Seconds From Disaster

National Geographic Channel

Whether it involves an everyday train journey, an international flight or a climbing expedition, every disaster has its cause, but few understand the chain of events that trigger them.

Explore intriguing investigations into some of the world’s most famous headline-grabbingcatastrophes.

Seconds From Disaster features in-depth reconstructions and astonishing insights into some truly momentous moments of misfortune.

When disaster strikes, every second counts. Take a fresh look at some of history’s most notorious tragedies as this eye-opening series returns to explore their development frame-by-frame. Featuring expert analysis and ground-breaking revelations, we uncover the causes of these catastrophic events — from a mountain tsunami to the Mumbai massacre — and as a result, whether they can be avoided in the future. Episodes include:

The Bismarck: The Royal Navy’s battle with Bismarck is a pivotal point in the Second World War. In losing Bismarck, the Germans lost their opportunity to defeat Britain and turn the tide of war.

Mountain Tsunami: In 1960 construction of Europe’s tallest dam is completed in in the Vajont Valley in Northern Italy — the jewel in the crown of an ambitious hydro-electric generation scheme. But as the new reservoir fills, a vast section of mountainside is dislodged and creeps toward the lake.

Waco Cult: On February 28th 1993 the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms raid a compound belonging to a religious cult called the Branch Davidians. They attempt to arrest cult leader David Koresh for alleged firearms offences. A gunfight breaks out that leaves six Branch Davidians and four ATF agents dead.

Fukushima: In March 2011, as Japan reels from the most powerful earthquake in its history, a 14 metre-high tsunami surges over the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, knocking out its power supply and essential cooling systems. With the plant blacked out, engineers face nuclear meltdown.

Deepwater Horizon: The Deepwater Horizon rig has finished drilling the Macondo Well for BP in the Gulf of Mexico. The well, in water 1500m deep, extends to a depth of 4000m. The crew test the well to ensure it is safely sealed so the Deepwater Horizon rig can move on before another rig starts oil extraction.

Mumbai Massacre: At 9.20pm on 26 November 2008 gunmen burst into Mumbai’s luxury Trident Oberoi hotel, firing indiscriminately. A Jewish study centre at Nariman House, popular with American and Israeli Jews, is targeted around the same time, followed by tourist hangout Café Leopold, the city’s most luxurious hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace, and the CST, one of the world’s busiest rail stations.