Did you know that the Titanic is the most famous maritime disaster but not the deadliest in history, the deadliest being the Wilhelm Gustloff that killed 9,000 people when it sank in 1945?

Titanic is arguably the most famous boat disaster in history, but it may surprise some that it isn't the deadliest. The Wilhelm Gustloff is the deadliest boat disaster in history that killed 9,000 people when it sank in 1945. Similar to the Titanic, the Joola, the SS Kiangya, and the MV Doña Paz were carrying civilians when they were sunk.

On April 14, 1912, the famous Titanic hit an iceberg on its way from Southampton, England, to New York City. As the massive ship sank, it killed over 1,500 passengers. While the story is well known, it's not common knowledge that history has seen maritime disasters that killed thousands more. Here are six other boat disasters that claimed even more lives than the Titanic.

1️⃣ WILHELM GUSTLOFF | January 30, 1945
It's story began on March 24, 1938 when the German ship, Wilhelm Gustloff — named after a Nazi — took off on its maiden voyage, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. It was originally meant to be a cruise ship for German workers to enjoy leisurely activities. Each room aboard the ship was identical, making it a "ship without class," as it was advertised. Over the years, the ship was repurposed a few times as a hospital, a training headquarters, and a polling station. In 1945, the Soviets moved into East Prussia, prompting the evacuation of two million German military members. Around 10,000 of those men were put on the Gustloff to flee back to Germany. Along the journey, a Soviet submarine torpedoed the ship on January 30. Since most of the lifesavers were frozen to the deck and most of the experienced military members were killed in the initial blast, 9,000 people died. It is considered the deadliest shipwreck in history.

2️⃣ MV DOÑA PAZ | December 20, 1987
Ferries were an important part of the development of Southeast Asia during the late 1900s. MV Doña Paz was one of those important ferries that ushered civilians around the region, but it met a bitter end. On December 20, 1987, the ship left the Philippine island of Leyte and headed toward its destination of Manila. Along the way, the ship collided with an oil tanker that was carrying 8,000 barrels of explosives, according to Esquire. The MV Doña Paz was instantly set ablaze and eventually exploded, sending passengers into boiling, fiery waters of the Tablas Strait. Although ship documents show only 1,493 passengers on board, other evidence says there were 4,386 onboard. Of that number, only 24 survived the incident, becoming the deadliest civilian boat disaster in history. The History Channel says this incident has been dubbed "Asia's Titanic."

3️⃣ SS KIANGYA | December 1948
In the 1940s, China was in the midst of a civil war, setting itself up for one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the region. In December 1948, a steamship named SS Kiangya was packed with thousands of refugees from the civil war. Although the ship was legally only supposed to hold 1,186 passengers, the manifest listed 2,150 passengers and some suspect even more were aboard, according to Time magazine. Some believe the ship hit a mine that was leftover from World War II and exploded. The ship quickly sunk in the Huangpu River, killing close to 4,000 people.

4️⃣ JOOLA | September 26, 2002
On September 26, 2002, the Joola, a Seglanese ferry, set out through the Gambia River toward northern Senegal. The BBC reported that the ship was overcrowded. In fact, it had a maximum capacity of 550 passengers. It was later learned that there were over 700 people not on the passenger list, which was a common occurrence on the ferry. That day, the boat capsized and sunk to the bottom of the river, killing 1,863 people — many of them youths heading to school.

5️⃣ MONT BLANC | December 6, 1917
During World War I, Halifax, a port city in Nova Scotia, Canada, acted as an important port for ships, carrying supplies, troops, and ammunition. On December 6, 1917, the Norwegian ship Imo left Halifax and collided with the Mont Blanc, a French ship that held explosives. Due to the collision, the Mont Blanc was pushed toward the shore, bringing spectators to the harbor pier. But the ship quickly set the waterfront ablaze and a few minutes later, the ship exploded. The blast was so strong that it shattered windows 50 miles away. At the waterfront, 1,800 people died, 9,000 people were injured, and 1,600 homes were destroyed, according to History [dot] com.

6️⃣ SS SULTANA | April 27, 1865
In 1865, the Civil War came to an end, ending years of bloodshed on American soil. During the war, Union soldiers were trapped in Confederate prisons, but at the end of the war, they were finally freed and sent home. Many boarded the steamboat Sultana on April 27, 1865, along with civilians. History [dot] com reports that the ship was carrying over 2,000 passengers — six times over its legal capacity.  As the steamboat headed north along the Mississippi River, the ship exploded in the middle of the night and burned until morning. Over the course of the night, 1,600 lost their lives to the flames and burning water. Although there is no proof, some believe the Confederate army blew up the ship, thinking the war was not yet over. If true, the incident was one of the deadliest terror attacks on US soil, according to History [dot] com.

Source: Insider

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