155 skiers were killed in a funicular fire at the Kaprun ski resort in Austria; the deadly chain of events was caused by a heater at the alpine station two kilometres above the tunnel.
One of Germany's state-of-the-art bullet trains derailed, killing 101 people; every wheel and carriage to be re-engineered and replaced as a result of the investigation.
A gigantic crane (Lampson Transi-Lift 3 nicknamed Big Blue) standing 567 feet tall toppled while manoeuvring a 450-ton roof section at Miller Park Stadium in Milwaukee, killing three workers and causing damage to the stadium; the crane contractor had not calculated the effect of side winds on the load.
Seoul's posh Sampoong department store collapsed in less than 30 seconds with more than 1,000 people inside; investigators discover secrets in the original blueprint that explain the collapse.
The Derbyshire, one of the biggest ships ever built, vanished without a trace during Typhoon Orchid without sending out a mayday; it will be 20 years before the cause of the tragedy is determined beyond doubt.
A fire at the London Underground's King's Cross Station killed 31 people in only a few seconds; investigators spend months trying to explain the fire's unusual pattern, which they determine was started by a smoker's match.
In Enschede, the Netherlands the S.E. Fireworks storage compound situated in a residential neighbourhood catches fire and explodes, killing 22 (4 firefighters and 18 civilians) and injuring more than 1,000. There were two explosions, with the first explosion equivalent to 800kg TNT and the second was equivalent to just under 5,000 kg of TNT. The facility was authorized to hold 1.4G grade fireworks but actually contained quantities of 1.1G grade fireworks, adding to this, the facility was overloaded at the time.
Canada
