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Natural disasters
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Natural disasters. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
A Sri Lankan woman carries a child as she wades through a flooded street north of Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2021. Photo: AP
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s children suffer amid climate change-fuelled floods and disease

Turbocharged monsoon floods are intensifying the spread of waterborne diseases in the Indian Ocean island nation.

Extreme weather

At least 10 dead in Brazil landslides caused by torrential rain

United States

Strong winds return to whip up LA fires; firefighters ‘ready’ for new blazes

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United States

16 dead in LA wildfires, according to county medical examiner’s office

Five of the deaths were attributed to the fires in the Palisades area, while the other fatalities were from the Eaton Fire.

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A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon. Photo: AP
United States

Firefighters race to contain Los Angeles fires before menacing winds return

New sites under threat include the world famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.

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United States

Furious Los Angeles residents slam firefighters ‘busy’ saving homes of rich

‘We didn’t see a single firefighter while we were throwing buckets of water to defend our house against the flames,’ a resident says.

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United States

Winds fuelling Los Angeles fires calm down as blame game, crime fears grow

Officials trade blame over responsibility for the disaster that has killed at least 11 people and razed thousands of homes.

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A helicopter drops water on smoke and flames from the Palisades fire burning in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP
Joe Biden

Los Angeles like ‘war scene’ after wildfires, Biden says amid looting reports

Authorities have imposed a nighttime curfew, and the US president says the military and National Guard will provide security.

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United States

What ignited deadly LA fires? Investigators consider array of possibilities

Investigators rule out lightning, but explore various ignition sources, including utility lines and arson.

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Climate change

Scientists say 2024 was first year above 1.5 degrees of global warming

Earth records hottest year ever in 2024 and the jump was so big it breached a key threshold.

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A boy cools off in a mister before a baseball game in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024. File photo: AP
United States

Los Angeles wildfires kill at least 10, burn at least 10,000 structures

The National Guard has been called in, as the city reels from the worst fires in its history.

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Homes smoulder near the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

As Los Angeles burns, Trump offers blame rather than sympathy

While thousands lose their homes, the US president is spewing falsehoods and claiming he could do a better job of managing the crisis.

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Fire Rescue

Why LA is now prone to winter wildfires

Experts say increasingly hot and dry winter weather has made devastating California wildfires a year-round threat

United States

Celebrities among those who lost homes in devastating LA fires

Celebrities flee Los Angeles fires, lose houses as Hollywood events are scrapped.

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Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard. Photo: AFP
United States

Los Angeles wildfires spread to Hollywood as mayor declares inferno ‘the big one’

Los Angeles hit from both sides as upscale Pacific Palisades, hills above Pasadena on fire and a new blaze breaks out in Hollywood Hills.

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Firefighters protect a structure as the Eaton Fire advances in Altadena, California, on Wednesday. Photo: AP
United States

Raging LA wildfire engulfs upscale Pacific Palisades, triggers evacuations

Evacuations cause traffic jams, residents flee on foot as wildfire rages in Los Angeles enclave known for its celebrity allure.

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Tibet

China’s Tibet rocked by magnitude 6.8 earthquake

President Xi Jinping orders search and rescue efforts as villages report several people trapped under rubble and extensive damage 

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Extreme weather

Winter blast of snow, ice and bone-chilling cold grips parts of US

More than a dozen states from Kansas to New Jersey are under winter weather warnings and advisories.

A person crosses a street as heavy snow falls in St Louis. Photo: AP
United States

Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6

Strong storms in US Southeast expected to continue producing ‘damaging winds’ and tornadoes throughout Sunday, National Weather Service said.

From our archives

Recap | Hong Kong’s deadliest disasters, from landslides to shark attacks to floods

Explore Hong Kong’s tragic history of natural disasters, from deadly landslides and flash floods to shark attacks and explosions, all of which have shaped the city’s safety protocols.

Thailand

‘New tsunami’ rocks livelihoods of Thai sea nomads who survived 2004 disaster

Tap Tawan’s seafarers face challenges from modernisation as their bond with nature fades and economic needs threaten the community’s traditional way of life.

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Tourists visit Thailand’s Bang Niang beach in Phang Nga province on December 8. Photo: AP
Tourism

Fire ravaged this US state park. Now it offers unique hikes

A trek through California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park reveals towering charred trees whose branches are greening again with life.

Sempervirens Falls in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The park in the US state of California was 97 per cent burned in 2020 when fire erupted in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Volcanoes

One of the world’s most active volcanoes – Hawaii’s Kilauea – is erupting again

Eruption on Big Island began on Monday. Hawaii Volcano Observatory said most immediate threat was from smog that could reach homes downwind.

Pacific nations

Opinion | Why Vanuatu should expect more aftershocks – and maybe another earthquake

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Efate, the main island of Vanuatu, earlier this week.

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France

France’s Macron extends visit to cyclone-hit Mayotte after locals vent anger

Mayotte residents demand more help from the French president after deadly Cyclone Chido left a trail of destruction.

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron embraces a woman during his visit to Mayotte following the cyclone. Photo: AFP
Africa

France’s Macron visits ‘demolished’ Mayotte as residents seek aid

At least 31 people have died and more than 1,500 people were injured, more than 200 critically.

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron with staff members and local elected representatives at the Mayotte Hospital Centre in Mamoudzou. Photo: AFP
Pacific nations

Death toll from Vanuatu earthquake rises to 14, including 2 Chinese

An embassy official said the two Chinese victims were from Fujian province. More than 200 people were injured in the quake.

Pacific nations

Buildings ‘pancaked’ in Vanuatu as 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Pacific nation

Footage posted on social media showed buckled windows and collapsed concrete pillars on a building hosting foreign missions in the capital.

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