News

Death Toll Rises to at Least 22 as Wildfires Rage in South KoreaSeoul, 26 Mar (ONA) —- The death toll from the wildfires sweeping through south-eastern South Korea has risen to at least 22, with authorities fearing the numbers could continue to climb. The official news agency Yonhap reported today that 16 people had died in the south-east of the country since this afternoon alone, bringing the total toll to at least 22. Over the weekend, four first responders had lost their lives while battling the fires. According to Yonhap, around 5,000 firefighters and more than 140 helicopters ...

Uncontrollable Wildfires in South Korea Consumes About 15,000 HectaresSeoul, 25 Mar (ONA) —- South Korean government officials today announced that a wildfire in the southeastern town of Uiseong appears to be out of control due to unexpectedly strong winds and extremely dry weather, and noted a gradual decline in the containment rate of fires in the area. The Korean government reported that wildfires swept through the southeast of the country over the past few days have destroyed 14,694 hectares, injured 15 people, including four deaths, and displaced more than 3,300 from ...

Swiss Nuclear Reactor Shut Down after Grid FailureGeneva, 24 Mar (ONA) —- A Swiss nuclear power plant near the German border was automatically shut down late yesterday. According to the operator Axpo today, the shutdown at the Beznau plant was linked to a failure of the electricity grid connection. Axpo said that the plant was in a safe condition at all times. The plant is located in Döttingen, about 7 kilometres from Germany's south-western border. "The shutdown caused non-radioactive water vapour to be released" via the roof of a part of the plant not involved in the ...

Thousands Evacuated as Wildfires Continue to Spread in Western JapanTokyo, 24 Mar (ONA) —- Firefighters in western Japan are continuing their efforts to extinguish forest fires that broke out in Okayama and Ehime prefectures, forcing around 2,800 people to evacuate their homes, amid growing fears that the flames could spread to other residential areas. Aerial footage showed Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters participating in the firefighting efforts, according to Kyodo News. The fires, which broke out on Sunday, burned about 250 hectares of land in the ...

Four Dead in South Korean WildfiresSeoul, 23 Mar (ONA) --- Four people were confirmed dead as wildfires raged in South Korea, with the government declaring a state of national disaster, the official news agency Yonhap reported. The measure took effect in Ulsan city, North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province in the south-east of the country, Yonhap cited the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as saying. Wildfires were burning through counties including Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, where local officers said two fire officials were found dead. In total, the toll ...

Mandatory Evacuation in North Carolina due to WildfiresWashington, 23 Mar (ONA) —- Authorities in the US state of North Carolina have issued a mandatory evacuation order in Polk County as wildfires continue to threaten the area, while emergency crew work to contain the flames in an area still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene. According to the State's Department of Public Safety, the mandatory evacuation has begun, with residents warned of the dangers of remaining in the area. A temporary shelter has been established in Columbus, North Carolina, ...

Hundreds Evacuated as Flash Floods Hit Southern SpainMadrid, 19 Mar (ONA) —- Flash floods unleashed by heavy rains have promoted officials to evacuate 365 homes, shut down roads and cancel schools in southern Spain. Regional officials ordered the evacuation of 365 homes in the village of Campanillas near Malaga city after a nearby river burst its banks. Nineteen rivers in Andalusia were on red alert for flooding, as rainy weather spread from Malaga on the southern coast to landlocked areas near Sevilla and Cordoba. A total of 40 highways across Andalusia as well ...

Plane Crash Kills Three in Southeastern SwitzerlandGeneva, 18 Mar (ONA) —- A small plane crashed in the Alps in southeastern Switzerland today, killing three persons. Local sources reported that the Extra EA-400 propeller plane took off from the Samedan airfield heading to Denmark, adding that it crashed two minutes after takeoff. The police said that the plane crashed on the edge of the village of La Punt Chamues-ch and burned out, noting that its three passengers had died. The identities of the victims and the possible cause of the crash are yet to be ...

6 Killed in Small Passenger Plane Crash in HondurasTegucigalpa, 18 Mar (ONA) —- At least six people died when a small passenger plane crashed after takeoff in Roatan Island in northern Honduras. Local sources reported that a passenger plane carrying 18 people veered off the runway during takeoff and crashed into the sea during a flight from the island to the mainland. Six people died, while 10 others were rescued. A Honduran civil aviation official suggested the cause of the accident was a mechanical failure in the aircraft, while authorities have ...

Ecuador Declares Environmental Emergency Due to Oil Spill Near Esmeraldas RiverQuito, 17 Mar (ONA) --- Ecuador declared an environmental emergency due to an oil spill near Esmeraldas River in the northwestern coastal province of the country. Ecuadorian authorities said that part of the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE) exploded in the El Vergel area near the Esmeraldas River, about 160 kilometers northwest of the capital, Quito. Authorities indicated that the explosion was caused by landslides in the area, which witnessed heavy rains. Petroecuador said ...

Death Toll from Storm in US Rises to 34Washington, 16 Mar (ONA) --- The death toll from the powerful storm sweeping through the central and southern United States has increased to 34. The storm, accompanied by a tornado and wind gusts reaching speeds of 130 kilometers per hour, along with large hail, caused significant damage in several states. Millions of Americans in high-risk areas remain under threat from tornadoes and strong winds. While the storm continues to move eastward, its threats persist in the Midwest and southern regions of the country. ...

Scientists Identify More Than 800 New Species in Global Ocean CensusWashington,11 Mar(ONA) --- The Ocean Census project has identified 866 new marine species, many from the deep seas, less than two years since its launch.‏The findings mark the first phase of its goal to document 100,000 new species in the Earth’s oceans.‏The ocean covers 71% of the planet, yet only around 10% of marine life has been discovered, leaving an estimated 1-2 million species undocumented,” Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of The Nippon Foundation, which sponsors the Ocean Census initiative along ...

Scientists Discover Hidden Helium Reservoirs in Earth’s Core Tokyo, 11 Mar (ONA) --- A groundbreaking discovery by researchers from Japan and Taiwan has shown that helium, previously thought to be chemically inert, can bond with iron under extreme pressure. Using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell, the team observed this unexpected interaction, suggesting that large amounts of helium may exist in Earth's core. This challenges traditional theories about the planet’s internal structure and provides new insights into the primordial nebula from which our solar ...

Melting Arctic Ice Disrupts Global Weather: Study Madrid, 11 Mar (ONA)--- A new study revealed that Arctic sea ice loss is altering global weather patterns, contributing to drier conditions in some parts such as California while increasing winter humidity in parts of Europe. Researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) used advanced climate models to isolate the effects of melting ice. Their findings, published in Communications Earth & Environment today, suggest that Arctic ice loss disrupts atmospheric circulation and influences extreme weather ...

Guatemala’s Volcano of Fire Erupts, Forcing Mass Evacuations Guatemala City, 11 Mar (ONA) --- Guatemala’s Volcano of Fire erupted, prompting authorities to evacuate nearly 300 families and warn that 30,000 more people could be at risk. The eruption sent gas and ash high into the sky, forcing school closures and the shutdown of a key road. Local authorities fear lahars—deadly flows of ash, mud, and debris—could endanger nearby communities. The 12,300-foot (3,763-meter) volcano, one of Central America’s most active, last erupted in June 2023. In 2018, a ...

Death Toll Rises to 16 in Argentina FloodingBuenos Aires, 10 Mar (ONA) --- Sixteen people were killed, dozens were missing, and thousands of residents were evacuated due to floods that hit the coastal city of Bahia Blanca in Argentina. Argentine authorities today said that sudden and violent floods caused by a storm that hit Argentina caused the death and missing of dozens. Local authorities have received more than 100 alerts for missing persons following the storm that hit the city, which includes one of Argentina's main ports, located 600 km south of Buenos Aires. ...

Homes in Australia Suffer Power Cuts as Storm Alfred Hits East CoastCanberra, 9 Mar (ONA) --- Storm Alfred, which struck Australia's east coast, has caused widespread power outages, leaving approximately 330,000 homes without electricity, according to a statement from the Australian electricity companies group today. Reports indicated that around 310,000 homes in southeastern Queensland and at least 16,000 homes in northeastern New South Wales were affected by the power cuts due to the storm. In a statement, the electricity companies group explained that restoring ...

Massive Wildfires Spark State of Emergency on New York's Long IslandWashington, 9 Mar (ONA) --- Fast-moving wildfires fanned by high winds have engulfed New York's Long Island, prompting the closure of a major highway and evacuation of a military base in the area. The fires are raging in and around the Pine Barrens area east of New York City. According to officials, three of the four blazes were fully contained, while the fire in Westhampton was 50% contained. The fires led to the shutting down of a stretch of Sunrise Highway that runs between Brooklyn to Montauk ...

Thirteen Die in Argentina RainstormBuenos Aires, 9 Mar (ONA) --- At least 13 people have died following massive rainstorm that hit the coastal city of Bahia Blanca in southwestern Argentina. Local authorities confirmed that 11 victims have been identified, while search efforts continue for two young girls swept away by the floods, according to National Security, adding that Bahia Blanca was "destroyed." As rescue operations remain ongoing, municipal authorities have warned that the death toll may rise further due to the scale of the disaster, which has caused unprecedented ...

Evacuation Ordered as 175 Fires Break Out in South and North CarolinaWashington, 3 Ma (ONA) --- The governor of South Carolina in the United States has declared a state of emergency, while firefighters were battling 175 wildfires that erupted across South and North Carolina overnight amid windy and dry conditions, threatening homes and prompting evacuations. There are ongoing response operations to the sprawling wildfires that had burned a combined 4,200 acres across the state, including blazes burning in Horry, Spartanburg, Oconee, Union and Pickens counties, the South ...

Firefighters in Japan Continue Battle Against WildfireTokyo, 2 Mar (ONA) --- Japan's disaster management agency today requested more fire departments across the country to join the battle against a forest fire that has continued to spread in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate. Nearly 1,700 firefighters from around 450 departments across the country have already joined the effort to control the blaze, which has spread over five days since last Wednesday in Ofunato, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. While firefighters with aerial support from ...

Some 2,000 People Told to Evacuate in Japan WildfireTokyo, 27 Feb (ONA) —- More than 80 homes appear to have burned down and some 2,000 people have been ordered to evacuate after a wildfire broke out in a northeastern Japan city, local authorities said today, as the region was hit by its third fire in around a week. The blaze since yesterday has burned across 600 hectares of land in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, the municipal government said. Firefighting efforts continued through the night, while Self-Defense Forces helicopters were mobilized in the morning to contain ...

Curfew in Chile Following Widespread Power OutageSantiago, 26 Feb (ONA) --- The Government of Chile announced a curfew across more than ten regions following a widespread power outage. This outage disrupted traffic, paralyzed many businesses, and halted the Santiago metro service until further notice. Mobile phone services were also disrupted in some parts of the country. According to Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, the power outage affected a vast area stretching from Arica in the north to Los Lagos in the south, home to ...

Eighteen Dead, Dozens Injured in Bus Accident in ThailandBangkok, 26 Feb (ONA) --- Thai police today announced that 18 people were killed and 32 were injured when a bus veered off the road due to a brake failure. Thai media reported that the double-decker bus was carrying 49 people when it veered off the road while descending a slope in Prachinburi, eastern Thailand, causing it to fall down the slope and overturn. Thai police stated that 17 bodies were found at the scene of the accident, and another died in the hospital.--- ...

Nine Soldiers Killed, 20 Injured in Truck Accident in ColombiaBogota, 25 Feb (ONA) --- Nine Colombian soldiers were killed and 20 others injured when their truck fell into a chasm last night in the southwest of the country, local authorities said. The military vehicle, carrying 36 soldiers, fell into a chasm about 100 meters, governor of Narino department Luis Alfonso Escobar, Said. Videos released by authorities showed rescue workers using ropes to help the soldiers.--- ...

Four Dead, 6 Injured after Bridge Collapses in South KoreaSeoul, 25 Feb (ONA) --- Four workers died and six others injured when part of a bridge under construction collapsed on a highway in Cheonan, 90 kilometers south of the Korean capital, Seoul today. Four or five-long steel beams holding up the bridge collapsed one by one during construction work, killing four people and injuring six others, most of them seriously, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing local authorities. The workers were constructing a section of the Seoul-Sejong road ...

Boat Collision in Central China Leaves 2 Dead, Several MissingBeijing, 25 Feb (ONA) --- Two people have died and a number of others remain missing after a passenger boat collided with an oil waste recovery vessel in central China's Hunan Province this morning, local authorities said. The incident occurred on the Yuanshui River in Qinglang Township, Yuanling County. A preliminary estimate indicated that 12 people were believed to have been aboard the passenger boat at the time of the crash, according to county officials. Rescue workers have rescued three ...

Three Dead, Others Injured after Boat Capsizes off New YorkWashington, 24 Feb (ONA) --- Three people were dead and two others were injured, one critically, when a boat capsized off Staten Island in New York, the US Coast Guard announced today. Another person was still missing, prompting search and rescue teams to continue their search in the waters, officials added. The incident occurred about five miles southeast of Breezy Point, a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. The Coast Guard confirmed that it had dispatched three rescue boats and a ...

112 Migrants Rescued Off Libyan CoastParis, 24 Feb (ONA) --- The Ocean Viking rescue ship, chartered by the non-governmental organization SOS Mediterranee, rescued 112 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. The organization said in a statement that the ship initially assisted a fiberglass boat and rescued 25 migrants, including three women, noting that it had rescued 87 other migrants on a wooden boat in coordination with the Italian authorities. The statement pointed out that the rescued people were of different nationalities. The ship ...

Omani Astronomical Efforts Help Observe Two New Asteroids Muscat, 23 Feb (ONA) ---Oman Society of Astronomy and Space(OSAS) set a new milestone in its scientific march through its contribution to the observation of two new asteroids, P226fqs and P226gRJ. The efforts of OSAS formed part of an initiative undertaken by the International Asteroid Search (IASC), which aims to discover and track near-Earth asteroids by analyzing accurate astronomical data using the latest technologies. Two members of the OSAS participated in the IASC initiative as part of an international research ...