Shipwrecks that claimed people's lives.
1. MV Wilhelm Gustloff.
In January 1945, this German ship was hit by three torpedoes in the Baltic Sea while participating in the evacuation of civilians, military personnel and Nazi officials who were surrounded by the Red Army in East Prussia. The ship sank in less than 45 minutes. More than 9,400 people are estimated to have died.
2. MV Doa Paz.
This Philippine ferry sank after colliding with the oil tanker MT Vector on December 20, 1987. More than 4,300 people died. The collision occurred in the dead of night and resulted in a fire and life jackets were locked, forcing passengers to jump into the burning water, which was also infested with sharks.
3. RMS Lusitania.
This British liner sailed on the Liverpool-New York route. During World War I, the ship was hit by German torpedoes on May 7, 1915, and sank within just 18 minutes of impact. The disaster killed 1,198 people out of 1,959 on board.
4. RMS Lancastria.
This British ocean liner was requisitioned by the government during World War II. She sank on June 17, 1940, taking 4,000 lives. This disaster caused more deaths than the sinking of the Titanic and Lusitania combined.
5. RMS Empress of Ireland.
This Canadian liner sank in the St. Lawrence River after colliding with a Norwegian freighter on May 29, 1914, due to heavy fog. 1012 people died (840 passengers and 172 crew members).
6. MV Goya.
The German transport ship MV Goya was carrying 6,100 passengers when it was sunk by a Soviet submarine in the Baltic Sea on April 16, 1945. The ship sank just 7 minutes after impact. Almost all the people on board died. Only 183 people survived.
7. USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
On July 30, 1945, Indianapolis was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58 and sank 12 minutes later. Of the 1,196 people, only 300 survived.
8. MV Le Joola.
A Senegalese ferry capsized off the coast of Gambia on September 26, 2002, killing at least 1,863 people. As it became known, the ferry was overloaded, which is why it capsized after 5 minutes when it encountered a storm. Only 64 people survived.
9. SS Mont-Blanc.
This French cargo ship carrying ammunition exploded in Halifax Harbor on December 6, 1917. The explosion caused the death of 2,000 people, including city residents. The explosion was caused by a collision with the Norwegian ship SS Imo. The fire resulting from the collision caused an explosion of ammunition that destroyed the harbor and the city.
10. RMS Titanic.
This is perhaps the most famous maritime tragedy of all time. The Titanic was a passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The sinking of the Titanic claimed 1,514 lives.
