Disasters Engineered Discovery Channel

Engineering is the magic that shapes our world and changes our lives. These creations have helped alter the course of history, but with innovation comes the risk of over reaching our bounds.

From the Hindenburg air ship explosion to the Challenger space disaster, the series looks back at the disasters that occurred and answers the burning questions that shroud these incidences. What can we learn from these mistakes that will keep mankind on an upward trajectory?

Disasters Engineered Discovery Channel

Scientists study the world as it is, politicians debate the world they want, but engineers create the world that has never been. Industrialisation, water distribution, electrification, automation and communications are all engineering revolutions that have transformed our world and changed every detail of our lives.

However, for every future built, there are man-made mistakes that cause catastrophic disasters. Icarus-like moments when our overreaching, greed and desire to conquer the impossible don’t just cost reputations, but millions of dollars, environmental damage and lives.

Chernobyl, Bhopal, Deepwater Horizon, The Titanic, Challenger and The Hindenburg are names not remembered for the great feats of engineering they initially were, but for the horrors that they became. Through extensive archive and expert interviews this series explores the stories behind mankind’s greatest engineering disasters.

How and why they happened and what we have learnt from them. Disasters teach us more than successes, every set back offers an opportunity to move forward and innovate, because the greatest tragedy would be to never strive at all.

Diasasters Engineered Discovery Channel

A brand new 10 part documentary series on the disasters that occurred when the engineering behind the design lets it down, to sometimes horrendous outcomes.Including Chernobyl, Challenger space shuttle, Zeebruge ferry and the Bhopal gas tradegy.


1) Deepwater Horion and Challenger Space Shuttle
Experts examine how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the Challenger space shuttle disaster happened.

2) Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
How did the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the Bhopal gas tragedy happened?

3) Titanic and Hindenburg Airship.
Years later, experts examine the sinking of the Titanic and the Hindenburg airship fire. How did they happen?

4) Aberfan Mine and Brumadinho Dam
In this episode, experts look into the devastating Aberfan mine disaster in Wales that shook the local community and the Brumadinho dam disaster in Brazil.

5) Zeebruge Ferry and Costa Concordia Cruise Ship.
Why did the Zeebrugge ferry sink and how did the Costa Concordia cruise ship run aground?

6) Kegworth Air Disaster and Concorde
Experts examine what caused Kegworth air disaster in 1989 and the tragic Concorde crash in 2000.

7) Catrina Hurricane and Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Experts examine what caused Hurricane Catrina to break New Orleans Levees in 2005 and the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940.

8) Rana Plaza and Morand Bridge collapses.
A examination by Experts into what caused the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh to collapse in 2013 and the devistating destruction of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy in 2018.

9) Evangelso Florakis Naval Base and Tianjin Port.
An in depth look into what caused the explosion in the Evangelso Florakis Naval Base, in Cyprus, in 2011 and the chemical explosion in Tianjin Port in 2015.

10) Clapham Junction Station and Ankara Train Disaster.
How did two trains to collide at the busy Clapham Junction in 1988 and what caused the rail disaster at Marsandiz station, Turkey in 2018.


Production Company:SWR Media and Intermission Films
Directors: Dan Sharp and Sam Cryer
Producer: Charlotte Dwan  Narrator: Charley Speed
Editor: Matt King
Sound Dubbing: Rich Evans

Disasters Engineered Discovery Channel