none were sad. like all these kinda movies, all the characters were created to be killed and to hence cheer those deaths.
The Fearmakers Blog
https://thefearmakers.blogspot.com/

Yeah, Belle's death was quite sad and heartbreaking, but at least she committed a heroic act by saving Reverend Scott's life right before she died.
You've seen Guy Standeven in something because the man was in everything.

That was the one, and Hackman's acting after realizing she's dead was incredible.
My people skills are fine. It's my tolerance of morons that needs work.

I honestly have to say I found nobody's death distressing am I dead inside?

Belle's death was the most shocking to me when I first saw the film (I was thinking she would make it out with the others), and then Linda's death made me sad (such a likeable character, if a little brassy at times).
The one that makes me upset the most was Reverend Scott's death; such a heroic figure (he was the rock for all the survivors; he kept them going even when all hope seemed lost). When he died, it was the final nail in the coffin that completed the tragedy held in the film; life is unfair, and the innocent don't always survive. Its one of the many reasons I love this film (its profound sense of realism in terms of life and death, and the human spirit). Scott lead them through, and in the end, he gave his life to save them. Thats why I think his death was the saddest.

Belle Rosen's death and the captain's death, then Linda and Tinkham.

I agree with the OP . I've seen the film a million times, and I can still get choked up at Shelley Winters death scene.
"the best that you can do is fall in love"

Yeah watching again it was a little emotional seeing Tinkham. As he was dying of terrible wounds he was still thinking of everyone else and not himself.

It's totally weird but the one that stayed with me was Tinkham's death
Who was Tickham?
Tickham: You . must go to the Lifeboat stations
Preacher Scott: Soon We'll go very soon
Tinkham: Please.gotolifeboatstations.
And Tinkham dies. Just an ordinary worker, in shock and pain, trying to do his job and help others.

All those deaths were sad, because we see them played out. That shows how we think, and how movies work. Note how no one ever talks about the captain's (Leslie Nielsen's) death. He would have died right away, probably. When the others were just getting up off the ceiling, he was already dead.
Belle's death could have been predicted. After she performed he heroics, she would have been in the way of Scott and Rogo as the main leaders, and she was expendable. So let her die of a heart attack, as a result of her good deed, and in the process, get her out of the wayit's a development that's too good for the writer to pass up.
Scott's death was necessaryhe must sacrifice himself for his flock to survive, otherwise he is just a bossy leader who was cock sure of his own judgement. And how would we deal with his reaction to being saved? That would be a complex thing, considering all the issues he was making about God, fate. etc. It was just too complex and probably awkward to deal with at the end.
But Rogo needed to live so there would be some strong central figure at the end, to keep the group focused, and to have learned a big lesson himself.
The ex-hooker was already a kind of tragic figure, and there were a few too many leggy, pretty females. Her death saved the other two.
There needs to be both reasons for an individual to die, and reasons to live. The other two adult males, Martin and Manny, may have survived because there wasn't a good enough reason for them to die. We can only supply so much sorrow, and then we become numb.
And of course, the kid was safe.

The story is king.

I originally saw this film, sometime in December '72, when I was 8 years old, with my mom at, I believe, the only theatre showing it on it's initial release in Manhattan in Dec. '72. A knowledgeable, passed on, friend, said I must have seen it at the National. The marquee had a special marquee panel featuring an upside down ship with the film poster's lettering of the title. Those were the grand last days of big old special theatres, exclusive mainstream runs and the whole pomp and circumstance of going to the movies then.
Anyhow, even though I knew, in real life, Shelley Winters was an actress and alive. I remember, the same day of seeing the film, late just before sleep, crying in my bed over her death in the film. This film has always been one of my favorite films. Many words, phrases and things from it, have actually deeply inspired me often, corny as that sounds. They are forever imprinted in me.
I'm paraphrasing one particular strong passage that inspired me-"Do you have any idea how thick one inch of steel is?" "Yes, it's one inch less than two inches". Optimism & perseverance defined. One other part, really left a deep impression. The scene where he closes the door on all the doomed people, after the tree falls, and goes on ahead. There comes a point in life where, noble as you can be, you have to move on for self perseverance, even if it means leaving behind some hopeless people or situations. This is one of the most inspiring movies to continue on despite poor odds or in my case health issues, To never give up (at least, to me).After all "Life matters very much".

Belle's death was the saddest.

Belle, Linda and Scott's deaths were all sad but for some reason, Gene Hackman's sacrificial lamb in the great finale still packs a mean punch especially the immediate aftermath when Susan loses it, and Robin's bravado crumbles as well while Red Buttons lashes out at Ernest Borgnine!

In my opinion, both.

Sequel or remake?

It's got to be on the list of one of the worse movies ever made.

Holy beep forgot there even was a sequel. I don't think I've ever seen it. Now I have to go and track it down.

In the novel they did attempt to rescue Linda, though she was impaled on a twisted piece of steel. But really, attempting to get her out of an area surrounded by flames would have been impossible.

Linda Rogo's death upset me the most. Belle died a hero, and she had a heart-warming, tearful good-bye. Linda just suffered a quick but brutal death that seemed so unjust as she was moments away from being saved. I often wondered, however, why they didn't climb down to try and save her. I know that the chances were slim, but she might still have been alive, just unconscious. And in the sequel, as they cut away to a shot of her lifeless body, one cannot help notice that she has not been burnt by the fire.

Mrs. Rosen's death startled me. It was definitely sad, and I felt bad for Mr. Rosen.
Mrs. Rogo's death near the end made me angry; she was so close to making it out of there.
The Preacher's death was a total surprise. I kinda got mad at him for committing suicide. It was "suicide" to me, not "sacrifice", as he intended it. "How many more lives?!" Then he gave his own so God wouldn't take anymore lives (that was his thought). He was a preacher, and apparently God was fighting him all the way (so he thought). Really couldn't blame the preacher for getting mad - especially when Rogo cut him a new one after Mrs. Rogo's death. "You! PREA-CHA!!!!! I believed in you." Can't remember what else he said, but it was good.

Belle Rosen, by far.
The character was simply adorable, and Shelley Winters is so dear to me, even when she plays mean characters.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop

Although that did
spare
us from any subsequent wet-dress scenes.

I would say that belles death was sad since she died heroically to save frank.

Linda's was the saddest. Because it meant no more shots of her panties.
"Andy! You goonie!"