The Worst World Disasters of All Time. Kevin Baker

      Lake Nyos

      Date: August 21st, 1986.

      Location: Cameroon.

      Disaster Type: Fatal release of 80 million cubic metres of Co2

      Fatalities: 1,700 deaths.

      Resulting Damage: 3,500 livestock also killed.

      Some natural disasters seem to happen in very mysterious ways. Sometimes there are no solid explanations as to why certain things occur. This is the case with the sudden gas release from Lake Nyos in Cameroon. The way this particular event occurred and the aftermath are still being studied by geologists from all over the world.

      At approximately 9:30 PM on August 21st, 1986, an incredibly high amount of carbon dioxide gas was released from the lake. The lake is 208 meters deep and it is one of the three known lakes that are saturated with carbon dioxide. It was given the title of the ‘Deadliest Lake’ by the Guinness book of World Records in 2008 and the name is certainly fitting for this particular situation.

      No pinpointed cause has been found for the event, but some geologists say that the cause was probably abnormal subsurface heat levels or a geological tremor that produced a small explosion of magma. The amount of gas expelled by the lake that day was enough to fill 10 soccer stadiums, and was released in as little as 20 seconds. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, and this caused it to fall down into the villages near the lake.

      This gas which sped down to the villages at a speed of up to 30 mph, was silent and completely invisible. Some people might think that this gas is not normally harmful to people as it is naturally present in the air at about 0.3 percent, and they would be right, but when it completely replaces regular air intake, it can cause asphyxiation and almost certain death. This phenomenon caused the gas to completely push aside the air that was circulating there. It only took a few minutes for more than 1,700 people to die that night. Many of them died in their sleep because they went unconscious due to the lack breathable of air while they slept. Many of the luckier people who survived woke up around 10 to 16 hours later. The reason why some people survived is because of the way the wind was directed in their specific location.

      Over 3,500 livestock died in this disastrous explosion which created a silent and invisible deadly cloud of death. A survivor whose whole family died in the incident said that he was awoken by the lack of oxygen only to find himself unable to talk, to catch a breath or even move properly.

      The survivors from the villages of Cha, Nyos and Subum were forced to relocate as ordered by the Cameroon government, to prevent another tragic occurrence happening near the lake. There was also a lot of international assistance provided for this disaster, with people coming from all over the world into Lake Nyos to help with the process of degassing the lake in order to avoid another explosion in the near future. There are also efforts being made to discover exactly what caused this explosion because all the studies up to this point are inconclusive and there are only theories to explain it so far.

      20 – Legalisation of Tobacco

      Cigarettes – image author: Geierunited

      Date: 3000 BC to this present day.

      Location: Worldwide.

      Disaster Type: Fatal underestimated addiction.

      Fatalities: 15,000 deaths each day.

      Tobacco smoking in its various forms began around 3000 BC and spread throughout the world, addicting people to nicotine in the millions. Although it wasn't until recently, in the 1920s that German scientists discovered the link between smoking and lung cancer. In the 1980s especially, evidence began to stack up on the damage that tobacco smoking actually causes.

      Before the 1980s it was always considered to be a cool habit, or sexy for women, after a blast of advertising throughout recent history by tobacco companies which was further compounded by Hollywood movie stars smoking like chimneys. Then, when the evidence started to come forth about the real consequences of this habit, it suddenly became uncool and in most developed countries there has been a decline in the habit, although there have been sharp rises in tobacco smoking in some developing countries. In China for instance, people smoke proudly, as their government states that it is good for the Chinese economy and many health workers advise people not to stop smoking, as they have been brainwashed into believing that stopping smoking is a cause of cancer.

      Smoking typically kills a third of smokers and more than half of long-term smokers in the end. 5.4 million people are killed every year, at a rate of 15,000 people per day, with one person dying every 6 seconds. Although, surprisingly, this drug, which is the biggest killer drug, is only classed as a class C drug. It is rated alongside Vallium, with cannabis rated as a class B drug and drugs such as heroin and cocaine rated as class A drugs.

      Tobacco is a silent killer; it slowly hooks you and then it proceeds to slowly kill you. Nicotine is an extremely hard drug to kick. I have had first hand experience at quitting smoking and although I was successful in the attempt I also tried 7 times previously without success. It was the hardest thing I'd ever tried to do and it seemed like I would be hooked forever. For me personally, it took 2 months before the habit was finally out of my mind and temptation disappeared.

      Cigarettes are the single most traded item on Earth, with around one trillion cigarettes being sold from country to country annually. People have fingers in money pies with this habit that generates around $400 billion per year in trade, with tobacco setting itself up as one of the largest industries. People in high positions, such as government positions get caught up in the web of profit through this lucrative drug, therefore making banning tobacco something that will probably not happen anytime soon. The fact that tobacco has hooked so many people, even people in positions of power to ban the drug, further compounds the problem. Governments generally place warning signs on cigarettes and control cigarette advertising. In developing countries however, it's sometimes a different story, as I have personally witnessed a major cigarette company blatantly giving out free cigarettes to people on the streets of a developing country where I was on holiday.

      Another trend in encouraging smokers to stop is by raising taxes on cigarettes, which offsets the profit loss of people having to quit because they can't afford the habit any longer. People who are better off that can still afford the expensive habit take up the slack on repairing the profit damage for tobacco companies and the government can still use the tax money. This does encourage people to quit, but often bleeds families who are addicted to tobacco dry on their ability to save money. I know personally many people who have switched to roll up cigarettes instead, which is often cheaper than pre-made cigarettes. With this method the temptation to exclude the filter begins to appear for the smoker who is often unwittingly thinking of ways to get the biggest nicotine hit with every roll up.

      Cigarette companies have become adept at adding to the urge to smoke more and more cigarettes, which now includes 4,000 chemicals, with 50 of these chemicals, including carbon monoxide, arsenic, benzene, butane and lead being among the poisonous chemicals that can accelerate the poor smoker even more to a state of health which may give rise to cancer.

      The good news is that most people are now generally aware of the damage that smoking causes and the death toll, making the habit unpopular and less socially acceptable in most countries. In companies, there is often now an allotted smoking area and pubs and restaurants usually have an outside smoking point. These points are usually in dingy areas of car parks or by rubbish bins, making the poor smoker feel more like a diseased rat than someone duped into being addicted to nicotine.

      When I did use to smoke before giving up, I remember talking to another smoker about how I really wanted to kick the habit. The man who I was talking to, in a dimly lit, fume filled corner of a car park, next to a smelly bin, with non-smokers walking by with a slight, almost undetectable frown and look of distain, told me that when he opened a cigarette packet it was like saying “Hello” to his 20 best friends in the world. This