Buzz
Many of us are familiar with stories of ghostly apparitions following personal misfortunes, such as a heartbroken bride haunting in her wedding gown decades after her tragic death, or a murder victim attempting to convey their anguish long after the crime.
But what about events that impact hundreds or even thousands of people, including survivors? Catastrophes that captivate global attention? Here, we explore a series of eerie phenomena reportedly tied to such devastating events.
10. “Phantom Passengers” of Japan . . .
Following the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, which claimed over 16,000 lives, taxi drivers in severely affected areas like Ishinomaki have reported encounters with “phantom passengers.” Yuka Kudo, a sociology student at Tohoku Gakuin University, interviewed more than 100 drivers for her graduation thesis. These drivers were convinced they were transporting actual passengers, starting their meters and even documenting the experiences in their logs.
One driver shared an eerie experience from a few months after the disaster, recalling how he picked up a young woman who requested a ride to the Minamihama district. When he informed her that nothing remained there, she asked, “Have I died?” Before he could respond, she vanished from the back seat.
Another taxi driver recounted transporting a young man in his twenties to a specific part of the city, only to find the seat empty upon arrival. Notably, all these spectral passengers were described as young. Ms. Kudo theorizes that their strong regret over not reuniting with loved ones drives them to use taxis as a means to express their unresolved emotions.
None of the drivers expressed fear during these encounters. Yuka Kudo emphasized, “Through these interviews, I realized the profound significance of each victim’s death. It’s a message I aim to share.”
9. . . . and of Thailand
The phenomenon of “ghost passengers” isn’t unique to Japan. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, residents along Thailand’s Andaman Coast reported encounters with spirits of the 230,000 victims who perished in the disaster.
Almost two weeks after the tragedy, Lek, a tuk-tuk driver, recounted an unsettling experience where seven foreign tourists boarded his van, requesting a ride to Kata Beach for 200 baht. However, after driving for some time, he felt his body go numb and, upon checking, discovered the van was empty. Unlike the Japanese taxi drivers who remained unafraid, Lek admitted, “I can’t move past this. I’ll have to find another job. I have a daughter to care for, but I’m too terrified to drive at night.”
Other residents were equally shaken by ghostly figures appearing in their neighborhoods. A hotel security guard, whose workplace had seen numerous fatalities, quit his job after hearing the screams of a woman believed to be a deceased guest.
In Khao Lak, a family reported their phone ringing incessantly, only to hear the desperate pleas of their relatives begging to be saved from the flames of the crematorium when they answered.
8. Titanic Premonition
Numerous articles have highlighted the uncanny foreshadowing of the Titanic’s fate in novels that closely mirror the ship’s details and voyage. However, fewer may know that the ship’s captain, Edward J. Smith, also appeared to sense that the maiden Atlantic crossing would not end well.
In a series of letters auctioned in 2016, Captain Smith expressed regret over leaving command of the Cymric to helm the Titanic. Particularly foreboding was a letter to his sister, penned just two days before the iceberg collision, where he confessed, “I still don’t feel right about this ship. . . I have an odd sensation about it.”
Despite his extensive maritime experience, including a recent stint on the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic, which had survived a collision, Captain Smith harbored only affection for that vessel. So why did he feel such unease about the Titanic, a ship he had barely begun to command?
The mystery surrounding Captain Smith has fueled countless stories. One such tale involves Second Officer Leonard Bishop of the SS Winterhaven, who, in 1977, gave a tour of his ship to a reserved, British-accented passenger. Though Bishop sensed something unusual about the man, he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Years later, upon seeing a photograph of Captain Edward J. Smith, Bishop realized, “I know that man; he toured my ship.”
7. Spirit of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme, lasting four and a half months, resulted in over one million casualties. While one might expect hauntings from the fallen soldiers, this story involves a ghostly appearance by someone who never even stepped onto the battlefield.
On November 5, 1915, just thirteen days before the conclusion of one of history’s deadliest battles, soldiers of the British 2nd Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment observed something extraordinary. Amid German artillery fire, Captain W.E. Newcombe, as recounted in the August 1919 issue of Pearson’s Magazine, described seeing a “radiant white light” emerge from the desolate stretch of No Man’s Land. This light then morphed into the figure of a man dressed in an old-fashioned military uniform.
The figure was instantly identified as Lord Kitchener, whose stern visage had become iconic on British recruitment posters declaring, “Your country needs YOU.” However, Lord Kitchener had perished in June of that year, a month before the Battle of the Somme began.
British flares were launched, but they failed to disperse the apparition, which continued to walk alongside the trenches as if inspecting troops. The figure then turned toward the German lines, which had also seen the specter, causing them to halt their fire in confusion. Mistaking the flares as a call for aid, British artillery units began shelling the Germans, who retaliated. Amid the chaos, the figure vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared.
6. Missed Connections
Residents near O’Hare International Airport in Chicago have frequently reported peculiar visitors. After hearing knocks at their doors, they’ve answered to find individuals claiming they “need to make a connection” or “find their luggage.” Before any questions can be asked, these visitors disappear without a trace.
Motorists on the nearby highway have reported encountering strange lights and unexplained figures wandering along the roadside. Those who spend time at the airport itself often describe sudden temperature drops and eerie screams emanating from a nearby field.
These occurrences are linked to a catastrophic crash in May 1979, when American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, lost an engine shortly after takeoff and crashed. The fully fueled plane erupted into a fireball, killing all 271 passengers and crew, as well as two people on the ground. The area remains a hotspot for paranormal activity, and a local company even offers ghost tours, allowing brave participants to camp near the airport overnight.
5. The Butterfly People of Joplin
The tales of the Butterfly People of Joplin share a common thread. Parents or grandparents with children found themselves exposed when the EF5 tornado struck on May 22, 2011, with no time to seek shelter. As the tornado raged, flinging cars and debris, the adults were certain they would perish. Yet, miraculously, the storm passed, leaving them unharmed. The children then asked, “Weren’t they pretty?” Confused, the adults inquired, “What do you mean?” The children replied, “Didn’t you see the Butterfly People?”
Stories of the Butterfly People safeguarding residents from the tornado quickly spread throughout Joplin. They were discussed in streets, churches, and even in counseling sessions for traumatized children, many of whom claimed to have seen these angelic beings that protected and comforted them. When a mural was unveiled in downtown Joplin to commemorate the town’s resilience, it featured vibrant butterflies. While the mural’s artistic director, Dave Lowenstein, emphasized the symbolic nature of butterflies, many residents believed the artwork directly referenced the supernatural experiences of the townsfolk. “Even on the mural,” one resident noted, “there are butterflies because they’ve heard of the Butterfly People.”
4. Haunted from Below
When plans for the London Underground were introduced in the mid-19th century, many feared that digging tunnels deep into the earth would provoke the Devil. Compounding these fears, several lines and stations were constructed over ancient burial sites, such as Aldgate Station, where an estimated 4,000 victims of the Black Death were interred.
In 2005, archaeological excavations near Aldgate Station uncovered 238 plague-related burials. Many of the remains had been severed during the construction of the Underground. Reports of unexplained occurrences at Aldgate Station are so frequent that they are regularly documented in workers’ logs.
One of the most well-known accounts involves a station worker who accidentally fell onto the electrified tracks, enduring a 20,000-volt shock. Miraculously, he survived, but his coworkers claimed to see a spectral elderly woman kneeling beside him, gently stroking his hair just before the incident.
Other hauntings in Tube stations are tied to more recent disasters. In 1943, residents of Bethnal Green in east London responded to air-raid sirens by rushing to the Underground for shelter. Tragically, 173 people, mostly women and children, were crushed to death in the chaos. Adding to the horror, the alarm was later revealed to be a test. Since then, night workers have reported hearing the anguished cries of women and children, with one employee so terrified that he abandoned his post to escape the ghostly wails.
A more recent tragedy occurred at King’s Cross station on November 18, 1987, when a fire broke out. The blaze was ignited by a passenger who carelessly discarded a lit match on an escalator after lighting a cigarette. Fueled by grease and wooden steps, the fire rapidly spread, engulfing the ticket hall in a fiery explosion within 15 minutes, claiming 31 lives. Since then, numerous passengers have reported sightings of a well-dressed young woman with brown hair, who raises her arms and screams. When approached, she vanishes, leading many to believe she is one of the fire’s victims.
3. Living Dead
At seventeen, Sorpong Peou witnessed his father, Nam, a Cambodian government official, being forcibly taken away in a blue truck during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), a period marked by the deaths of 1.7 million people. With 309 mass grave sites and approximately 19,000 burial pits uncovered, Sorpong assumed his father was among the victims.
Sorpong and his family were fortunate to escape to a Thai refugee camp before relocating to Canada in 1982, where Sorpong built a successful academic career. In January 2010, while in Tokyo, Sorpong had a vivid dream of walking and talking with his father. Though touched, he dismissed it as a reflection of his longing. Unbeknownst to him, his brother consulted a psychic in Ottawa for business advice. The psychic asked about his father’s whereabouts, insisting he was still alive, contradicting the family’s belief that Nam had been killed.
Skeptical but curious, Sorpong’s brother shared the psychic’s claim with the family. Their sister, also doubtful, visited the psychic anonymously and received the same message. Their mother confirmed it as well. This prompted one brother to travel to Cambodia twice, distributing posters of Nam from decades earlier. After searching border towns and former refugee camps, he found a man resembling the photo. Though initially reluctant to believe he was the father, Nam gradually shared personal stories and details only he could know, leading to an emotional reunion.
But how had Nam survived? He had been thrown into a ditch with bodies piled on top of him after being taken away in the truck. Miraculously, he escaped death, only to be recaptured and tortured. He eventually fled to the Thai-Cambodia border, assuming his family had been killed. Over the years, he remarried and had six more children. Upon learning her 85-year-old husband was alive, Sorpong’s mother returned to Cambodia to join him and his new family. One of their sons followed, opening a seafood restaurant to support them. Finally, Sorpong reunited with his father after 36 years.
2. Loft and Repo
On December 29, 1972, at approximately 11:42 PM, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades. The crew had been distracted by a malfunctioning landing gear indicator light, failing to notice the autopilot had switched modes. Unaware of the gradual descent, the plane crashed, killing 101 people while 75 survived.
Among the deceased were Captain Bob Loft and flight engineer Don Repo. Their apparitions began appearing on other Eastern Tri-Star planes, especially those using parts from the crashed aircraft. Multiple witnesses, including a flight captain and two attendants, reported seeing and speaking to Captain Loft before he vanished, prompting the cancellation of the flight. Even the airline’s vice-president recounted conversing with Loft, mistaking him for the flight’s captain.
Flight engineer Repo’s ghost seemed dedicated to ensuring the planes’ safety. One engineer claimed Repo appeared during pre-flight checks, assuring him, “You don’t need to worry; I’ve already done it.” A flight attendant saw Repo repairing a galley oven, while another witnessed his face in the oven of Tri-Star 318, warning, “Watch out for fire on this plane.” The plane later experienced engine issues, canceling its final leg. Repo also appeared to a captain, stating, “There will never be another crash. We will not let it happen,” suggesting guilt over their deadly error might have driven their ghostly appearances.
1. The Nurse of 9/11
Given the enormity of the 9/11 attacks, many individuals have reported encountering ghostly figures during and after the tragedy. Survivors have described being guided to safety by unseen forces. One witness recounted being “pushed through” a wall of fire and led down the North Tower’s stairs. Another survivor, trapped under rubble, spoke of being comforted by a monk-like apparition.
Even more intriguing are sightings witnessed by multiple people. NYPD Sgt. Frank Marra, who assisted in debris recovery, reported seeing a woman in a WWII Red Cross uniform carrying sandwiches. Initially mistaking her for a first responder, he saw her several times, always about 50 yards away, appearing entirely real. A year later, a retired crime scene detective asked Marra if he had heard about the “old Red Cross worker serving sandwiches and coffee near the sifters.” This confirmed Marra wasn’t the only one who had seen her. With no one claiming to know her identity, the woman remains an unsolved mystery.
