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Sadly, tragedy is part of life and even the most well-meaning plans can end in disaster. While these situations might be difficult to look at, we shouldn’t just ignore what happened. Analyzing the things that went wrong teaches us how to prevent similar scenarios in the future.

The subreddit r/CatastrophicFailure is dedicated to documenting man-made devices, machines, and structures breaking down in ways many simply couldn’t imagine. So let’s scroll through the community’s latest posts and hope we never see anything like this in person.

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#1

What’s Left Of The Home Depot That Caught Fire (San Jose, CA, USA)

Aerial view of a large commercial building completely destroyed by fire, an example of catastrophic failure.

tar4ntula Report

7points
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ma-lahann avatar
marianne eliza
marianne eliza
Community Member
29 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was arson and the suspect was apprehended.

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    #2

    Motor Yacht Fire In Torquay, UK

    A large white yacht engulfed in flames and thick black smoke, showing machinery that has failed catastrophically in a harbor.

    MGC91 Report

    6points
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    #3

    Rift Caused By The Earthquake In Hatay, Turkey. 200 Meters Long And 30 Meters Of Depth

    Aerial view of a catastrophic landscape failure, with massive cracks and collapsed earth cutting through agricultural fields.

    KebabG Report

    6points
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    #4

    45ft Robotic Dragon Caught Fire At Disneyland

    A dragon animatronic on fire, a machinery failure, with flames engulfing its head, reflecting in the water below.

    McCringleberried Report

    6points
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    #5

    This Walmart Distribution Center In Indianapolis

    Massive fire with black smoke billowing from a machinery or structure, firefighters attempting to extinguish the catastrophically failed building.

    sco-go Report

    5points
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    yaegerl007 avatar
    Linda Lee
    Linda Lee
    Community Member
    47 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder if it was Luigi inspired.

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    #6

    Sinking Ship At The Mouth Of The Columbia River. Coast Guard Rescue Arrived Just In Time To Capture Footage And Rescue Captain

    Sinking Ship At The Mouth Of The Columbia River. Coast Guard Rescue Arrived Just In Time To Capture Footage And Rescue Captain

    danielsound Report

    5points
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    #7

    Dubai 35 Story Hi-Rise On Fire. Building Belongs To The Emaar Company, A Developer In The Region

    Nighttime view of a tall skyscraper engulfed in a catastrophic fire, flames and smoke visible along its entire height.

    KnowledgeAmoeba Report

    5points
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    yaegerl007 avatar
    Linda Lee
    Linda Lee
    Community Member
    44 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anybody remember the old movie Towering Inferno?

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    #8

    A Container Ship Ran Aground; Two Days Later, 24 May, The Ground Is Sliding Into The Sea

    Aerial view of a cargo ship that failed catastrophically, running aground near houses and green fields by the water.

    WhatImKnownAs Report

    5points
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    scottrackley avatar
    Scott Rackley
    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    14 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If I recall correctly this was in Scandinavia somewhere

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    #9

    Oil Pipeline Broke And Is Spraying Oil In Amazon Rainforest In Ecuador. It's Flowing Down Into A River That Supplies Indigenous People With Drinking Water Downstream

    A pipe leaks catastrophically, spewing a dark liquid onto a rocky riverbank, staining the nearby foliage black.

    anon Report

    4points
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    #10

    An Mi-8 Crashing Over The Core Of The Reactor On October 2, 1986

    A black and white image of a helicopter failing catastrophically, with parts detaching and falling from the sky.

    informationtiger Report

    4points
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    #11

    Aluminium Factory

    Machinery failure: A factory floor engulfed in large flames as two workers observe the catastrophic event from a control station.

    GaRgAxXx Report

    4points
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    #12

    Remnants Of The Amazon Warehouse In Edwardsville, IL The Morning After Being Hit Directly By A Confirmed Ef3 Tornado, 6 Fatalities

    Aerial view of a structure that has failed catastrophically, showing widespread destruction near a body of water.

    BigBrownDog12 Report

    4points
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    michaelchock avatar
    michael Chock
    michael Chock
    Community Member
    1 minute ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Of course they wouldn't let their employees shelter during a tornado warning.

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    #13

    Carnival Freedom Cruise Ship Catches Fire In Grand Turk

    A red cruise ship's funnel is on fire, emitting thick black smoke. This machinery failure is catastrophic.

    A_Girthy_Boi_OSRS Report

    4points
    POST
    #14

    Northeast Dubois County High School Flooding

    Floodwaters rushing into an indoor space, creating white foamy waves, a catastrophic failure of structures.

    chucky_mcflapperson Report

    4points
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    #15

    Photo Showing The Destroyed Reinforced Concrete Under The Launch Pad For The Spacex Rocket Starship

    Two large grey machinery structures collapsing into a deep, muddy pit, showing catastrophic failure of the support system.

    barbosa800 Report

    4points
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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    Sinkhole Opened Under Private Pool In Israel

    Rescuers at a swimming pool with a catastrophic failure, a sinkhole opening up, revealing a pink flamingo float.

    MaliTheMinecraftCat Report

    4points
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    #17

    Same Street Before And After The February 6 2023 Earthquake In Antakya, Turkey

    A split image showing a lively street decorated for Christmas and, below, buildings that have failed catastrophically.

    Icecream52 Report

    4points
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    #18

    All Essential Connections Between Vancouver, Bc And The Rest Of Canada Currently Severed After Catastrophic Rains (Hwy 1 At The Top Is Like The I-5 Of Canada)

    Catastrophic machinery failures across multiple highways and railways, showing flood damage, landslides, and collapsed structures.

    ThinkOutsideTheTV Report

    4points
    POST
    #19

    Cng-Powered Bus On Fire Near Perugia, Italy

    A white bus engulfed in flames with huge plumes of fire and smoke billowing, a catastrophic machinery failure.

    SoundOfSea Report

    4points
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    #20

    A Massive Explosion Took Place Today In The Chocolate Factory In West Reading, Pennsylvania, USA

    A structure catastrophically failed in an urban setting, enveloped by a large plume of smoke and debris mid-explosion.

    MonsieurScie Report

    4points
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    #21

    Melbourne Florida - Vehicle Drove Into A Fireworks Store

    Catastrophically failed fireworks store engulfed in fire, emitting massive black smoke into the sky.

    amusedonion Report

    4points
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    #22

    Carus Chemical Plant In La Salle, IL Has Erupted Into Flames

    Massive industrial fire with thick black smoke and orange flames engulfing a machinery structure, a catastrophic failure.

    dannyo92 Report

    4points
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    #23

    Ten Partially Submerged Hokuriku-Shinkansen Had To Be Scrapped Because Of River Flooding During Typhoon Hagibis

    Overhead view of multiple blue and white bullet trains partially submerged in floodwaters, a machinery failure.

    godagrasmannen Report

    4points
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    #24

    Brazilian Navy Training Ship Cisne Branco Hits A Pedestrian Bridge Over The Guayas River In Ecuador

    A tall ship attempting to pass under a bridge, machinery failing catastrophically and hitting the structure.

    theblackwolf1 Report

    4points
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    scottrackley avatar
    Scott Rackley
    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    10 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Must be a thing. The Mexican navy did the same thing to the Brooklyn Bridge.

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    #25

    Southwest Airlines Flight 1248

    A snow-covered airplane, a machinery failure, on a street with police cars and emergency vehicles after a catastrophic accident.

    anon Report

    4points
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    #26

    Accident And Backup On I-84 Near Pendleton, Oregon

    A catastrophic machinery failure with multiple semi-trucks piled up on a snow-covered highway during a blizzard.

    Fox_Davis Report

    4points
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    #27

    Snow Covered Mountains Are Rapidly Melting, From Downpours Causing Flooding . Springville CA

    Two images show homes and devices submerged in catastrophic floodwaters in Springville, California. A machinery failure.

    The-Salamanca Report

    4points
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    #28

    A Sinkhole Swallowed The Busy Qixin Road In Shanghai

    An aerial view of a huge sinkhole on a street, with a building partially collapsed into it, showing machinery and structures failed catastrophically.

    dannybluey Report

    4points
    POST
    #29

    Plane View Of Argentina Explosion

    Aerial view of a bright explosion, possibly a machinery or structure that failed catastrophically, illuminating a dark landscape.

    V_N_C Report

    4points
    POST
    yaegerl007 avatar
    Linda Lee
    Linda Lee
    Community Member
    37 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Plane view of explosion in plain view.

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    #30

    Water Reservoir Failure, Brazil

    Water gushing from a ruptured black liner, creating a muddy torrent, a catastrophic failure of structures.

    TheGza1 Report

    4points
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    #31

    “I Shut Down The Wrong Engine” Taipei Crash

    A passenger plane nose-dives into a highway, with cars driving beneath, a catastrophic machinery failure.

    rumayday Report

    4points
    POST
    yaegerl007 avatar
    Linda Lee
    Linda Lee
    Community Member
    35 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How... Um. That's astonishing.

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    #32

    Tower Crane Collapses Due To The Construction Site Being Neglected For Over 10 Years

    A machinery failure: A two-part image of a tall, cylindrical building, beginning to collapse from the top.

    aburgeiga Report

    3points
    POST
    #33

    Transformer Explosion At The Hoover Dam

    Aerial view of a structure with thick black smoke rising, showing catastrophic machinery failure next to a body of water.

    dartmaster666 Report

    3points
    POST
    #34

    Epic Failure Of Job Training In A Salmon Cannery In Alaska

    A machinery failure on a fishing vessel, with countless fish spilling onto the deck, highlighting catastrophic device failure.

    Weirdassmustache Report

    3points
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    #35

    Train Carrying Ethanol Derails In Fairmont, MN

    Train Carrying Ethanol Derails In Fairmont, MN

    Stitchpool626 Report

    3points
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    #36

    The Dome Of The Grand Mosque Of The Islamic Center In Indonesian Jakarta Collapsing

    The Dome Of The Grand Mosque Of The Islamic Center In Indonesian Jakarta Collapsing

    abrasivemolasses_04 Report

    3points
    POST
    #37

    Car Fitted With Illegal Natural Gas Tank Explodes While Refueling At A Brazilian Fuel Station

    CCTV captures a grey car catastrophically failed after crashing into a gas station pump, with debris and a worker reacting.

    __vectorcall Report

    3points
    POST
    #38

    360 Digger On A Trailer Hits Overpass

    A large truck with a raised bed drives under an overpass, generating a large puff of white smoke from machinery that has failed catastrophically.

    Brutal_Deluxe_ Report

    3points
    POST
    #39

    Serbian Harbour Dredging

    A boat capsizes next to another vessel, machinery failing catastrophically, as a man stands on the sinking deck.

    purple-circle Report

    3points
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    #40

    Fire And Explosions Destroy Hardware Hypermarket In Moscow

    Aerial night view of a large building engulfed in flames, a catastrophic machinery failure, with a snow-covered parking lot below.

    anon Report

    3points
    POST
    #41

    F-35b Crash At Fort Worth

    A military jet on a runway, nose-down with smoke, showing a machinery failure, behind a fence.

    MGC91 Report

    3points
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    #42

    Large Black Smoke And Fire Spotted At High Rise In Center City, Philadelphia

    Thick black smoke billowing from a tall skyscraper, a structure that has failed catastrophically.

    mouthofreason Report

    3points
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    #43

    Changsha China Telecom Building On Fire

    A tall building engulfed in flames and dense black smoke, a catastrophic failure. Bright orange fire erupts from many windows.

    anon Report

    3points
    POST
    #44

    Dinner Cruise Boat Sounds 5 Short Blasts Before Ramming The Pier After Transmission Failure

    A cruise ship bow with damage and a broken barrier from a catastrophic machinery failure.

    anon Report

    3points
    POST
    #45

    Building Explodes (Gas Leak) Where Woman Was Waiting To Do Job Interview. This Happened In Georgia

    A house structure that has failed catastrophically, showing extensive damage and debris, with cars parked nearby.

    Stitchpool626 Report

    3points
    POST
    #46

    Tractor-Trailer Strikes Retaining Wall And Spills Alfredo Sauce All Over I-55

    A trailer truck after machinery failure, collapsed on its side on a road with white debris strewn everywhere.

    Winter-Acanthaceae-1 Report

    3points
    POST
    #47

    North Korea's New Destroyer Capsizes At Launch

    An aerial view of a large blue structure, possibly machinery, catastrophically failed in a harbor next to a dock.

    epsilona01 Report

    3points
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    scottrackley avatar
    Scott Rackley
    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    3 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I bet that got someone taped to the barrel of an AA gun

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    #48

    Bridge Collapse In Tulia, TX

    View from inside a car of a machinery failure, showing a light aircraft with a propeller bent or snapped, indicating catastrophic damage.

    Real_Nemesis Report

    3points
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    #49

    Spacex Starship 36 Explodes During Static Fire Test

    A massive, catastrophic fire engulfs the night sky with brilliant orange and red flames, showing machinery failure.

    Vorghul Report

    3points
    POST
    #50

    The Main Stage Of Tomorrowland On Fire

    A large stage structure, resembling icy mountains, with a section engulfed in catastrophic machinery failure and flames.

    emielver Report

    3points
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    #51

    Newly Released Pictures As A Part Of The Preliminary Investigation Into The Nov 4 UPS MD-11f Crash Showing The Harrowing Moments Prior To The Accident

    Sequence of a large cargo plane failing catastrophically during takeoff, engine exploding with bright flames and smoke.

    Ogankle Report

    3points
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    #52

    Multiple Buildings Are On Fire In Hong Kong

    A towering skyscraper engulfed in massive flames, with fire engines and emergency vehicles on the street below; a machinery failure catastrophe.

    Valyura Report

    3points
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    #53

    Truck Carriying Liquid Gas Overturns And Explodes In Santiago, Chile

    Large white smoke plume over a highway, indicating machinery or structures have failed catastrophically.

    Valyura Report

    3points
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    #54

    Bridge Collapse In Brazil

    A white motorcycle passes a truck towing a trailer with a tank, amidst machinery failure and smoke.

    stingers77 Report

    3points
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    #55

    A Massive Fire Has Occurred At Russia’s Perm Refinery From A Suspected Ukrainian Attack

    Catastrophically failed machinery with massive flames and thick black smoke billowing from an industrial facility.

    DormontDangerzone Report

    3points
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    #56

    Shuangjiangkou, Sichuan Province, China Bridge Collapse

    Massive landslide engulfing a bridge and road, demonstrating structures that have failed catastrophically. Mud and dust cascade into green water.

    anon Report

    3points
    POST
    #57

    Chemical Explosion. Borculo Netherlands

    Catastrophically failed industrial machinery emitting thick brown smoke against a blue sky.

    MechyJasper Report

    3points
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    #58

    A Fire In The Ancient Yongqing Temple Puts The Chinese Community On Alert

    The Yongqing Temple structure on a hill, engulfed in flames and smoke, showing a catastrophic failure.

    Extasis-337 Report

    3points
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    #59

    In Kragujevac, Part Of The Road Collapsed Along With A Retaining Wall After The Investor Removed A Large Amount Of Earth To Build A Multi-Story Building

    Aerial view of a road and adjacent land that have failed catastrophically due to a landslide, with cracked asphalt.

    Smart-Combination-59 Report

    3points
    POST
    #60

    Silo Failure Yesterday In Illinois

    Grain silo machinery catastrophically failed, spilling contents. Exposed rebar and cracked concrete show structural damage.

    Debaucherousgeek73 Report

    3points
    POST
    #61

    Coal Power Plant Explosion, Thar, Pakistan

    A large, catastrophic failure, fiery explosion engulfing a structure at a construction site against a clear sky.

    anon Report

    2points
    POST
    #62

    Nitric Acid Leak At The Austin Powder Company In Vinton County, Ohio. About 3000 Gallons Leaked From A 5000 Gallon Tank

    A large plume of orange-brown smoke rises from machinery that has failed catastrophically over a green forest.

    bugminer Report

    2points
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    #63

    Massive Cloudburst Hit River, Buries Entire Village In Uttarkashi, India

    Village by a river, engulfed in a massive dust cloud from a catastrophic landslide, showcasing failed structures.

    TeriMaaKiLalChudiyan Report

    2points
    POST
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