Great Disasters

The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami brought unspeakable devastation to Japan, but they were only part of the story. A third disaster followed when the first two cut off power to one of the world's largest nuclear power plants. Now a race was on to contain the meltdown and save the country. Drawing heavily from eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accide...

Japan is a country that's accustomed to earthquakes, and one you might have thought would be prepared for anything. However, they were not prepared for the scale of the megathrust earthquake that happened one Friday afternoon in March. Drawing heavily from eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full tra...

More than 250 people boarded a DC-10 airliner for a luxurious sightseeing trip in one of the most remote parts of the world. Their trip came to an unexpected and tragic end on the side of a mountain. Using contemporary news reports, the accounts of those involved in the investigation, and the two official reports produced, I'll tell the story of the Erebus Disaster. Visit www.greatdisasters.c...

The Yangtze River is the third longest in the world - and when it breaks its banks, its power should not be underestimated. Using contemporary accounts and modern analysis, I'll tell the story of the 1931 China Floods. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram - let me know what you think of the...

It is perhaps the most famous volcano in the world - but the event it’s best known for happened almost two thousand years ago. So what is it about Mount Vesuvius that allows its story to endure? Using the eyewitness account of Pliny the Younger and other historic and modern material, I'll tell the story of Vesuvius and Pompeii. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more....

In December, 1941, thousands of American servicemen were enjoying themselves on the idyllic Hawaiian island of Oahu, where the Pacific Fleet was in port. Then, on a date that would "live in infamy", they were abruptly and dramatically pulled into the Second World War. Using eyewitness accounts and contemporary material, I'll tell the story of Pearl Harbor. Visit www.greatdisasters.c...

On January 16th, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia launched on its 28th mission, a scientific expedition that would see the crew spend sixteen days in orbit carrying out research. All went well - until it was time to come home. Drawing on contemporary news items, witness accounts, and official reports, I'll tell the full story of the tragic loss of Columbia. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for...

In 1859, a spectacular auroral display astonished people all around the world - it was visible far beyond the usual latitudes for such a sight. At the same time, the nascent telegraph system went haywire, and an English astronomer gazing at the sun spotted the connection.  Drawing on contemporary news reports and modern research, I'll tell the story of the Carrington Event - and how it could...

In the glamorous Gangnam area of Seoul, South Korea, hundreds of shoppers browsed through luxury goods or stopped to grab a couple of things on their way home from work. Then, with a loud bang, the store literally collapsed around them. Drawing on contemporary news reports and accounts from survivors, witnesses and investigators, I'll tell the full story of the Sampoong Department Store colla...

Also known as "an Gorta Mór" in Irish, or the Irish Potato Famine to those outside the Emerald Isle, the Great Hunger created a dividing line in Irish history. It was triggered by the potato blight, but the true depth of misery that it brought was largely created by the politics of the British government. Drawing on contemporary news reports and historical research, I'll tell the fu...

The Princess Alice was a popular pleasure steamer plying the waters of the River Thames. The Bywell Castle was a collier ship from Newcastle, making its way out to sea after repainting. When the two met on the river, hundreds died. Drawing on accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors, as well as contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the sinking of the Princess Alice. Visit www...

The people of Pripyat knew something had happened at the nearby power plant - but they only realised how serious it was two days later, when they were ordered to evacuate the city. Drawing on accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors, as well as contemporary news reports and expert assessments, I'll tell the full story of the horrifying Chernobyl disaster. This is the second of two episodes on...

In April 1986, power plant operators prepared to carry out a planned test which would take less than a minute. Instead, they triggered a disaster with consequences that would last for thousands of years. Drawing on accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors, as well as contemporary news reports and expert assessments, I'll tell the full story of the horrifying Chernobyl disaster. Visit www.grea...

People gathered on the beaches to watch the awesome waves, but this was no mere squall coming in from the Gulf. It was a hurricane, and by the following day there would not be a single building in Galveston standing undamaged. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, official reports and contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the devastating Galveston Hurricane Visit www.greatdisasters...

It started as a wisp of smoke, but within a few short minutes it turned into a deadly inferno from which fifty six football fans were unable to escape. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, official reports and contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the Bradford City stadium fire. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast...

Social, political and geological factors combined to create disaster on an almost unbelievable scale. The 2010 Haiti earthquake killed at least 100,000, and displaced millions. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, official reports and contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the worst disaster the 21st century has so far seen. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript an...

With an experienced driver in the engine, the Flying Scotsman service was steaming along at full speed on its way to London when suddenly, it left the rails. 28 people were killed in the mangled wreckage. The question was, why? Drawing on official reports and contemporary accounts, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Ch...

This episode looks at a disaster which struck close to my home - the Morecambe Bay cocklepicking disaster. A large group of Chinese immigrant labourers were sent out onto the sands to collect cockles, but they didn't know just how dangerous the tide can be. Drawing on official reports and witness accounts, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for th...

In this episode, I'm looking at the case of the de Havilland Comet - the first commercial jet airliner. Three crashes within short succession in the 1950's hinted at a deadly flaw in the plane's design, but it would take pioneering investigative techniques to reveal it. Drawing on official reports and contemporary accounts, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong. Visit www...

In this episode of Great Disasters, I'll be looking at the Piper Alpha explosion; the deadliest off-shore oil rig disaster to date. There were more than two hundred men aboard Piper Alpha that summer night, 120 miles out in the midst of the North Sea. When the platform they called home exploded, they were thrown into a battle for survival between the flames and the waves. Drawing on official...

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the world's most prestigious motor races. Established in 1923, it challenges both man and machine to compete at the very edge of their ability. In 1955, that challenge led to catastrophe. Support the show

With America lagging behind the Soviet Union in the space race, JFK made a promise to reach the moon. Three men paid the price on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral.  Support the show

An ordinary summer's day in Italy was disturbed by the sudden appearance of a white cloud. The cloud was vapour that had been released by a local chemical plant, and Seveso would forever be known for its impact. Support the show

British weather in January doesn't tend to be very pleasant, if we're honest about it. However, sometimes it moves far beyond the realms of "slightly miserable" and into a completely different category - deadly. Support the show

It started with some abandoned equipment and two scavengers looking for scrap metal. The stuff they found inside looked so pretty, with its magical blue glow, that people passed it around and wore it like carnival glitter. They didn't know that it was deadly. Support the show