaths listed1945 RNZAF Catalina crashair accidentoff Beqa, FijiBere Ferrers rail accident, train hit NZ troops on tracks by platform train accidentBere Ferrers, Devon, UK

See also
 List of disasters in Antarctica by death toll
 List of disasters in Australia by death toll
 List of disasters in Canada by death toll
 List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland by death toll
 List of earthquakes in New Zealand
 List of massacres in New Zealand
 List of natural disasters in New Zealand
 List of New Zealand-related topics
 List of rail accidents in New Zealand
 List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll (worldwide)

Kundivihira

External links
New Zealand disasters timeline , Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Natural hazards and disasters, Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Shipwrecks, Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

 Death toll
New Zealand
Category:History of New Zealand
Disaster