Bad Luck Stories 2012... An Archive
Of "Hard Luck Stories Of The Month".

3 Electrocuted Painters Die Horribly: ... August 31, 2012.

4 painters in a factory in Nancun, China were electrocuted when the 9m mobile scaffold they were pushing touched a 10,000 volt high tension power line overhead... 3 died horribly.

The scaffolding had been used previously by other workers to replace faulty light bulbs nearby. The painters had decided to use the scaffold to help them with their painting, not realising the hazard the overhead high voltage power lines posed.

The high voltage electrical current melted the wheels of the scaffold fusing them to the floor and charred and badly burnt one of the victims.

Hurricane Sandy Wreaks Havoc: ... October 29, 2012

"Storm of the century", the "Perfect Storm", "Frankenstorm"... were all words used to describe the megastorm that struck the U.S. east coast October 29th 2012.

As of 11/12/2012 the death toll had reached 113 with 43 victims in New York City. The clean up bill for New York alone could total $30 billion and reach up to $50 billion over all (ref: Huffington Post Nov 13, 2012).

NYC Mayor Bloomberg warned "Our climate is changing", and urged the world's elected leaders to "take immediate action".

Brain Eating Amoeba Kills 10: ... October 9, 2012.

A waterborne parasite, Naegleria fowleri, also known as brain eating amoeba has killed 10 people in Karachi, Pakistan (population 18 million).

A World Health Organization warns the disease is usually contracted by swimming in or washing out nostrils with warm, dirty, stagnant, contaminated/untreated water... and is almost always fatal.

The parasite enters through the nose to reach the brain (via the central nervous system) where it begins destroying brain tissue. Symptoms include fever, nausea, a stiff neck & headaches, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations, and seizures.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports 123 known cases in the U.S. over the past fifty years... 122 victims have died. The most recent fatalities were a 30 year old man in an Indiana lake (in September), and a boy in South Carolina (in July). 6 cases were reported in 2011... all died.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), as the infection is correctly called, claimed 8 lives in 1962-65 in Czechoslovakia (from an indoor swimming pool), and 8 deaths in New Zealand between 1968-78 (from swimming in geothermal pools), and caused the death of a girl in 1979 in the UK (swimming in the Roman baths of Bath)... Ref: Wikipedia.

Brilliant Physicist in Tragic Accident: ... October 20, 2012.

World renowned 36 year old British physicist Sean Barrett was killed soon after landing in Australia on his way to give a presentation at a quantum physics conference.

Also killed was his 28 year old Sikh taxi driver who left behind an 8 month pregnant wife carrying their first child.

Both men were killed when a stolen 4-wheel-drive ran a red light and demolished their taxi at 2am in the morning outside the Perth International Airport.

The 23 year old driver of the SUV had moments earlier evaded a police pursuit by police vehicles and a helicopter by switching off his head-lights during the chase. The occupants of the stolen vehicle (stolen several days earlier) were wanted in connection with a series of other offences.

Factory Fires Kill 310: ... September 12, 2012.

Over 314 factory workers have perished after fires raged through their workplaces in Pakistan.

Over 289 were killed when flames engulfed a garment factory in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Only hours earlier some 21 workers perished in a shoe factory in Lahore, near the Indian border.

The tragedies have renewed calls for a rapid overhaul of the country's poor industrial safety standards.

Vintage Plane Crash Kills 6: ... October 1, 2012

Three couples died in Queensland, Australia when a 1934 De Havilland Dragon crashed into a mountainside during bad weather when heavy cloud closed in on them.

The "high-impact crash" so totally destroyed the "canvas-skinned" plane (with bicycle chain controlled rudders) that a rescuer said it was "not in a condition that you would recognise as a plane".

The owner, Des Porter, had spent almost $1 million restoring the plane, but it didn't have modern all-weather instruments and was only rated for daylight flying under Visual Flight Rules.

The double tragedy is that Mr Porter's father and brother were killed when a similar De Havilland Dragon crashed in October 1954 (which he alone survived when aged 11).

The triple tragedy is that his father had perviously survived a crash in another De Havilland Dragon he'd owned in April 1954. Sadly, this was the very same plane Des Porter later found and restored. It held great sentimental value for Des and his mother of his late father and brother.

Cambodian Journalist Axed to Death: ... September 11, 2012.

The body of Hang Serei Odom, a reporter for the Virakchun Khmer Daily newspaper was found in the trunk of his car near a cashew plantation in Ratanakiri province with axe wounds to the head.

He had been investigating reports that a provincial military police officer had used military vehicles for the illicit logging of timber.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 10 Cambodian journalists have been murdered in the past ten years, along with countless protesters and activists.

Air Crash Nepal Kills 19: ... September 27, 2012.

19 passengers were killed (7 Britons, 5 Chinese, 3 Nepalese, four crew) when a twin propeller Dorier crashed in flames soon after take-off from Tribhuvan Airport, in Kathmandu en route to Mt Everest Base Camp. Reports suggested a large-bird strike and an over-loaded plane may have been contributing factors.

A Buddha Air flight crash in September last year also claimed 19 lives (including 16 tourists), while crashes in August and December of 2010 killed 14 and 22 passengers respectively.

French Alps Massacre: ... September 5, 2012.

4 adults were murdered and 1 young girl seriously injured in what looks to have been a professional hit.

The dead included a British family (a 50 year old man, his dentist wife, and mother-in-law all formerly from Iraq) and a 45 year old local French cyclist who just happened to ride by at the wrong moment.

A British cyclist on vacation in the scenic, mountainous region near Lake Annecy (who had been passed just minutes earlier by the very unlucky French cyclist) stumbled upon the murder scene minutes later. Up to 24 bullet casings were found at the scene but no shots were heard suggesting a silencer was used and that there may have been more than one shooter.

Yosemite Hantavirus Kills 3: ... September 7, 2012

Over 22,000 visitors may have been exposed to the deadly, mouse-borne hantavirus which has already claimed 3 lives at one of America's most popular tourist destinations.

Victims can develop severe lung disease from the virus which can incubate for up to 6 weeks and cause early flu-like symptoms. There is no cure from the virus which kills over a third of those infected and is carried in rodent saliva, urine and faeces and can be inhaled, ingested, or passed on by a bite.

Over 90 tent cabins in Curry Village were shut down after an infestation of deer mice was discovered within the double walls.

Skydiver Films Own Death: ... July 24, 2012.

Experienced 33 year old Brazilian skydiver, Alex Adelman, was filming a tandem jump with his helmet video-cam when tragedy struck.

It seems the plane from which they'd jumped somehow dropped down towards the 3 parachutists clipping the camera-man with its wing. Mr Adelman crashed into the tandem pair fracturing their legs before plunging to his death.

The pilot was in shock and too distraught to explain how he came to be so close to the skydivers.

Fake Magnet Piercings Dangerous: ... August, 2012.

Young kids and teens are risking drastic surgery and death to look "cool" by using piercings and studs held in place by magnets.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website Warns:

"If 2 or more magnets, 2 or more magnet components, or a magnet and another metal object are swallowed separately, they can attract to one another through intestinal walls... The magnets become trapped in the body and can twist or pinch the intestine, causing holes, blockage and infection in the intestine or blood poisoning... All of which can lead to death."

Over 200 cases have been reported worldwide (many potentially life threatening and requiring hours of drastic surgery) including the death of a 22 month old boy in Seattle in November 2005.

Mt. Everest Claims More Lives: ... May, 2012.

4 climbers have been killed as over 200 climbers rushed to climb 29,029 foot Mt. Everest in the final weeks of the climbing season.

So far the world's highest mountain has claimed over 230 victims, with 19 climbers killed in 1996 alone.

Everest mountain guide Iain Peter said... "What people are doing there is not mountaineering. What a lot of them are doing is just ticking a box for their ego. It's become a kind of thrill ride."

More Mexican Journalists Killed: ... May, 2012

Mexico's Drug Wars have claimed the lives of 5 more journalists in Veracruz.

"Reporters Without Borders" says worldwide, 67 journalists were killed in 2011.

Bride Drowned by Wedding Dress: ... August 25, 2012.

A newly-wed 30 year old bride (married June 9) has drowned while shooting photographs for a "trash the wedding dress" stunt north of Montreal Canada.

She had wanted the photographer to capture her "floating in the water" when she slipped on a rock and tumbled into the Ouareau river. The weight of her sodden dress dragged her under despite the efforts of the photographer and a bystander, and she was swept away and drowned.

Venezuela Oil Refinery Explodes: ... August 25, 2012.

A violent explosion has ripped through one of the world's largest oil refineries killing at least 39 people and injuring over 80 more.

The accident, at Amuay Oil Refinery in Venezuela's north-west, is believed to have been triggered by a gas leak. 18 members of the Military National Guard protecting the state-owned refinery were amongst those killed.

Queries had been raised previously by Venezuelan media about safety and maintenance standards at the nation's ageing refineries.

Shark Bites Surfer in Two: ... July 16, 2012.

A 24 year old surfer was killed by a Great White Shark near Wedge Island, north of Perth.

This was the fifth fatal shark attack in the past 10 months in West Australian waters, which a Senior Fisheries Researcher describes as "the most deadliest place in the world for shark attacks".

A jet skier was lunged at when he tried to retrieve part of the body... "His upper torso was already face-down in the water... there was blood everywhere... It was like it was protecting its food... it took the rest of the body right in front of me".

Locals had spotted a huge great white several times in previous days and nick-named it "Brutus".

* The West Australian government has only recently declined to issue permits allowing tourist operations for watching great whites from cages. They were concerned the use of burley to attract these predators might attract even more sharks and alter their feeding patterns detrimentally to surfers and swimmers.

Landslide Kills 2 In Tunnel: ... July 18, 2012

Heavy rains in Dorset, England caused a tunnel to be blocked with hundreds of tons of mud, and debris on July 7th.

Soon afterwards a couple (a woman in her 60's and man in his 70's) were reported missing.

Ten days after the landslide the bodies of the couple were found in their crushed car at the entrance to the blocked tunnel.

BASE Jumper Plunges Over Cliff: ... July 9, 2012.

A 31 year old New Zealand BASE jumper (jumping from Buildings, Antennas, Spans or bridges, Earth or cliffs) has been killed near Kandersteg in Switzerland.

He was wearing a winged-suit when he hurtled into a rock wall then plunged over a cliff.

5m Sink Hole Swallows Car: ... July 6, 2012.

A driver has died and one of his passengers been badly injured when the road collapsed under his car plunging it into a 5 meter deep, 6 meter wide sink hole.

The accident occurred in China's Hunan province. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse.

Gas Blast Destroys British Homes: ... June 26, 2012.

A gas leak is thought to have caused a massive explosion that ripped through 5 terraced houses near Oldham, Manchester 260km north west of London.

A 2 year old boy was killed and a 27 year old man was rushed to hospital with burns to 80% of his body. Rescuers were trying to reach a survivor trapped in the rouble while another person was unaccounted for.

Police were treating the explosion as "suspicious" with reports of a possible domestic disturbance in one of the homes.

BASE Jumper Dies on 900' Greek Cliff: ... June 12, 2012

A 41 year old English BASE jumper died after his parachute became snagged on the 900' cliff at Navagio beach on the Greek Island of Zante.

The spot is very popular with BASE jumpers who jump from Buildings, Antennas, Spans/bridges, and Earth/cliffs.

The unlucky jumper hung for 3 hours from the cliff face as emergency services tried in vain to rescue him. During that time he spoke and texted his 6 month pregnant girlfiend (who was back in their hotel at Volima) telling her not to worry, that he would be OK.

The rock holding his parachute finally broke loose sending him crashing to his death.

Nigerian Aircrash Kills 153: ... June 3, 2012.

A Dana Airlines flight from the capital Abuja has crashed and exploded as it came in to land in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos.

All 153 passengers and crew were killed and it is feared many others may have perished in the buildings destroyed in the densly populated suburb north of the airport.

Travel Agent Stabbed in Phuket: ... June 22, 2012.

A 60 year old Australian travel agent was stabbed in the heart and died in a bag snatch gone wrong in Thailand's popular holiday resort of Phuket. Her 42 year old female companion also had her arm slashed.

The two women were part of a group of 10 travel agents who had flown to Phuket to inspect a 5 star resort.

The attack occurred around 10.30 at night as the women were returning to the resort from a nearby restaurant.

Two men on a passing motorcycle slowed down and one attempted to snatch her bag. When she wouldn't let go the pillion passenger lashed out with a knife before speeding off.

The incident is of great concern to the tourist industry following 6 drownings at local beaches in the past month; and the mysterious deaths of 2 Canadian sisters on nearby Phi Phi island several days earlier... a re-enactment of a similar incident in 2009 . Phi Phi island was where the movie "The Beach" was filmed starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

This follows the deaths of 6 tourists and a Thai tourist guide early last year in a hotel in the northern city of Chiang Mai. The cause of the deaths was never established but one suspicion was that a chemical used to kill bed bugs (chlorpyrifos) may have been implicated.

Mafia Suspected of School Bombing: ... May 19, 2012.

A bomb in a dumpster outside an school has been detonated killing a teenage schoolgirl and wounding ten other people in the Italian port city of Brindisi.

The explosion occurred in front of the Francesca Morvillo Falcone vocational high school around 7:40 am.

Three gas cylinders with an explosive device attached had been placed near the main entrance.

Although the Mafia has never attacked schools and colleges before, the bombing comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Francesca Morvillo who was the wife of anti-Mafia campaigner Judge Giovanni Falcone.

She died with him (and three members of their escort) on May 23, 1992, when the Cosa Nostra blew up their car as they were traveling from the airport to the Sicilian capital Palermo.

Earthquakes In Italy Kill More Than 24: ... May 20 & 29, 2012

The first powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck 22 miles north west of the historical city of Bologna at 4:30 a.m. killing at least 7 people and injuring more than 50 others.

The second 5.8 magnitude quake struck near Parma, Modena (home of Ferrari) around 9:00 a.m. killing at least 17 people and injuring several hundred; 14,000 have been left homeless.

Dozens of aftershocks shook rescuers as they searched among the rubble for survivors. Many historic towers, churches and castles were extensively damaged. The quakes were felt as far away as Venice and Milan.

Qatar, Doha Mall Fire Kills 19: ... May 29, 2012.

Three 2 year-old New Zealand triplets were among 13 children who died in a fire which started around midday at one of Qatar's most up-market shopping malls, Villaggio.

The other dead children were from Spain (4), France (1), Japan, South Africa, and the Philippines.

4 teachers at the Mall's child minding center along with two rescue personnel also perished.

Ferrari Runs Red Light Killing 3: ... May 12, 2012.

An accident involving a Ferrari 599GTO super-car (selling for up to $1 million in some countries) and a taxi has again stirred up anti-foreigner sentiment in Singapore.

The Ferrari ran a red light at over 100km per hour hitting a taxi side on, killing the taxi driver and a young female Japanese passenger, and injuring several other people.

The Ferrari driver (a young Chinese national) was killed instantly although his young female passenger survived.

The Wall Street Journal reports "Resentment against foreigners - especially mainland Chinese - isn't new in Singapore, where large numbers of wealthy expatriates live" (... Singapore markets itself as a low-tax, finance, research, high-roller gambling destination).

Many Singaporean citizens (who now comprise only 63% of the population) are worried wealthy immigrants attracted to the tiny island nation are driving up property prices and the cost of living.

Shark Kills South African Bodyboarder... April 21, 2012.

A 16 ft long Great White shark bit the leg off a 20 year old bodyboarder at popular "Caves" surf break near Capetown.

A film crew from the "Shark Men" program (which has screened on the National Geographic Channel) had apparently been "chumming" the area earlier with bait to attract the huge predators.

Locals posted angry comments on the Shark Men's Facebook.

Capetown officials denied the two incidents were linked, but still suspended the permit of U.S. based documentary film crew.

Bears Kill Two Japanese Women:... April 20, 2012

Two female zoo keepers were mauled to death when more than 6 bears scaled the concrete walls of the Hachimanhei Bear farm, home to 38 bears.

It is thought a build up of snow may have allowed the bears to clamber out of their pens.

All six animals were tracked down by local hunters and killed.

Falling TV Kills Another Child:... March 2012.

A 4 year old Milwaukee girl was killed by a falling TV when she climbed up and tried to change the channel.

This after 4 young children were also killed by toppling TV sets in Chicago in the past 6 months.

Over 22,000 children were injured in tip over accidents each year in the U.S.A. between 2008-2010 (Ref: Consumer Product safety Commission). And 245 children under 8 years of age were killed by falling furniture between 2000-2010... 169 of these by falling TV sets.

Train Kills Headphone-Wearing Jogger:... April 27, 2012.

A 27 year old man in Pakenham, Australia was killed while jogging to a nearby basketball stadium to referee a match.

He didn't hear the approaching train because he was wearing headphones while jogging. It's unclear why he was on the railway track and not the walking path alongside.

This follows three similar incidents recently in Canada which all claimed lives.

Man Falls Ill at Heart Attack Grill... February 2012.

A 40 year old man fell ill and was rushed to hospital after ordering a Triple Bypass Burger in the Las Vegas Heart Attack Grill.

Scantily clad "Nurse Bridget" (a waitress) alerted "Doctor Jon" (owner of the franchise) who immediately called 911.

The restaurant is infamous for cooking in lard and serving meals with a calorie count of up to 8,000 calories (a normal daily intake is 2,000 to 2,800 calories). It also feeds anyone weighing over 350lbs for free. One sign on the door reads "Cash only because you might die before the check clears".

Women Die In 3 Seperate Shocking Elevator Accidents:

December 14, 2011:
A 41 year old female executive was killed in Manhattan, New York when an elevator she was entering suddenly ascended crushing her between the elevator and the shaft wall. The doors closed on her prematurely dragging her up into the shaft as two horrified young women inside the lift looked on. It took rescuers 9 hours to free her body.

December 6, 2011:

A 48 year old female employee at California State University was crushed to death when her elevator got stuck between floors in the 15 to 20 year old building. She was trying to exit and was half way out when the 2,000lb lift suddenly crashed down on her.

March 2003:

A 32 year old female fund manager was crushed to death in an exclusive London Health Club during her lunchtime. She was the last of seven people exiting the lift on the ground floor when the elevator suddenly dropped half a floor as she stepped out wedging her between lift and shaft.

Woman Crushed To Death By Elevator In Manhattan... December 14, 2011.

Fatal Train Crash Argentina: Feb 22, 2012.

Up to 50 people have been killed and at least 600 injured in the worst train crash in Argentina in 40 years.

The train hit a wall at the end of the track in a station in the capital Buenos Aires during the morning rush hour, possibly due to brake failure.

Unlucky Girl Crushed To Death... uploaded YouTube March, 2012.

No details provided about this tragic YouTube video of someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Illegal Alcohol Kills 155 In India: December, 2011.

One of the worst mass poisonings in India's history has left 155 dead and dozens in a critical condition.

West Bengal police believe the illicit moonshine was adulterated with methanol (often used as anti-freeze). The cheap booze sells for around 18c a can and is mainly drunk by the poor in India. It is estimated around 5% of the population (or 60 million) are alcoholics.

Police have arrested 4 of the bootleggers responsible but have yet to catch the ring-leader who may have been bribing local police and officials.

260 Die In Europe's Icy Blast: February, 2012.

An extreme cold snap has sent Europe into deep freeze killing 260 people so far.

Army and rescue workers have been struggling to reach thousands trapped in isolated villages.

Many of the deaths from hypothermia have been among homeless people caught out on the streets and the elderly... but some have occurred through carelessness when people have ventured out onto frozen rivers, lakes and canals to take photographs only to fall through the ice and drown.

DVT Kills Video Gamer: August, 2011.

"20 year old Chris Staniforth would play his Xbox for up to 12 hours at a time" reports the BBC.

Chris' distraught father has discovered that "After my research I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight... Sitting still is literally the danger zone... (Chris) would stay up all night".

It is believed Chris suffered Deep Vein Thrombosis where stagnant blood causes a clot to form in a vein. If the clot dislodges it can travel to the lungs with fatal consequences.

Drowned Woman Sleepwalking? December, 2011.

A 55 year old New Jersey woman may have been sleepwalking when she fell into a lake and drowned.

Police believe she may have been taking the sleeping drug Tylenol.

A neighbor describes how 10 days earlier the victim (who worked in a nearby restaurant) had knocked on her door in the middle of the night to tell her "I'm so sorry... the people at table two ordered the eggs".

Sleep expert Dr.Gary Zammit... "Sleep walkers can go outside, walk over something... like a train track... and not awaken".

Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills 11: January 8th, 2012.

10 passengers and the pilot of a hot air balloon were killed near Caterton, New Zealand.

It appears the balloon clipped power lines showering sparks and setting the basket alight.

A man and woman jumped to their deaths from the burning basket before it plummeted to the ground killing all on board. Two retirees on board had received the flight as a Christmas present.

Toxic Mushrooms Kill Chinese: January 5th, 2012.

A 52 year-old woman and 38 year-old man are dead and a 51 year-old in a critical condition after eating poisonous mushrooms in Canberra, Australia at a New Year's Eve dinner.

The 38 year-old (Lui Jun, described as a hard worker) was chef at a local Chinese bistro.

The death-cap mushrooms were mistaken for a common edible variety often used in Chinese cooking.

Health officials warn they are "the world's most deadly mushroom"... eating just one can prove fatal.

Amish Girl Shot Accidentally: December 21st, 2011.

A young Amish girl was accidentally shot and killed while driving her horse-drawn buggy.

15 year-old Rachel Yoder was shot in the head in a freak accident when a man cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle 2 kilometers away discharged it into the air.

She was discovered by her brother who noticed the horse walking in circles where she'd fallen out of the buggy.

Hippo Kills Owner: November 11th, 2011.

"Humphrey" the pet hippo has mauled and killed his South African owner (who'd rescued the calf from a flooded river 5 years ago).

The 1200 kg hippo dragged 40 year-old army major Marius Els into the water on his farm and bit him repeatedly.

"Hippos kill more people each year than lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos combined".

Wrong Twin Fetus Aborted: Australia, November 24th, 2011.

Medical staff at Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital accidentally terminated a healthy fetus instead of the twin with a heart defect in what the hospital called a "terrible tragedy".

Doctors injected the wrong 32 week-old twin (both boys). The 32 year-old mother then had the unhealthy fetus removed by emergency caesarean.

Muslim Mother & 3 Daughters Murdered: Ontario, Canada November 2011.

58 year-old Mohammad Shafia, his son , and second wife stand accused of murdering his first wife and 3 daughters (Muslims are allowed polygamy)... for bringing shame upon the family.

Their bodies were recovered from a car submerged in a murky canal in what was made to look like an accident. Police are not sure if they were drowned elsewhere as three had bruising on the back of their heads.

Read more... "May the devil ****(defacate) on their graves... I would do it again 100 times".

Indy 500 Winner killed In Fiery Crash: October 17th 2011.

33 year-old English racing car driver was killed in a horrific crash at the Las Vegas IndyCar series finale that wrecked 15 cars.

Concerns had been raised by some drivers prior to the race that 34 cars were being allowed to race on a track much smaller than the Indianapolis 500 (where only 33 raced) at speeds up to 225 m.p.h.

14 SuperCar Pile-up Japan: December 5th 2011.

14 SuperCars (including 8 Ferraris, 3 Mercedes and 1 Lamborghini) crashed on their way to a car show in Hiroshima, Japan... they were part of a convoy of 20 vehicles.

Witnesses said some of the Supercars were travelling at speeds of up to 160 k.p.h, twice the posted speed, on the wet highway. It appears the 60 year-old driver of a red Ferrari skidded, spun out of control and set of the chain reaction.

10 people (five couples) were hospitalized. The total damages bill was estimated to be as high as $4 million.

Top 10 Deadliest Natural Disasters: