Deadliest single building or complex fires and explosions in the U.S.



Rank  Event  Date Number of deaths
1 The World Trade Center
New York, NY
September 11, 2001 2,666
2

Iroquois Theater
Chicago, IL

December 30, 1903 602
3

Cocoanut Grove night club 
Boston, MA

November 28, 1942 492
4 Ohio State Penitentiary
Columbus, OH
April 21, 1930 320
5 Consolidated School gas explosion 
New London, TX
March 18, 1937 294
6 Conway's Theater
Brooklyn, NY
December 5, 1876 285
7 Rhythm Club
Natchez, MS
April 23, 1940 207
8 Lakeview Grammar School
Collinwood, OH
March 4, 1908 175
9 Rhodes Opera House
Boyertown, PA
January 12, 1908 170
10a Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus
Hartford, CT
All visitors: Read a free overview (PDF, 623 KB)  from NFPA's The Quarterly, July 1944.
July 6, 1944 168
10b

Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Oklahoma City, OK

April 19, 1995 168
12 Beverly Hills Supper Club
Southgate, KY
May 28, 1977 165
13 Triangle Shirtwaist Company (PDF, 860 KB)
New York, NY
March 25, 1911 146
14 Eddystone Ammunition Company plant explosion
Eddystone, PA
April 10, 1917 133
15 Cleveland Clinic Hospital 
Cleveland, OH
May 15, 1929 125
16 Winecoff Hotel 
Atlanta, GA
December 7, 1946 119
17

The Station Nightclub
W. Warwick, RI
More about safety in nightclubs and assembly occupancies.

February 20, 2003 100
18

Our Lady of the Angels School
Chicago, IL

December 1, 1958 95
19 Happy Land Social Club
New York, NY
March 25, 1990 87
20 MGM Grand Hotel
Las Vegas,  Nevada

November 21, 1980 85

Source: NFPA archive files, 1984 Fire Alamanac, and The Great International Disaster Book by James Cornell, Pocket Books New York, 1976.

Disclaimer: Death tolls are based on information in NFPA’s records. Please contact us to provide any updated information.

Updated: 3/08