Nature can be breathtakingly beautiful, but we all know that nature can also be ruthless. And that goes for each and every aspect of it. Animals can be cruel to one another, storms can ravish everything that comes in their way and man himself knows a thing or two about being harsh. Even though we mostly think of natural wonders as something positive, that isn’t always the case, a new study shows.
It’s holiday rental company Holidu that had a look into the matter by looking at the number of deaths and notable accidents related to some of the world’s natural wonders. They collected the numbers by consulting government data for the death toll numbers and by using Google News for the number of yearly notable accidents. Based on those data, they put together a list ranking the world’s most dangerous natural attractions.
As the list shows, all of the most dangerous natural attractions are either mountains or rock formations of some kind. At the top of the ranking stands the Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain and a paradise for hikers, climbers and skiers alike. However, as it turns out, a trip to Mont Blanc doesn’t come without a warning. Every year, no less than 100 deaths are registered on the peak and 22 notable accidents are recorded.
The second place is held by Ben Nevis in the United Kingdom. Even though the mountain ‘only’ sees 3 deaths and 20 accidents a year, taking into account the average number of visitors, it’s a worthy competitor to Mont Blanc. The third place is taken by Mount Fuji in Japan, with 7 death and 11 notable accidents.
Mount Everest also deserves to be mentioned. With 8 deaths and 7 notable accidents for a yearly total of 800 visitors, it is the natural wonder that claims the most lives in comparison to its annual visitors, according to Holidu.
1. Mont Blanc, France and Italy
- 100 average annual deaths per year
- 22 average notable accidents per year
2. Ben Nevis, United Kingdom
- 3 average annual deaths per year
- 20 average notable accidents per year
3. Mount Fuji, Japan
- 7 average annual deaths per year
- 11 average notable accidents per year
4. Mount Everest, China and Nepal
- 8 average annual deaths per year
- 7 average notable accidents per year
5. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- 10 average annual deaths per year
- 8 average notable accidents per year
6. Yosemite National Park, United States
- 11 average annual deaths per year
- 41 average notable accidents per year
7. Table Mountain, South Africa
- 15 average annual deaths per year
- 11 average notable accidents per year
8. The Matterhorn, Switzerland
- 12 average annual deaths per year
- 14 average notable accidents per year
9. The Grand Canyon, United States
- 12 average annual deaths per year
- 21 average notable accidents per year
10. The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
- 9 average annual deaths per year
- 12 average notable accidents per year
