These Are The Deadliest Natural Disasters In Modern History

Nevado del Ruiz Volcano Eruption, 1985

Photo by LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images

The Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted on November 13, 1985, creating a series of lava flows over the volcano’s ice-covered summit. A fast-flowing mixture of water, ice, rock, and debris that poured down the mounting, forming “lahars” that flooded into the river valleys.

When the lahars met the rivers, it created massive flooding and mudslides which were worsened by rain. Within four hours of the initial eruption, the lahars had traveled over 60 miles and killed 23,000 people, injured 5,000, and destroyed over 5,000 homes. The town of Amero was the hardest hit, with 28,700 deaths—roughly three-quarters of the town’s population. The photo above shows the tomb of child Omaira Sanchez, who was killed in the disaster.