Mass Killings & MassacresLists about mass murders that shook the world due to place & time, the nature of the victims, the weapons used, and the sheer scope of the crimes.
Subway attacks can instill great fear in urban populations. An explosion on an otherwise normal day is often an aggressive tactic employed by terrorist organizations to send the message they are capable of random destruction. These devastating acts of aggression often cause widespread panic, with massive numbers of casualties leaving average civilians concerned for their own safety. Some of the worst terror attacks in history have targeted public transportation, taking advantage of often lax security measures.Â
Why do terrorists and other organizations target subways? The reasons vary. Some metro bombers are acting for political reasons, trying to send a message to a perceived country or aggressor. However, oftentimes the reasons behind attacks are not politically motivated. The horrific 1995 Tokyo Sarin Attack, for example, was carried out by a fringe cult that believed the end times were near. Â
Whatever the reasons behind an attack, any subway bombing is a tragedy. People who died in such tragedies were innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's important to be educated on such events, however, as world instability and a global rise in terrorism could mean such disasters will become more likely in the future. Education is key to understanding underlying issues that may contribute to the occurrence of such attacks. Here, you'll find a list of the deadliest subway attacks of all time.Â
On August 10, 2001, the Angolan rebel movement UNITA derailed a passenger train with a landmine before attacking passengers with its forces. Over 200 people died in the attack and over 150 more were wounded. Angola was still in the midst of a three-decade long Civil War, and UNITA was likely attempting to embarrass the Angola government by showing a coming US delegation that Angola was still unstable.
Date: July 11, 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Deaths: 209 Injured: 700+
During the evening rush hour on July 11, 2006, a group of Islamic militants executed seven blasts throughout the Mumbai commuter train system. The first class compartments were targeted, killing over 200 people and injuring over 700 more. Investigations later identified 12 men, all part of a Pakistani-based militant group, as the responsible parties. All 12 men were convicted of murder, conspiracy, and waging war. Seven of them received a life sentence for their crimes while five were sentenced to death.
Date: March 11, 2004 Deaths: 191 Location: Madrid, Spain Injured: More than 1,800
On the morning of March 11, 2004, 10 bombs exploded on four commuter trains across Madrid. The blast killed almost 200 people and injured almost 2,000 more. The attacks took place three days before Spain's general elections and many citizens wanted to know who planned and carried out the bombings before voting. It was initially suspected a Basque separatist organization was responsible, but later police shifted focus to the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda. In 2007, 18 Islamic fundamentalists were convicted of the bombings.
Date: May 28, 2018 Location: West Bengal, India Deaths:148 Injured: 200+
On May 28, 2010, the Gyaneshwari Express derailed and was struck by a speeding train on in West Bengal, India. Maoist rebels were suspected to have been responsible for sabotaging the rails to cause the derailment as it was the first day of "Black Week." This is the name Maoist rebels gave to a series of protests that occurred from Friday to Wednesday. Approximately 148 people were killed during the incident and 200 more were injured.
Date: September 10, 2002 Location: Dhave River, India Deaths: Estimated 130 Injured: 150+
The Howrah Rajdhani Express was on its way to New Dehli from Howrah when it derailed, killing an estimated 130 people and injuring over 150 more. Poor maintenance was blamed for the accident. However, subsequent reports found that sabotage may have been the true cause as several fish plates - the steel bars at the end of rails - appeared to have been purposely removed. The then railway minister speculated Maoists, the communist party of India, purposefully planned the attack.
1991 Punjab Killings
Date: June 15, 1991 Location: Punjab Deaths: At least 126 Injured: Unknown
In 1991, Sikh separatist gunmen boarded a passenger train in Punjab and opened fire. The attack was part of an ongoing movement for Sikh independence and the attackers specifically targeted passengers who looked Hindi. The attack came just two months before a Parliamentary election, and such attacks had been occurring frequently in the region at the time as an attempt to stall the electoral process.
