We can all agree that what's happening to workers in Qatar is terrible, but how does it compare to other notable construction projects throughout history?

1. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890
1800
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln
deaths
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Lithograph of the Erie Canal at Lockport, NY 1855
1825
Erie Canal:1,000 deaths
Called the 8th wonder of the world when it was completed in 1825, the Erie Canal connected Lake Erie to the Hudson River
and was instrumental in opening the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and trade. It took a total of 8
years and some 50,000 laborers working for 80 cents a day to complete the iconic 363 mile long passage. Of the 50,000
workers, 1,000 lost their lives, due to disease from the swampy terrain and careless use of gunpowder while blasting.
Others drowned or were buried under tons of rubble from frequent canal collapses.
The Human Cost
of Construction

2. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbou
Bridge : 16 dea
Empi
Build
Chrys
death
Haw
764
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
One of the first traverses in the 19th century.
1869
Suez Canal: 120,000 deaths
Completed in 1869, the Suez Canal connected the Mediterranean and Red Seas allowing for water transport between
Europe and Asia without having to circumvent Africa. The 101 mile long passage employed an impressive 1.5 million both
forced and hired laborers from various countries, mainly Egypt, with as many as 120,000 dying during the 11 year
excavation process. Today more than half of the inter‐continental shipping of the entire world passes through this canal.
1825
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths

3. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbou
Bridge : 16 dea
Empi
Build
Chrys
death
Haw
764
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
At the ceremony for the driving of the Last Spike
1869
Transcontinental Railroad: 1,200 deaths
15,000 worked on this project which was started in 1863. White men were paid $35.00 a month plus room and board.
Chinese were paid $25.00 a month, but paid for their own supplies. However the number of 1,200 was never verified. One
newspaper article entitled “Bones in Transit” of June 30, 1870 in the Sacramento Reporter reported that “about 20,000
pounds of bones” dug up from shallow graves were taken by train for return to China, calculating that this amounted to
1,200 Chinese. Another article published on the same day in the Sacramento Union stated that only the bones of about 50
Chinese were on the train. Others believe that some Chinese must have also died in a smallpox outbreak among railroad
workers, although there are no records if any of the dead were Chinese. In addition, there were reports of Chinese workers
being killed in Nevada as the result of Indian raids.
1869
Suez Canal:
120,000 deaths

4. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bri
11 deaths
Fort Peck D
deaths
Grand C
77 death
Burma
Railwa
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Painters working on the bridge, October 1914
1883
Brookyln Bridge: 30 deaths
Linking Manhattan and Brooklyn since its completion in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic structures
found in the United States. Surprisingly, the over a mile long bridge only employed 600 workers who worked for $2 a day
for about 13 years until its completion. Of these 600 laborers there were 30 fatalities, including the designer of the bridge,
John A. Roebling, who had his foot crushed while taking compass readings and died a few weeks later of tetanus. The
remaining casualties came from falls, falling debris, and cases of caisson disease, known as “the bends.” Even though the
bridge is over 130 years old, today it still carries around 150,000 cars and pedestrians each day.
1869
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths

5. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
Image Credit: Wikipedia
15 May 1888: Start of construction of second stage.
1889
The Eiffel Tower: 1 death
Constructed as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower is easily one of the most recognizable structures
in the world. Employing a small force of 300 workers, the tower was completed in record time, requiring just over 26
months of total construction time. Of these 300 on‐site laborers, there was only one fatality thanks to the extensive use of
guard rails and safety screens. Today the Eiffel tower welcomes an impressive 7 million visitors each year.
1883
Brookyln Bridge:
30 deaths

6. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 198
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Tra
60 deaths
Aswan Da
deaths
Sea
dea
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Construction in gantry, 1909–11
1912
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Known as both one of the most impressive feats of engineering in its day and one of the most famous catastrophes of the
century, the Titanic took three years and around 3,000 workers to complete before its maiden voyage in 1912. Laborers
earned a measly two British pounds per every 50 hour work week, driving in some 3 million rivets over the course of its
construction. 8 workers lost their lives during construction in the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which was actually less than
the 15 deaths that were originally expected for a project of this magnitude.
1889
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death

7. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade
60 deaths
Aswan Dam
deaths
Sears
death
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
The Second Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascades, Sylmar
1913
Los Angeles Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Finished in 1913, the Los Angeles Aqueduct is responsible for Los Angeles County expanding into the major West Coast
metropolis that it is today. The 233 mile long aqueduct took 4,000 laborers, working for $2 a day, to build and at its
completion it became the longest aqueduct and largest single water project in the world. Conditions in the Owens Valley
were hot, remote, and often dangerous, leading to the death of 43 workers over the course of its five year construction.
However, after the aqueduct was finished, the population of Los Angeles was able to balloon from a mere 300,000 to the
over 10 million inhabitants living in the region today.
1912
The Titanic: 8
deaths

8. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980
1800 1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade
60 deaths
Aswan Dam:
deaths
Sears T
deaths
Tr
Pi
de
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Spanish laborers working on the Panama Canal in early 1900s
1914
Panama Canal: 30,609 deaths
Connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans for maritime trade, the Panama Canal is one of the most notable engineering
achievements of the modern world and also one of the most deadly. Managed by a number of different countries over its
32 year construction period, the 48 mile canal took about 75,000 laborers of various origins to complete. However, the
region was dubbed the “Fever Coast,” with instances of everything from small pox and typhoid to yellow fever, causing an
astounding 30,609 workers to die and hospitalizing thousands more. Coupled with poor working conditions, malnutrition,
and frequent accidents, workers would watch as their fallen comrades were shipped away in droves by coffin every evening.
1913
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43
deaths

9. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System:
deaths
Karakoram High
1,300 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
The arch being constructed.
1924
Sydney Harbour Bridge : 16 deaths
As one of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks, the Sydney Harbor Bridge connects the Sydney central business district
with the North Shore. Completed in 1924 after 8 years of construction by some 2,500 laborers, it is the sixth longest
spanning‐arch bridge in the world. 16 workers lost their lives during construction; two by falling off the bridge, and the
others due to unsafe working conditions while heating and inserting the bridge’s six million rivets by hand.
1914
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths

10. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
A worker bolting beams during construction.
1930
Empire State Building: 5 deaths
Finished in 1930 after a quick 13 month construction period, the Empire State Building is an American cultural icon that
held the record as the world’s tallest building for 42 years. 3,400 laborers working for $15 a day moved at lightening pace,
building 4.5 floors a week until completion. Although it is rumored that hundreds died during its construction, official
records put the death toll at 5 workers who met their fate via slip and fall accidents or being struck by heavy objects.
1924
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths

11. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
1900
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Picture of the Chrysler Building
1930
Chrysler Building: 0 deaths
Completed in 1930 after two quick years of construction, the Chrysler building in New York was the world’s tallest building
for only 11 months before being surpassed by the Empire State Building. 3,000 workers, building at an average rate of four
floors per week, manually laid almost 4 million bricks until the structure was complete. Surprisingly, no workers died
constructing the Chrysler Building despite the speedy pace at which it was finished.
1930
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths

12. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2
1900 2
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
Image Credit: hawksnestmovie.org
Image of the tunnel being constructed.
1931
Hawks Nest Tunnel: 764 deaths
The construction of a three mile long tunnel through Gauley Mountain in West Virginia in 1931 is known as one of the
worst industrial disasters in United States history because of the certainty of death. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact
number of fatalities from the 5000 person workforce because many died from silicosis, an incurable lung disease that can
take a few years to become fatal. For example, it’s estimated that at least 764 of the 1213 men who worked underground
for a mere 2 months died within five years of the tunnel’s completion, but other estimates raise this figure to over 2000.
Thus, many of these laborers, who were only working for 25 cents a day, would almost certainly pay with their life by
staying underground for even relatively short periods of time.
1930
Chrysler Building:
0 deaths

13. 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Convicts at work in 1932
1933
White Sea-Baltic Sea Canal: 12,000 deaths
Built entirely by forced labor of gulag inmates, the White Sea‐Baltic Sea Canal was completed in 1933 with the intention of
providing both military and economic advantages to the USSR by connecting the two bodies of water. Over a period of 20
months, 126,000 workers were forced to excavate 141 miles of canal using nothing but hand tools and living under terrible
conditions. Official records indicate that 12,000 inmates died, with other estimates running as high as 25,000, due to
starvation, cold, and physical exhaustion. Adding insult to injury, the canal turned out to be too narrow and shallow for
most boats, so there is little to no traffic on the canal today.
1931
Hawks Nest
Tunnel: 764
deaths

14. 20 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
The Bay Bridge under construction in 1935.
1936
San Francisco Bay Bridge: 28 deaths
Opening six months prior to the Golden Gate Bridge in 1936, the Bay Bridge was built as part of interstate 80 to serve as a
direct connection from San Francisco to Oakland. After three years and 8300 laborers working for $7.75 a day, the almost
4.5 mile long bridge was completed. Five days of opening celebrations took place thereafter, drawing in over a million
people and causing the greatest traffic jam in the history of San Francisco. However, over the course of construction, 28
workers were killed thereby calling for more advanced safety measures and the creation of safety nets for similar projects in
the future.
1933
White Sea‐Baltic
Sea Canal: 12,000
deaths

15. 20 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Looking down at high scalers above the Colorado River.
1936
Hoover Dam: 96 deaths
Built during the Great Depression as part of New Deal programs, the Hoover Dam served a number of purposes, including
providing work to the jobless, controlling flooding, providing irrigation, and generating hydroelectric power. Opening in
1936, the project provided jobs to 21,000 laborers who made around $5 per every 10 hours. Official “industrial fatality”
statistics provide that 96 workers died from blasting, falling, drowning, or being struck by equipment but do not take into
account off site deaths from heat, sickness, or exhaustion, meaning the total number is likely much higher.
1936
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths

16. 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Looking up at the Golden Gate Bridge
1937
Golden Gate Bridge: 11 deaths
Known as one of the most picturesque and impressive suspension bridges in the world, the Golden Gate spans a three mile
wide channel between the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean. Completed in 1937, just months after the Bay Bridge, the
Golden Gate was built by a series of 10 contractors that are no longer in business, so there are no official numbers on the
size of the workforce employed during construction. It is recorded, however, that there were only 11 fatalities over the
course of construction, 10 of which happened in a single incident when a 5 ton work platform broke. This number is low
because Joseph Strauss, chief engineer, made safety a top concern, spending $130,000 on safety nets and making it the
first construction site in America that required wearing hard hats. These safety nets saved a total of 19 lives, who then
called themselves the “Halfway‐to‐Hell Club.”
1936
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths

17. 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Aerial view of the main Fort Peck Dam structure.
1940
Fort Peck Dam: 60 deaths
Fort Peck Dam was another major project commissioned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the New Deal in an effort
to stimulate job growth and harness hydroelectric power. The highest of six major dams along the Missouri River, it took six
long years and a workforce of 50,000 to complete. Laborers worked in three shifts, 24 hours a day for 50 cents an hour until
it was opened in 1940. 60 men lost their lives over the course of construction due to falls and rugged conditions with 6
buried in the dam after a large landslide in 1938. Today Fort Peck Dam still remains one of the largest hydraulically filled
earth dams in the world.
1937
Golden Gate
Bridge: 11 deaths

18. 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 201
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
TaipGrand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Water coming over the top of the spillway.
1942
Grand Coulee Dam: 77 deaths
Built to harness the power of the Columbia River, control floods, and provide irrigation, the Grand Coulee Dam was
completed in 1942 and today remains the single largest electric power facility in the United States. After overcoming some
legislative hurdles, it took 9 years and 8,800 workers, getting paid 80 cents an hour, to complete this monumental project.
Over the course of construction, 77 workers lost their lives, mainly due to falls and hazardous conditions. A third power
plant was added to the dam between 1968 and 1975, claiming four more lives.
1940
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths

19. 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
1900 2000
Erie Canal:1,000
deaths
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipe
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Starving Australian and Dutch POWs on the Burma railway.
1943
Burma-Siam Railway: 106,000 deaths
Known as the “Death Railway,” this 258 mile track was finished in 1943 by prisoners of the Japanese during World War II in
an effort to connect Bangkok and Burma. A collection of 275,000 British, Dutch, American, Australian, and Asian prisoners
of war completed this project in a little over a year, but at the cost of an estimated 106,000 lives due to horrific treatment,
starvation, and sickness. For example, one section of the railway, called the “Hellfire Pass,” was responsible for 20% of all
Australian deaths in the entirety of World War II alone. After the end of the war, Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes
because of the brutalization of POWs and 32 were sentenced to death.
1942
Grand Coulee
Dam: 77 deaths

20. 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard
Tunnel: 8
Qatar Wor
4,000 deat
Share on S
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
View of the bridge from the south shore.
1957
Mackinac Bridge: 5 deaths
Opening to traffic in 1957, the Mackinac Bridge was built to connect and improve transportation between Michigan’s upper
and lower peninsulas. Spanning approximately five miles in length, the bridge took a workforce of 3,500 people 48 months
to complete what is now the third longest suspension bridge in the world. Only five workers perished during construction;
one in a driving accident, one in a welding accident, one drowning, and two falling from a catwalk.
1943
Burma‐Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths

21. 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on Social
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
The tower under construction in 1969.
1970
World Trade Center: 60 deaths
Completed in 1973, the World Trade Center stood as the business center of Manhattan and one of the most recognizable
symbols of New York and the United States. Built by a team of 3,500 workers at a time, the 110 floor towers ranked as the
fifth and sixth tallest buildings in the world at the time of their destruction in 2001. Official records state that 60 people
died from construction related accidents, which is a relatively high number considering how modern the towers were.
1957
Mackinac Bridge:
5 deaths

22. 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on SocialAswan Dam: 500
deaths
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Aswan Dam
1970
Aswan Dam: 500 deaths
In order to protect crops and control the frequent flooding of the Nile River, construction of the Aswan Dam was started in
1960 by the Egyptian government. 10 years, 30,000 Egyptian laborers, and 500 worker fatalities later, the dam was
complete and operational. However, due to its construction, more than 90,000 people were forced to relocate their homes
and the quality of Egypt’s farm lands have decreased yearly due to the lack of nutrient flow from the Nile.
1970
World Trade
Center: 60 deaths

23. 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on Social
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Sears Tower in 1998
1974
Sears Tower: 5 deaths
Also known as the Willis Tower, the Sears Tower was completed in 1973 and is the second tallest building in the United
States and currently the 12th tallest building in the world. It took 2,000 workers three years to complete the 1,450ft giant,
and almost $175 million in total costs. During construction, only five workers died in two separate incidents when a fire was
started in an elevator shaft and a worker fell off of a platform on the 109th floor.
1970
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths

24. 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on Social
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
The pipeline terminal in Valdez
1977
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System: 32 deaths
At 800 miles in length, the Trans‐Alaska Pipeline System ﴾TAPS﴿ is one of the world’s largest pipeline systems and, at the
price tag of $8 billion, it is one of the largest privately financed construction projects ever undertaken. The pipeline was
built as a means of transporting crude oil from the very north of Alaska to the ice‐free port of Valdez, where it is loaded
and shipped off to U.S. refineries. 27,300 laborers, working for between $11 and $18 an hour, had to fight extremely cold
conditions and permafrost for two years until it was completed in 1977. Records state that 32 Alyeska Pipeline Service
Company workers were killed over the course of construction due to harsh conditions and miscellaneous accidents.
1974
Sears Tower: 5
deaths

25. 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Suez Canal: 120,000
deaths
Transcontinental
Railroad: 1,200
deaths
Brookyln Bridge: 30
deaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on SocialKarakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Karakoram Highway route map.
1978
Karakoram Highway: 1,300 deaths
Connecting the western part of China to the capital of Pakistan, the Karakoram highway runs 500 miles through some of
the most treacherous terrain in Asia. Requiring a workforce of 24,000 laborers and almost 20 years of construction time,
this highway is the highest paved international road in the world. With harsh climate year round, regular earthquakes, and
frequent rock slides, 1,300 people lost their lives during its construction. Today, the highway exists as mainly a tourist
attraction for mountaineers and cyclists.
1977
Trans‐Alaska
Pipeline System:
32 deaths

26. 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
rookyln Bridge: 30
eaths
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on Social
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Taipei 101 in the skyline.
2004
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
Named in part for its 101 floors, the Taipei 101 or Taipei World Financial Center is currently the sixth tallest building in the
world. Finished in 2004 after six years, $1.8 billion dollars, and a workforce of 2000, it is equipped with some of the most
innovative safety features available because it sits on top of multiple fault lines and in the path of frequent monsoons. Even
with all of these safety precautions, five workers died during construction when a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the
building causing cranes to collapse.
1978
Karakoram
Highway: 1,300
deaths

28. 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1900 2000
Bridge: 30
The Eiffel Tower: 1
death
The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on SocialCity Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
City Center in Las Vegas
2009
City Center Las Vegas: 6 deaths
Comprised of 76 acres and six massive towers on the strip, the $9.2 billion CityCenter in Las Vegas is the largest privately
financed development in the United States. Completed in three short years with a workforce totaling around 8,000 workers,
the hotels were open to the public by the end of 2009. Six workers died over the course of construction, two from falling
and four from being struck or crushed by objects, causing workers to refer to the project as “CityCemetery” and strike
briefly in 2008 due to poor safety conditions.
2004
Taipei 101: 5
deaths

29. 900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
900 2000
0
Tower: 1 The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Share on Social
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Y junction at multifunction station Faido.
2015
Gotthard Base Tunnel: 8 deaths
[Estimated project completion date of 2016]
Billed as the longest and deepest traffic tunnel in the world, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will serve as Switzerland's new rail
link through the Alps. If is often refered to as the project of the century and it's 20 year construction timeline reflects it's
scope. Upon it's completion ﴾estimated to be in 2016﴿ the $10.3 billion U.S. ﴾9.8 billion Swiss francs﴿ tunnel will boast 94
miles of tunnels, shafts, and passages.
2009
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths

30. 900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
900 2000
0
Tower: 1 The Titanic: 8 deaths
Los Angeles
Aqueduct: 43 deaths
Panama Canal:
30,609 deaths
Sydney Harbour
Bridge : 16 deaths
Empire State
Building: 5 deaths
Chrysler Building: 0
deaths
Hawks Nest Tunnel:
764 deaths
White Sea­Baltic Sea
Canal: 12,000 deaths
San Francisco Bay
Bridge: 28 deaths
Hoover Dam: 96
deaths
Golden Gate Bridge:
11 deaths
Fort Peck Dam: 60
deaths
Grand Coulee Dam:
77 deaths
Burma­Siam
Railway: 106,000
deaths
Mackinac Bridge: 5
deaths
World Trade Center:
60 deaths
Aswan Dam: 500
deaths
Sears Tower: 5
deaths
Trans­Alaska
Pipeline System: 32
deaths
Karakoram Highway:
1,300 deaths
Taipei 101: 5 deaths
City Center Las
Vegas: 6 deaths
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths
Share on Social
Qatar World Cup:
4,000 deaths
Image Credit: The Guardian
Migrant workers in Qatar.
2015
Qatar World Cup: 4,000 deaths
[Estimated completion date of 2022 and projected death estimates used]
In order to host the World Cup in 2022, Qatar is set to build nine new stadiums, while renovating three, but at the cost of
thousands of migrant worker lives. With construction starting as early as 2012, 1,200 workers have already lost their lives,
with estimations reaching as high as 4,000 by the time all of the venues are complete. Due to the combination of heat
exhaustion, long hours, poor living conditions, and contracts that can trap workers for up to five years, migrant workers
face slavery‐like conditions with no hope of improvement. Coupled with the fact that the Qatari government is turning a
blind eye to the situation and actively hiding evidence by throwing journalists into prison for reporting on the severity of
the conditions, official numbers of the dead and injured could be far higher than what has been initially estimated.
2015
Gotthard Base
Tunnel: 8 deaths