This page contains a small list of the most devastating eruptions in written history. They are as follows:

The 1882 Mt. Galunggung Eruption (Indonesia) – Indonesia has had a long history of eruptions and the Mt. Galunggung eruption is considered one of the deadliest.  The death toll lies at 4,011. As a member of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the number of eruptions happening in this country isn’t surprising, but it’s also tragic.

The 1919 Mt. Kelut Eruption (Indonesia) – Mt. Kelut’s eruption dwarfed the Mt. Galunggung eruption with a death toll of about 5,110 and 100 villages destroyed. The crater lake was also emptied during the eruption—about 38 million cubic meters of liquid was spewed out of the crater and into the air.

The 1631 Mt. Vesuvius Eruption (Italy) – This famous volcano has been the stuff of legends since its eruption in 79 AD. It’s always been fairly unpredictable. The eruption of 1631 started off unexpectedly between 6 and 7AM. It was followed by earthquakes and all the trappings of a catastrophic and seemingly world-ending eruption.

The 1783 Laki Volcanic System Eruptions (Iceland) –its claim to fame is the long period of eruptions it made which lasted for eight months. From June 8 to February 8, the volcanic system spewed about 14.7 cubic kilometers’ worth of volcanic material. It also created deadly gases, a huge catalyst for the 9,350 deaths that occurred due to it.