Nov 30 2011

Every now and then some natural calamity or man-made disaster has resulted into the devastating effects. From Bhopal Gas tragedy to WTC attack, Tsunami and Haiti, lot many tragic incidents have actually shook the world so did the images taken at or after the incidents.

It is said that pictures speak for themselves! A picture taken at the right moment is worth a thousand words. Capturing images is an art and it’s not the talent that everyone has. One needs to be perfect enough to capture the right picture at the right moment.

Any picture may be worth a hundred words, but only a few rare ones are worth thousand words. Telling a story in itself, pinned below are images that are worth applauding and deserve a standing ovation.

It’s been years since these tragic incidents have occurred but the power of photography is still alive.

Listed below are the photos that shook the world telling the tale of how these tragic incidents affected the masses! Take a look at the pictures that actually left the spectators amazed and promise to do the same till date no matter how long it has been since the catastrophic incidents occurred. Promising to leave you shocked, these images are genuinely worth checking out.

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Thailand Massacre by Neil Ulevich

On October 6, 1976, the Thammasat University Massacre took place. It was a violent attack on students who were demonstrating against Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn. Neal Ulevich took a series of photographs of disorder and brutality in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand for which he got the 1977 Pulitzer Prize.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy 1984 by Pablo Bartholomew

India’s worst industrial catastrophe-Bhopal Gas Tragedy injured 558,125 people and killed as many as 15,000 shook the world. Pablo Bartholomew, an acclaimed Indian photojournalist captured the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The shocking picture above was photographed by Pablo Bartholomew and Raghu Rai (renowned Indian photojournalist).

Kosovo Refugees by Carol Guzy

Thousands of Kosovo refugees were reunited and camped in Kukes, Albania. The picture above is of Agim Shala, a two-year-old boy who was passed through a fence (made with barbed wire) to his family. Carol Guzy spot news photography received the Pulitzer award in 2000 and became the first woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize for her touching photographs of Kosovo refugees.

The Power of One by Oded Balilty

In 2006, Israeli authorities ordered the evacuation of illegal outposts. The evacuation degenerated into violent and unprecedented clashes between settlers and police officers. An Israeli photographer, Oded Balilty for the Associated Press took images that shook the world.

War Underfoot by Carolyn Cole

The Liberian capital was the worst affected region by the fight between government soldiers and rebel forces. Los Angeles Times photographer, Carolyn Cole took a terrifying picture of bullet casings cover entirely a street in Monrovia. The image portrays the devastating effects of the Liberian Civil War.

After the Tsunami by Arko Datta

Reuters photographer Arko Datta in Tamil Nadu took stupendous shots of Tsunami and it’s after effects. He won the World Press Photo competition of 2004 for his image “After the Tsunami” that illustrates an Indian woman lying on the sand with her arms outstretched, mourning a dead family member.

Operation Lion Heart by Deanne Fitzmaurice

“Operation Lion Heart” is the story of a 9-year-old Iraqi boy who was severely injured by an explosion during one of the most violent conflicts of modern history, the Iraq War. In the hospital in Oakland, CA was where he underwent dozens of life-and-death surgeries. Pulitzer Prize award winning photojournalist Deanne Fitzmaurice won the highly respected award in 2005 for the photographic essay “Operation Lion Heart.”

Tragedy of Omayra Sanchez by Frank Fourier

The eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia 1985 triggered a massive mudslide devastating the towns and killing 25,000 people. The tragic picture of Omayra Sanchez trapped in mud and collapsed buildings was taken by Frank Fourier.

After the Storm by Patrick Farrell

The year 2008 was one of the worst years in the history of Haiti as the Haitian tragedy shook the world and the Miami Herald photographer Patrick Farrell captured the harrowing images of the victims of Haiti. The impressive black-and-white stills which he entitled as “After the Storm” made the spectators astonished.

World Trade Center 9/11 by Steve Ludlum

The WTC attack shook the entire world. Steve Ludlum took the most astounding pictures. Above is the astonishing picture of consequences of the second aircraft crashing into New York’s WTC were devastating: fireballs erupted and smoke billowed from the skyscrapers anticipating the towers’ collapse and monstrous dust clouds.