To reduce disaster deathsDeathdisaster death, it is essential to understand: why people die in disasters? who are those people? what are the causesDisastercauses and circumstances surrounding those deaths? and how can disaster deaths be reduced? These questions are answered by engaging with several approaches, including disaster Riskrisk reduction risk reductionDisasterdisaster risk reduction, vulnerability, determinants of disaster-induced deaths, systems failure, and avoidableDeathavoidable deaths. These approaches cross-cut several disciplines including disaster, geography, sociology, crisis and risk management, public health and epidemiology. Empirical data from secondary literature is provided wherever possible to illuminate the answers. Reducing disaster deaths and avoidable disaster deathsDeathdisaster death is a ‘complex problemComplex problem’, and the engagement with different approaches and actors demonstrates its complexitySystems failurecomplexity and solutions to reduce them.