2015 catastrophes News

Brazil’s Prosecutor Expected to Seek Criminal Charges over Samarco Mine Disaster

Brazilian prosecutors are finalizing a criminal investigation into the Samarco mine disaster and expect to ask a judge by the end of September to charge employees, one of the prosecutors heading the case said. The investigation is looking into alleged …

Brazil Mine Disaster Caused by Poor Drainage & Design of Tailings Dam: Report

The deadly collapse of a tailings dam last November at the Samarco mine, owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton, was caused by drainage and design flaws, a report into Brazil’s worst-ever environmental disaster showed on Monday. The 76-page report …

BHP to Fight $6B Civil Claim over Brazil Mining Disaster

BHP Billiton on Friday said it would appeal against the decision by a Brazilian court to reinstate a $6 billion public civil claim over last year’s Samarco iron ore mine disaster. BHP and 50-50 joint-venture partner Vale had agreed on …

Global Insurance Premiums up 3.8% in 2015, Despite Trade Slowdown: Swiss Re

Despite a challenging business environment and global trade slowdown in 2015, global direct premiums written grew by 3.8 percent in real terms, up from 3.5 percent in 2014, according to Swiss Re’s latest sigma report. However, in nominal US dollar …

PERILS Revises Loss Estimate for UK Floods from Storm Desmond to $861.4M

The insured property loss estimate for floods that hit the UK from Dec. 4 to 24, 2015, following Storm Desmond and other low pressure systems, has been revised to £597 million ($861.4 million), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization …

Catastrophe Reinsurance Prices Will Continue to Drop This Year: Swiss Re

Reinsurance prices will continue to fall this year as competition for customers from hedge funds and other sources of alternative capital send premiums to their lowest in four years, according to Swiss Re AG. “Price reductions have slowed down but …

Insurance Claims from China’s Tianjin Port Blasts Rise to $3.5B: Swiss Re’s ‘sigma’

Insurance payouts from the chemical blasts at the Chinese Port of Tianjin last year could total up to $3.5 billion, reinsurer Swiss Re said on Wednesday, in what would be the largest ever man-made loss in Asia. The estimate of …

2015 Global Insured Losses Lowest Since 2009 Despite El Niño Effects: Carpenter

One of the strongest El Niño periods on record and a positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation were the climate drivers in 2015 that led to an exceptional season of Pacific tropical storms and severe windstorms and flooding in …

PERILS Raises Insured Property Loss Estimate for UK Storms Eva & Frank to £578M

Property insurance market losses from flooding brought by UK storms Eva and Frank have risen to £578 million ($818.9 million), compared to an initial loss estimate of £526 million ($745.2 million), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides …

Strong Reinsurer Results Hide Difficult Business Conditions: S&P, Fitch Reports

Weak business conditions in the reinsurance industry are being masked by a low level of catastrophes and a high level of reserve releases, said Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Fitch Ratings in new reports. “Stripping out these two factors, …