Among the world's worst industrial accidents are numerous chemical-related disasters. These include the massive explosion in Beirut in 2020 caused by incorrectly stored
ammonium sulfate, and the Doñana disaster in 1998 that saw toxic chemicals contaminate a UNESCO-protected nature park and which resulted in the deaths of numerous bird and fish species.
Human error accounts for most of these catastrophic accidents, many of which have resulted in huge losses of life and millions of dollars of damage. In this gallery, we revisit 15 global disasters involving poisonous gas and chemical materials. Click on to continue reading.