Any kind of man-made or other disaster that affects planet Earth adversely may be viewed the opposite way for those who are trading the markets. Planet Finance I: Nature of the Beast, VPRO 2023
In the old days, say pre-1990s, capital was king or queen. You called the shots. Now capital is a burden. Planet Finance V: Catastrophe For Sale
On Planet Finance there is a market for nearly everything. Even for a future disaster. A disaster that hasn’t happened yet. A disaster that might never happen. There are people who spend all their time calculating the minimum chance of such a disaster happening. And above all, the extent of the damage. ibid.
Cat bonds that should cover the damage of future disasters. ibid.
On 22nd September 1934 at Gresford Colliery, Wales, an explosion killed 266 men & boys underground. 6 survived and only 11 bodies were ever recovered. The wages of all were docked by half a days pay by the owners because the men had ‘failed to complete their shift’. Ragged Trousered Philanderer, tweet 6 September 2023
‘It was the most luxurious way to transport passengers.’ Hindenburg: The Cover Up, man, Channel 4 2024
‘Both The Titanic and Hindenburg stories do share a certain sense of hubris.’ ibid.
May 6th 1937, minutes after the Hindenburg deadly disaster the colossal Nazi airship lies a smouldering hulk of twisted metal. Sirens blare as naval officers and first responders search for life amid the flames. ibid.
Joseph Spah, travelling with his dog Ullah, will become the focus of a sabotage investigation after the disaster. ibid.
Another Zeppelin Over London. ibid. Daily Sketch front page
‘It crashed on its 63rd flight.’ ibid. man
‘This thing was a symbol of Nazi pride.’ ibid.
‘You hear a pop and then it bursts into flames.’ ibid. investigator
For those inside the ship survival is a matter of chance. ibid.
The investigation board includes men loyal to the National Socialists. ibid.
An old warhorse made by Boeing out of Philadelphia. Chinook: Zulu Delta 576 I: Catastrophic Loss, expert, BBC 2024
An RAF Chinook helicopter with 29 people on board has crashed in the west of Scotland. It hit a hill in thick fog. ibid. BBC news
The Royal Ulster Constabulary said in the last hour that its 25 passengers were made up of Army and RUC personnel, and civil servants from the Northern Ireland office. ibid.
I had real concerns that the Mark II Chinook was not fully developed for service. Chinook: Zulu Delta 576 II: Dead Men Don’t Talk, test pilot
The investigation was very short of evidence as to what might have happened. ibid. investigator
The Ministry of Defence said in the headline that ultimately the two pilots were to blame. ibid. journalist
Same old thing over again – a closing of the ranks. ibid.
Young people are three times more likely to die in a car crash than from guns, knives and alcohol [Brake 2017]. Car Crash: Who’s Lying, Netflix 2018
2nd June 2023: A high-speed train carrying hundreds of passengers collides with two other trains in India. The crash kills 295 people and injures more than 800. It’s one of the deadliest rail accidents in history. This World: Why Trains Crash, BBC 2024
The crash raises safety concerns in India and around the world. Just three months earlier another collision killed dozens in Greece. ibid.
Why did three trains collide in India? And what measures can prevent it happening again? ibid.
More than 75,000 miles of track connect India’s cities. ibid.
1998: Germany’s worst rail disaster since the Second World War … a high speed train derailed killing 101 people and injuring more than 100. ibid.
London, October 1999: The collision killed 31 people and injured more than 100 others. ibid.
Greece 2023: It’s deadliest rail disaster … 57 died and at least 85 were injured. ibid.
India: Technicians installed the level crossing incorrectly. ibid.
Could the Odisha crash point to wider problems around railway safety and maintenance? ibid.
10,000 trains provide a lifeline to 19 million passengers. ibid.
An historic catastrophe caught on film. For decades experts believed they knew what caused the disaster, that leaking hydrogen ignited causing the airship to burst into flames. But there may be more to this story. History’s Greatest Mysteries s5e9: The Hindenburg Disaster, History 2024
Frankfurt, Germany, May 3rd 1937: The world’s largest aircraft, The Hindenburg, prepares to depart for New Jersey. ibid.
The Hindenburg now carries 72 passengers and almost as many crew. ibid.
Miraculously about two-thirds of the people on [board] actually live through this disaster. ibid.
Investigators immediately suspect sabotage is involved. ibid.
Witnesses on the ground did not see lightning as a factor. But that doesn’t mean the stormy weather didn’t play a roll. ibid.
Maybe one the wires snapped. And that would explain the popping sound heard by some people on the ground. And that last turn caused that high-tension cable to snap, and it was somewhere in the tail section of the aircraft. ibid.
With so much transatlantic travel, The Hindenburg may have experienced wear and tear. ibid.
There were some witnesses on the ground who said right before the explosion they could see parts of the outer covering flapping in the wind on top of the ship. ibid.
[Addison] Bain said his first clue came from the colour of The Hindenburg flames [orange not blue]. ibid.
Explosive paint: a substance known as aircraft dope … The materials in the lacquer contain iron oxide and powdered aluminium, elements used today in rocket boosters. Bain believes this ultimately doomed The Hindenburg. ibid.
All sorts of combustible materials burning all at the same time that contributed to the colour that flame was. ibid. man in the know
In 2000 an 81-year-old witness [Bobby Rutan] to The Hindenburg comes forward to tell his story publicly for the first time. He was just 17 when the Zeppelin went up in flames … As the Hindenburg is coming in, Bobby thinks he smells some diesel fuel, and then he hears what he thinks is an engine backfire. ibid.