October 2004 Disasters

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

• Oct. 6, Taba, Egypt: Three car bombs targeting Israeli tourists exploded at Egyptian resort areas on the Sinai peninsula. The largest explosion at the Hilton Taba hotel killed at least 34. The other 2 bombs exploded in Ras Shitan, a camp area 35 miles to the south of Taba.
• Oct. 8, Paris, France: A bomb exploded outside the Indonesian Embassy in Paris, wounding 10. No person nor organization has claimed responsibility.
• Oct. 19, Kirksville, Mo.: A commuter plane, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, crashed 4 mi outside of the Kirksville Regional Airport, killing 13 of the 15 on board.
• Oct. 20, Japan: Typhoon Tokage, the deadliest typhoon to hit Japan in more than 2 decades, killed at least 80 people as heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of houses and triggered numerous landslides. The typhoon produced a record (since 1970) 80 ft (24 m) high wave, eight-stories high. A record ten typhoons have struck Japan this season, killing more than 100 people, and causing damages estimated at $6.7 billion.
• Oct. 20, Henan province, China: A coal mine blast in central China killed 148. Insufficient ventilation led to a build up of gas and then sparks from mine machinery ignited the fire.
• Oct. 23, Niigata, Japan: A 6.6 magnitude earthquake, the deadliest in more than a decade, hit Japan, killing 40, injuring more than 3,100, and destroying more than 6,000 buildings. A series of quakes triggered more than 1,000 landslides, derailed a high-speed train, disrupted power, and damaged many roads in the area. Communications to the area were cut off leaving many without food and supplies. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated to shelters.
• Oct. 24, Martinsville, N.C.: A private plane, belonging to the Rick Hendrick NASCAR team, crashed in heavy fog in North Carolina killing 10, including his son, brother, and other close relatives of Hendrick and several members of the organization.

See also Major Earthquakes Around the World 2004

See also Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2004

See also Recent Volcanic Activity