Strange that a shipping disaster that claimed 5 times more loss of life than
the RMS Titanic should become little known, but I suppose that the 2nd
World War was so large that it contains many "obscure" disasters.

I have included the Armagh Railway disaster, 1889 as an old
girlfriend showed me the memorial in her church graveyard.
The tragedy for me was that the majority of the 88 dead were children
who became aware of their fate as the train rolled backwards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster

a story in the british press t'other day about hundreds being crushed to death during the WWII blitz as they tried to shelter underground - news was supressed by Churchill at the time to avoid panic.

Not obscure in the Netherlands, but will probably be to most itt:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensche...works_disaster

Must see pre-smart phone era footage:

Make sure to wait for the boom (twice!):

that's insane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradfo...y_stadium_fire

Not sure how well-known it is in the US. Be warned, the footage of it is disturbing.

New London (TX) School Explosion--295 students and teachers killed in 1937.

I remember the Bradford fire...just horrible

WWI & WWII munitions factory disasters.

Chilwell UK, blast kills 134 and injures 250.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastm...ll_somme.shtml

Silvertown UK, blast kills 73, injures 400.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvertown_explosion

Kingsland, New Jersey, USA, no fatalities thanks in part to local heroine Theresa Louise Mcnamara who is credited with saving 1400 lives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsland_explosion

Erith UK, blast kills 11 girls and the factory foreman. (This was between the wars in 1924)
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/m...ctory-disaster

The Barnbow Lasses, Crossgates UK, blast kills 35 women, injures dozens more.
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK...arnbow-Lasses/

Eddystone, PA, USA, blast kills 133 people.
http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/583803

Uplees, UK, blast kills 108 people.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...sham-kent-1915

Kirby, UK. A small explosion kills one girl instantly, injures two others, one of them fatally and leads to an incredible act of bravery that averts a major disaster.
http://ww2today.com/22-february-1944...tory-explosion