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.
Colombian authorities reported at least 287 deaths by August 14 after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the country's west four days earlier. Its 96-kilometer focus put it at intermediate depth, but collapsed buildings kept rescuers searching in several cities.
Indonesian firefighters had mostly contained the Mount Bromo wildfire by August 11 after it burned nearly 900 hectares of protected parkland. The national park remained closed, with two hot spots active and three water-bombing helicopters supporting ground crews.
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.
Travelers due to enter a disaster-affected area need to verify every segment of the trip in the final 72 hours before departure. A flight may operate while airport access, accommodation or onward transport remains disrupted, and refund rights vary by booking and country.
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.
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.
Hungary kept one turbine at the Paks nuclear plant running at 240 MW on August 3, avoiding an expected full shutdown. Record-low Danube levels had cut the plant to 12 percent of its usual 2,000 MW output and prompted emergency conservation measures.
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.
More than 100 Mexican wildfire personnel arrived in British Columbia on August 3, with over 200 more expected later in the week. The deployment added crews as 126 fires burned across the Canadian province and more than 2,200 properties were evacuated near Kiptuk Creek.
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.
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.
China evacuated stranded tourists and temporarily closed two sections of Jiuzhaigou on July 27 after heavy rain triggered mudslides. The closures followed Typhoon Noul as authorities raised flash-flood alerts across several Chinese provinces.
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.
Firefighters remained at Arthur's Seat on July 20 after working overnight to contain a grass fire at the Edinburgh landmark. The response came as a very high wildfire warning was extended across parts of Scotland through July 24.
