Disasters could be classified as anything from a large vehicle collision to a mining accident or natural disaster. It’s in these instances when people band together and faith in humanity is often restored. Learning about history’s disasters can also help us prepare so we can avoid future disasters, or at least know better how to deal with them. Here are some of the worst disasters to take place in Utah’s history.

Scofield mine explosion

The Winter Quarters Mine Explosion in Scofield is known as a Utah disaster with one of the highest fatality rates, according to Utah History to Go. It happened on May 1, 1900. At least 200 miners were killed in the coal mine blast, and those who survived were nearly suffocated by being trapped inside with nothing but toxic fumes to breathe. This disaster rocked the community and many were upset by what seemed to be a lack of safety measures for the mine. Scofield is a ghost town today.

Castle Gate Mine explosion

Only 24 years later, another large mining explosion killed almost as many on March 8, 1924, at the Castle Gate Mine in Carbon County. The blast killed 171 men explosion, according to ilovehistory.utah.gov. The story goes that one miner found a gas deposit and his lamp had gone out. He ignited the gas by relighting his lamp, causing an explosion that blew out many men’s lamps in other parts of the mine.

These men, in turn, lit their lamps, causing another explosion that killed even more. At least by this time, a workers' compensation fund had been established since the dependents of those killed in the Winter Quarters mine hadn’t had any sort of support, so there was that small improvement.

Bingham Canyon avalanche

Avalanches are a common hazard in Utah, although most happen away from populated areas. Today’s regulations also help keep people from venturing in dangerous avalanche zones, but fatalities still occur. On Feb. 17, 1926, a great avalanche of snow, rocks and timber in Bingham Canyon buried 75 people.

Many were able to escape due to rescue efforts, but 40 lives were claimed by this avalanche. Alta, which used to be a mining town, suffered through 11 avalanches between 1878 and 1911.

Deadly school bus crash

Sadly, high school students fell victim to a vehicle collision on Dec. 1, 1938. A freight train hit a school bus at 10600 S. 300 West in Sandy. Train collisions are always deadly since the speed and weight of the train is considerable. The bus driver had stopped at the tracks and gotten out to try to see through the thick fog and winter storm, but couldn’t see the train speeding toward them at 50 mph. A total of 23 Jordan High School students were killed.

Tragic train collision

The advent of trains created new opportunities for people across America, but it also meant an opportunity for large-scale accidents, albeit rare. On Dec. 31, 1944, the second section of an express train collided with the rear of a stalled train at Bagley, 18 miles west of Ogden. The reason for the collision was that the first train was having mechanical issues, and dense fog prevented the oncoming mail express train operator from seeing the stalled train. Forty-eight people were killed, with dozens more injured, according to the Deseret News.

Early airline disaster

Oct. 24, 1947, a United Airlines DC-6 caught fire and crashed at Bryce Canyon and 52 people died. Aviation-safety.net reports the cause as a fire that occurred in the baggage compartment that couldn’t be contained. Witnesses saw the plane flying by with white smoke and then denser black smoke billowing out. The pilots attempted to make an emergency landing and made several contacts to air traffic controllers up until it crashed 15 miles outside of Bryce Canyon. There were no survivors, and no one actually witnessed the crash.

Another deadly plane crash

On Nov. 11, 1965, a United Airlines 727 crashed and burned at Salt Lake City International Airport. By all accounts, the flight was normal with nothing out of the ordinary when the crew changed at Denver. The plane was coming in at the normal speed, but then for some reason picked up speed and came in three times faster than it should have.

Landing on the ground 355 feet short of the runway, the plane then slid more than 2,000 feet. The impact caused the landing gear and an engine to break off, rupturing a fuel line that caused an explosion, which caused the actual fatalities. Out of the 91 people aboard, 43 people died. Many others survived, but with injuries from the inferno.

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Other Utah tragedies

Fire and mining don’t mix, as you can imagine. Usually, a mine is low on oxygen to begin with but also full of fumes that are flammable and toxic. On Dec. 19, 1984, a fire at Wilberg Mine in Emery County killed 27 miners.

There’s also always the famous tornado that hit Salt Lake City on Aug. 11, 1999. It claimed one life, but it was more about fear than anything since most Utahns considered themselves safe from such disasters due to the mountainous range.

Flash floods and landslides are also a danger in Utah, particularly after wildfires have ravaged the area. Hildale, Utah, suffered one of the worst flash floods in 2015, where the storm and flooding killed 12 women and children, seven hikers, and one man from Hurricane, making it one of the deadliest weather events in the history of Utah.

If these disasters seem like ancient history, know that disasters still occur, even if it’s only a small disaster in your own little world. If you’ve been hurt in an accident and need help, contact Robert J. DeBry today.

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