World’s most dangerous cities revealed – from drug cartel run hellholes to war-ravaged cities where headchopping ISIS fanatics run wild
THE world is a dangerous place and trouble can spring up, even in countries normally thought of as "safe".
The Middle East, the drug capitals of Latin America and many parts of Africa are all dismissed as “dangerous” but closer look at the West reveals it too has its problems.
Gun crime in North America, terrorism in Europe and drug problems in Australia are all real dangers.
This is The Sun Online’s list of the world’s most dangerous cities by region.
USA and Canada
St Louis, MO and Eastern St Louis, IL
The FBI named St Louis the most dangerous urban area in the United States.
The US outdid Canada across the board with no cities north of the border making the top 10 for the region.
Data collected by the Bureau showed sky high rates of murder, robbery and rape in the conurbation.
The city had a murder rate of 59.3 per 100,000 people, higher than “Murder City” Detroit and more than double the rate in Chicago, which has seen a shocking increase in gun violence.
St Louis suburb Ferguson was also subjected to protests and riots following the shooting Michael Brown.
Latin America
Caracas, Venezuela and San Pedro Sula, Honduras
South and Central America are notorious around the world for the high levels of violence, usually related to drug cartels and gangs.
In recent years Caracas has seen trouble with violent crime made even worse by the country’s economy going into freefall.
Shortly after Hugo Chavez’s death the oil price plummeted causing Venezuela’s economy to collapse.
Gangs roam the streets and many crimes go unsolved as riots sweep the capital city.
It has even been reported that the country has almost run out of toilet paper and that famished citizens have resorted to eating zoo animals.
Further north, in Central America, San Pedro Sula in Honduras has a murder rate of 173.6 per 100,000 people, the highest recorded in the world.
Locals and tourists have fled the city which is now rife with drug trafficking and gang violence.
The coastal city is regularly used as a setting off point to smuggle narcotics into the US.
Eastern Europe
Kiev, Ukraine
The Ukrainian capital is still feeling the effects of the Euromaidan protests which began in November 2013.
Unrest was sparked by a split between the city’s populous and the national government.
Protesters took to barricades in the streets after the Ukrainian government decided to hold off signing an association agreement with the European Union reportedly due to pressure from Russia.
This would eventually lead to the annexation of Crimea by Putin’s Russia causing tensions to further rise in the former Soviet republic.
Earlier this year it was reported the city remains rife with theft and vandalism while violent protests continue to periodically hit the streets.
Russia and Central Asia
Grozny, Chechnya
Chechnya has been synonymous with violence and terrorism for years since war broke out in 1999 and lasted almost a decade.
The region has calmed down in many regards but recently hit the headlines due to an alleged “gay purge” taking place.
In April, a gay man claimed he was held in a concentration camp-style Russian prison after being kidnapped.
Several hundred gay men are feared to have been been tortured or killed because of their sexuality.
The southern republic is run by hardman and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov.
Middle East and North Africa
Raqqa, Syria
The Syrian city has been ravaged by war for years and under the occupation of ISIS since 2013.
Raqqa was declared the capital of the “caliphate” by the Islamist death cult which has ruthlessly oppressed its inhabitants.
The ancient city’s non-Sunni monuments have almost all been destroyed by the fanatics who have also instilled brutal Sharia law.
Raqqa is currently under a bombardment as Kurdish-led forces continue to try and liberate the city from ISIS occupation.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mogadishu, Somalia
The Somali capital was torn apart by decades of war and to this day still remains a very dangerous place.
Wounds from the battles are beginning to heal but al-Qaeda backed militants al-Shabaab continue to terrorise the city.
The seas around the capital are also regarded as a piracy hotspot with many vessels being taken hostage over the past few years.
Indian subcontinent
Karachi, Pakistan
The Pakistani city has seen a reduction in crime of late but still qualifies as the world’s most dangerous “megacity”.
Home to 23.5 million people it is considered the second most populous city on the planet.
Civil and political unrest, assassinations, suicide bombings and gang violence have been regular features of life in Karachi for years.
Far East
Manila, Philippines
Manila has always had a bad reputation for crime.
Drugs, over crowded slums, poverty and kidnapping make for a heady mix of disorder in the city.
Shootings have become regular in the city following President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial crackdown on drug dealers.
More than 5,600 have been killed, many gunned down in executions administered by ruthless vigilantes.
And last month a casino was shot up by an armed gunman who stole £1.7million worth of chips and set fire to gambling tables before burning himself to death.
The attack left 36 dead from smoke inhalation and 50 more injured, many of whom were hurt after jumping from the windows of the casino to reach safety.
Australia and New Zealand
Perth and Western Australia
A dark secret is lurking far from Australia's famous tourist hotspots.
Crystal meth abuse Down Under has turned rural areas in Western Australia into what have been dubbed “Ice Towns”.
The state’s largest city, Perth, sees its hospitals filled with addicts who commit crimes to fund their habit.
Western Australia is also reported to have the purest form of the drug leading to fears users could accidentally overdose.
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