Modern Era · South Asia · Disaster

1970

Bhola cyclone kills five hundred thousand

November 13, 1970

A tropical cyclone drove a storm surge up the Bay of Bengal and across the low-lying islands of East Pakistan at night. It was the deadliest storm in modern history, killing around five hundred thousand people. The government in West Pakistan barely responded. The disaster fed the Bengali nationalist fury that would birth Bangladesh.

More from 1970 Modern Era

In context

Also in 1970 (5 other events on record)

First Earth Day · North America · Politics
Allende elected in Chile · South America · Politics
Black September expels the PLO from Jordan · Middle East · War
Kent State shootings · North America · Politics
Mishima commits ritual suicide · East Asia · Culture

Before and after in South Asia

Before: March 10, 1959: Dalai Lama flees Tibet
After: March 26, 1971: Bangladesh Liberation War

Before and after in Disaster

Before: October 21, 1966: Aberfan disaster
After: December 23, 1972: Managua earthquake

Era

Modern Era (1901–2000), one of 590 events from that era on Saeculum.

Sources

Wikipedia: 1970 Bhola cyclone