The truth about space elevator disasters

Space elevator crashes are classic SF fare. We see a devastating crash in the first episode of Apple TVs Foundation series. After a terrorist bombing, the whole structure topples to the planet’s surface, smashing buildings and creating a deep trench around Trantor. See for yourself:

It’s thrilling stuff to watch, but – from what I’ve learned – not scientifically accurate.

Minor spoilers for The End-Times of Markusz Zeilinski, but my book also has a space elevator crash, so I had to ...