Volcanic eruptions can be highly explosive. Some volcanoes have undergone catastrophic eruptions, killing large numbers of humans or other life forms. This list documents volcanic eruptions by human death toll.

Here are 10 of the most devastating eruptions in recent human history. Volcanic eruptions have the power to destroy whole cities, alter global climate and devastate economies. They can produce rivers of molten lava, crushing mudflows, suffocating ash and toxic gases that wreak havoc across the globe for years after.

From Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD, to the disruptive Eyjafjallajökull eruption of 2010 – Volcanoes are probably the most awe-inspiring but deadly natural disasters. There …

Jun 10, 2023 · From Krakatoa to the recent Tonga blast, here are some of the biggest volcanic eruptions in recorded history.

As of 31 January 2025, the largest volcanic eruption of the 21st century is the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami, and the deadliest are the 2018 Volcán de Fuego eruption and the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami.

Nov 11, 2023 · From the cataclysmic explosion of Mount Tambora in 1815, which triggered a global climate crisis, to the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which triggered a tsunami that killed tens of thousands, these events serve as stark reminders of nature’s untamed power. Lets take a look at some of the most devastating volcanic eruptions ever; 1.

The 1980 cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens (Lipman and Mullineaux, 1981) in southwestern Washington ushered in a decade marked by more worldwide volcanic disasters and crises than any other in recorded history.

Aug 7, 2014 · Presented below are the ten most lethal documented instances of volcanic eruptions. Date: 1882. Death toll: 4,011. The Volcano erupted in October in 1882. As well as killing 4,011 people the eruption also destroyed 114 villages.

The list below contains eruptions with more than 500 known human fatalities. These are the most deadly eruptions known. Other eruptions have been as big or bigger than these, but no one lived nearby to be threatened (for example the Valley of 10,000 Smokes eruption in Alaska in 1912).

Sep 30, 2021 · For this list, we’re looking at the volcanic eruptions and disasters that have had the highest death tolls throughout human history. Our countdown includes Mount Vesuvius, Krakatoa, 1902 Santa María Eruption, and more!