May 2006 Disasters

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

• May 3, Sochi, Russia: an Armavia (Armenian airline), Airbus A-320, crashed in the Black Sea enroute to Sochi, killing all 113 aboard. Poor weather was believed to be the cause.
• May 12, Lagos, Nigeria: a pipeline explosion killed more than 165 people. The explosion was caused by people drilling the pipe to steal fuel. More than 1000 have died in previous explosions in Nigeria.
• May 10–15, New England: nearly 13 inches of rain fall over eight days in much of New England, causing the region's worst flooding in 70 years.
• May 26, Java, Indonesia: (May 27 at 5:54 AM local time in Java, Indonesia). a 6.3 magnitude earthquake killed more than 5,700 people and destroyed 135,000 homes. This area had also been under an intense volcano watch due to the ongoing eruption of the volcano Merapi

See also Major Earthquakes Around the World 2006

See also Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2006

See also Recent Volcanic Activity