Disaster is a catastrophic situation in which the day-to-day patterns of life are, in many instances,
suddenly disrupted and people are plunged into helplessness and suffering and as a result need protection,
clothing, shelter, medical and social care and other necessities of life, such as-
1. Disasters resulting from natural phenomena like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storm, surges,
cyclones, tropical storms, floods, landslides, forest fires .and massive insec t infestation. Also in
this group, violent draught, which will cause a creeping disaster leading to famine, disease and
death must be included.
2. Second group includes disastrous events occasioned by man, or by man's impact upon the
environment, such as armed conflict, industrial accidents, factory fires, explosions and escape of
toxic gases or chemical substances, river pollution, mining or other structural collapses, air, sea,
rail and road transport accidents, aircraft crashes, collisions of vehicles carrying inflammable
liquids, oil spills at sea, and dam failures.