| Largest artificial non-nuclear explosions |
| Before World War I
| Fall of Antwerp • Wanggongchang Explosion • Great Torrington, Devon • Delft Explosion • Destruction of the Parthenon • Brescia Explosion • Siege of Almeida (1810) • Fort York magazine explosion • Battle of Negro Fort • Siege of Multan • Palace of the Grand Master Explosion, in Rhodes • Mobile magazine explosion • Flood Rock explosion • Explosion of steam ship Cabo Machichaco • Braamfontein explosion • DuPont Powder Mill explosion, Fontanet, Indiana • Alum Chine |
| World War I
| HMS Princess Irene at Sheerness • Faversham explosion • HMS Queen Mary explodes during the Battle of Jutland • Battle of Jutland • Mines on the first day of the Somme • Black Tom explosion • Silvertown explosion • Quickborn Explosion • Plzeň explosion • Mines in the Battle of Messines • Halifax Explosion • Chilwell Munitions Factory Explosion • Split Rock explosion • T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, or Morgan Depot Explosion |
| Interwar period
| Oppau explosion • Nixon New Jersey Explosion • Leeudoringstad explosion • Neunkirchen gas detonation • New London School explosion • Hirakata ammunition dump explosion |
| World War II
| Pluton • SS Clan Fraser • HMS Hood • HMS Barham • Smederevo Fortress • SS Surrey • Convoy SC 107 • Naples Caterina Costa explosion • Bombay Docks explosion • Bergen Harbour explosion • SS Paul Hamilton • West Loch disaster • Port Chicago disaster • Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion • USS Mount Hood • RAF Fauld Explosion • Japanese aircraft carrier Unryu • Japanese battleship Yamato • Trinity calibration test |
| 1945-2000
| Futamata Tunnel Explosion • Texas City Disaster • This is generally considered the worst industrial accident in United States history. • Heligoland "British Bang" • Ocean Liberty in Brest, France • Cádiz Explosion • Explosion at Prüm • Guayuleras explosion • Cali explosion, Colombia • Ripple Rock, British Columbia, Canada • Operation Blowdown • CHASE 2, off New Jersey • Operation Sailor Hat, off Kaho'olawe Island, Hawaii • CHASE 3 and 4, off New Jersey • Medeo Dam, near Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan • CHASE 5, off Puget Sound • CHASE 6, off New Jersey • N1 launch explosion • Old Reliable Mine Blast • Flixborough disaster • Iri Station Explosion • Los Alfaques disaster • Murdock BLEVEs • Benton fireworks disaster • 1983 Newark explosion • Minor Scale and Misty Picture • PEPCON Disaster • Arzamas train disaster • Ufa train disaster • Intelsat 708 Long March 3B launch failure • Enschede fireworks disaster |
| 2001-present
| AZF chemical factory • Ryongchon disaster • Seest fireworks disaster • Texas City Refinery explosion • 2005 Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal fire • Sea Launch failure • 2007 Maputo arms depot explosion • 2009 Cataño oil refinery fire • Ulyanovsk arms depot explosion • Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion • Cosmo Oil Refinery Fire • Donguz Ammunition depot explosion • Texas fertilizer plant explosion • Lac-Mégantic rail disaster • 2015 Tianjin explosions • 2016 San Pablito Market fireworks explosion • 2020 Tarragona IQOXE plant explosion • 2020 Beirut explosion |