#Natural disasters

17 articles

Shallow Indonesia quake kills 51 as rescuers search Flores

The death toll from Indonesia's magnitude 7.7 Flores earthquake rose to 51 on August 16 as rescuers searched landslides and damaged buildings. Its reported 10-kilometer depth put the source close to the surface, while small tsunami waves were recorded before the warning was lifted.

APPI News Editorial 3 min

Colombia earthquake toll reaches 287 despite intermediate depth

Colombian authorities reported at least 287 deaths by August 14 after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the country's west four days earlier. An initial 96-kilometer depth estimate put it in the intermediate range, but collapsed buildings kept rescuers searching in several cities.

APPI News Editorial 4 min

Five bodies spotted at Nepal avalanche site after nine months

Workers sent by a Nepali expedition operator spotted five bodies near Yalung Ri on August 5, 2026, nine months after an avalanche killed seven climbers. Bad weather blocked access to the site, and officials had not confirmed the identities by August 7.

APPI News Editorial 2 min

British Columbia wildfire forces more than 20,000 to flee

British Columbia declared a provincewide state of emergency on August 8 after the Bald Range wildfire forced more than 20,000 people from communities along Okanagan Lake. An evacuation order requires people to leave immediately, while an alert tells them to prepare to leave on short notice.

APPI News Editorial 2 min

Kumamoto trips require live checks as aftershock risk persists

Aso Kumamoto Airport said flights were expected to operate normally from August 2 after the July 28 earthquake, subject to aftershock conditions. Rail and road access can change separately, while ticket and insurance options depend on the booking and contract.

APPI News Editorial 5 min

Three lionesses die at Tokyo zoo as heat overwhelms cooling

Three lionesses at Tokyo's Tama Zoological Park died between July 28 and August 2 after several animals developed signs consistent with heat stress. Autopsies found dehydration and multiple organ failure, but the zoo had not issued a final independent pathology finding.

APPI News Editorial 3 min

Threehalves: The Wildfire Robot With No Field Tests Yet

California startup Satyress is developing a four-legged, human-torso robot for remote work in wildfires and other hazardous settings. The company puts a human operator and physical shutdown mechanisms at the center of the design, but has published no field-test results or delivery schedule.

APPI News Editorial 3 min

Wildfires spread in Greece after helicopter collision kills two

Two crew members died when firefighting helicopters collided near Athens on August 2 as strong winds drove new evacuations in Greece. France allowed most people displaced by the Gironde fire to return, but hot spots and fires elsewhere in southern Europe remained active.

APPI News Editorial 3 min

Kumamoto quake collapses mall and triggers brief tsunami alert

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto region at 4:27 p.m. Japan Standard Time on July 28, damaging an Aeon Mall and a paper mill. Rescue teams searched collapsed structures as early casualty and missing-person counts changed, while a tsunami advisory was lifted within two hours.

APPI News Editorial 3 min