World's History: Some Ignored Warnings That Were Tragically Deadly
We humans have experienced an uncountable number of deadly disasters, both natural and man-made, that led to massive loss of life and property since time immemorial. Many such disasters also caught those affected unaware, even though they certainly didn’t just come out ofthe blue. There were warnings, which were clearly ignored.
1. The Eruption Of Mount Vesuvius.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD, killed a number of people and totally destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. All of the victims of the eruption were caught unaware, though that shouldn’t have been the case, as the mountain had given several warnings, all of which went completely ignored. Pompeii was not the first town to be destroyed by the eruption of mountain Vesuvius. There had been at least two previous towns, both of which were completely destroyed. Leading up to the day of the eruption, Pompeii experienced series of tremors caused by an increase in the molten rock below Mount Vesuvius. The Romans didn’t know the relationship between such quakes and an impending eruption, so they can’t be blamed for that. On the more superstitious side, Romans believed that sighting giants roaming around a town was an early warning of an impending disaster. Many people living in Pompeii reportedly sighted giants, but no one bothered to find out why.As the date of the eruption drew closer, the mountain, which had been dormant, began to make groaning sounds, and the sea around the Bay of Naples became so hot that it boiled and produced bubbles. Animals, including rats, left the town in droves, while wells and streams, especially those close to the mountain, mysteriously dried up. The people of Pompeii ignored these obvious warnings. (They blamed the hot weather for the dried wells.)
The eruption had the tragic consequences also due to the adverse wind direction. Usually, the wind blew in a direction, which would have blown most of the ash and pumice away but on that fateful day, the wind was blowing in an unusual northwesterly direction straight over Pompeii.
The estimates of how many people died in the tragedy vary greatly but it might have been as many as up to 25,000 people.
People died so much in Pompeii because they were trapped. The only route to escape is through the port/harbour, but the congestion at Port where people were trying to get on boats or ship was much.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD, killed a number of people and totally destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. All of the victims of the eruption were caught unaware, though that shouldn’t have been the case, as the mountain had given several warnings, all of which went completely ignored. Pompeii was not the first town to be destroyed by the eruption of mountain Vesuvius. There had been at least two previous towns, both of which were completely destroyed. Leading up to the day of the eruption, Pompeii experienced series of tremors caused by an increase in the molten rock below Mount Vesuvius. The Romans didn’t know the relationship between such quakes and an impending eruption, so they can’t be blamed for that. On the more superstitious side, Romans believed that sighting giants roaming around a town was an early warning of an impending disaster. Many people living in Pompeii reportedly sighted giants, but no one bothered to find out why.As the date of the eruption drew closer, the mountain, which had been dormant, began to make groaning sounds, and the sea around the Bay of Naples became so hot that it boiled and produced bubbles. Animals, including rats, left the town in droves, while wells and streams, especially those close to the mountain, mysteriously dried up. The people of Pompeii ignored these obvious warnings. (They blamed the hot weather for the dried wells.)
The eruption had the tragic consequences also due to the adverse wind direction. Usually, the wind blew in a direction, which would have blown most of the ash and pumice away but on that fateful day, the wind was blowing in an unusual northwesterly direction straight over Pompeii.
The estimates of how many people died in the tragedy vary greatly but it might have been as many as up to 25,000 people.
People died so much in Pompeii because they were trapped. The only route to escape is through the port/harbour, but the congestion at Port where people were trying to get on boats or ship was much.
2. Titanic.
April 10th, 1912. The largest ship the world had ever known set sail on it's maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. People thought it was the safest ship in the world. It had a double hull, with 16 watertight compartments and men thought it was unsinkable. The Titanic had received at least FIVE warnings about icebergs ahead and yet no one took the warnings seriously. The titanic didn't change its course, nor did it slow its speed. Then it happened, just before midnight. ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD! The crew panicked, but it was too little, too late, and the ship went down at 2:20 a.m. into the icy Atlantic ocean to a frigid grave. Warning after warning after warning were received by the Titanic, but they didn't listen.
By David J. Stewart.
April 10th, 1912. The largest ship the world had ever known set sail on it's maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. People thought it was the safest ship in the world. It had a double hull, with 16 watertight compartments and men thought it was unsinkable. The Titanic had received at least FIVE warnings about icebergs ahead and yet no one took the warnings seriously. The titanic didn't change its course, nor did it slow its speed. Then it happened, just before midnight. ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD! The crew panicked, but it was too little, too late, and the ship went down at 2:20 a.m. into the icy Atlantic ocean to a frigid grave. Warning after warning after warning were received by the Titanic, but they didn't listen.
By David J. Stewart.
3. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami And Earthquake.
More than 230,000 people were killed, 500,000 were injured, and 1.7 million were left homeless on December 26, 2004, after 9.2-magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami that affected 14 countries in Asia and eastern and southern Africa. The incident remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded human history. The death toll could have been less had warnings been heeded. Seven years before the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, a top government official in Thailand warned that the country would soon be hit by a tsunami. His calls were ignored, and he was termed “crazy.” He was also banned from entering some parts of Thailand, where he was considered a threat to tourism.The Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning System also called the embassies and government officials of several Asian countries after the earthquake and warned that they were at risk of a possible tsunami. Many countries ignored the warning, and even those that listened didn’t take any tangible action. Many countries still ignored the threat when it hit their outlying coasts and even refused to warn people living in the inlying coasts. In Indonesia, the sea receded several hundred meters after the earthquake. That was a clear warning of an incoming tsunami, but many didn’t know this, and some even ran into the retreated ocean to catch stranded fish, while others simply looked on andwondered what was happening.
More than 230,000 people were killed, 500,000 were injured, and 1.7 million were left homeless on December 26, 2004, after 9.2-magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami that affected 14 countries in Asia and eastern and southern Africa. The incident remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded human history. The death toll could have been less had warnings been heeded. Seven years before the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, a top government official in Thailand warned that the country would soon be hit by a tsunami. His calls were ignored, and he was termed “crazy.” He was also banned from entering some parts of Thailand, where he was considered a threat to tourism.The Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning System also called the embassies and government officials of several Asian countries after the earthquake and warned that they were at risk of a possible tsunami. Many countries ignored the warning, and even those that listened didn’t take any tangible action. Many countries still ignored the threat when it hit their outlying coasts and even refused to warn people living in the inlying coasts. In Indonesia, the sea receded several hundred meters after the earthquake. That was a clear warning of an incoming tsunami, but many didn’t know this, and some even ran into the retreated ocean to catch stranded fish, while others simply looked on andwondered what was happening.
4. The Challenger Disaster.
On January 28, 1986, the challenger space shuttle exploded over the skies of Florida while being watched by millions of people on the ground and on live television. The explosion was caused by the formation of ice around the space shuttle’s O-rings, which were used to separate the rocket boosters from the shuttle. Of course, there were warnings. This time, they came from Bob Ebeling, an engineer who worked for the company that produced the booster. He had warned that the extremely cold weather would prevent the O-rings from sealing properly and would cause an explosion. He and another engineer then requested that the shuttle’s launch be delayed until the weather was favorable. The delay was initially granted but was later dismissed by executives, who were under pressure to get the shuttle into the space, as the launch had already been delayed six days. When Bob complained, one of the executives told him that the Challenger was “not his burden to bear.” The shuttle took off against Bob’s insistence only to explode in midair 73 seconds after takeoff. Seven astronauts, one of whom was a teacher who had won a seat on a NASA educational program, were killed in the accident.
On January 28, 1986, the challenger space shuttle exploded over the skies of Florida while being watched by millions of people on the ground and on live television. The explosion was caused by the formation of ice around the space shuttle’s O-rings, which were used to separate the rocket boosters from the shuttle. Of course, there were warnings. This time, they came from Bob Ebeling, an engineer who worked for the company that produced the booster. He had warned that the extremely cold weather would prevent the O-rings from sealing properly and would cause an explosion. He and another engineer then requested that the shuttle’s launch be delayed until the weather was favorable. The delay was initially granted but was later dismissed by executives, who were under pressure to get the shuttle into the space, as the launch had already been delayed six days. When Bob complained, one of the executives told him that the Challenger was “not his burden to bear.” The shuttle took off against Bob’s insistence only to explode in midair 73 seconds after takeoff. Seven astronauts, one of whom was a teacher who had won a seat on a NASA educational program, were killed in the accident.
5. Rwandan Genocide.
The Rwandan genocide was the well-planned ethnic cleansing and massacre of 800,000 Tutsis and “moderate” Hutus in Rwanda. The genocide, which began on April 6, 1994, was orchestrated by Hutu tribesmen, who not only attacked the Tutsis, but also any of their own tribesmen who protected them.The genocide had been in the works since at least 1992, when the Belgian ambassador to Rwanda warned that the Hutus were preparing for an ethnic cleansing. Another Belgian, Professor Filip Reyntjens, also appeared before the Belgian senate and warned that the Hutus were operating death squads. He even mentioned one of their leaders as Rwandan Army Colonel Theoneste Bagasora, who would later command the genocide. In January 1994, the commander of UN troops in Rwanda, General Romeo Dallaire from Belgium, also sent a fax, now known as the “genocide fax,”to the UN, wanring that the Hutus had plans to wipe out the Tutsis. He requested more troops and permission to attack a Hutu arms cache. The UN turned down his requests and instead told him to inform the Rwandan government, which was filled with the same people planning the genocide. That same month, Dallaire seized an arms cache, which was placed in custody of United Nations and Rwandan troops the same Rwandan troops who were training the rebels who perpetrated the genocide.
The Rwandan genocide was the well-planned ethnic cleansing and massacre of 800,000 Tutsis and “moderate” Hutus in Rwanda. The genocide, which began on April 6, 1994, was orchestrated by Hutu tribesmen, who not only attacked the Tutsis, but also any of their own tribesmen who protected them.The genocide had been in the works since at least 1992, when the Belgian ambassador to Rwanda warned that the Hutus were preparing for an ethnic cleansing. Another Belgian, Professor Filip Reyntjens, also appeared before the Belgian senate and warned that the Hutus were operating death squads. He even mentioned one of their leaders as Rwandan Army Colonel Theoneste Bagasora, who would later command the genocide. In January 1994, the commander of UN troops in Rwanda, General Romeo Dallaire from Belgium, also sent a fax, now known as the “genocide fax,”to the UN, wanring that the Hutus had plans to wipe out the Tutsis. He requested more troops and permission to attack a Hutu arms cache. The UN turned down his requests and instead told him to inform the Rwandan government, which was filled with the same people planning the genocide. That same month, Dallaire seized an arms cache, which was placed in custody of United Nations and Rwandan troops the same Rwandan troops who were training the rebels who perpetrated the genocide.
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