A newly built suspension bridge in West Java, Indonesia, partially collapsed during its own inauguration ceremony after roughly 50 people crowded onto a structure designed to hold no more than three at a time, sending villagers and local officials plunging toward the river below. The Pongpet Suspension Bridge in Margacinta, a 196-foot crossing that connects […] The post New Indonesian bridge collapses during ribbon-cutting as crowd ignores weight limits appeared first on American Almanac .
A newly built suspension bridge in West Java, Indonesia, partially collapsed during its own inauguration ceremony after roughly 50 people crowded onto a structure designed to hold no more than three at a time, sending villagers and local officials plunging toward the river below. The Pongpet Suspension Bridge in Margacinta, a 196-foot crossing that connects several villages in Pangandaran Regency, gave way on a Sunday afternoon moments after officials cut the ribbon. A suspension cable on the left-hand side detached from its main anchor point, and the bridge tilted sideways. Several people fell. Panic broke out on the span, which hangs above a river roughly 20 metres, about 65 feet, below. No one died, local authorities said. But several…Open
Tens of thousands of people in Indiana are entering a second week without power after a deadly storm toppled trees and power lines. Schools remain closed and businesses have been unable to reopen.
An overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, the world's largest man-made lake by volume, killing dozens of passengers while rescue teams continue searching for 27 people still unaccounted for. The vessel was carrying far more passengers than its 90-person capacity when it went down on the vast lake shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia. Zimbabwe's […] The post Overloaded ferry capsizes on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, killing dozens and leaving 27 still missing appeared first on American Almanac .
An overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, the world's largest man-made lake by volume, killing dozens of passengers while rescue teams continue searching for 27 people still unaccounted for. The vessel was carrying far more passengers than its 90-person capacity when it went down on the vast lake shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia. Zimbabwe's Civil Protection Unit confirmed through ticket sales that at least 114 adults and five crew members were aboard. An unknown number of children, too young to require tickets, may have been on the ferry as well, meaning the true passenger count could be significantly higher than official records show. Seventy-seven survivors were pulled from the water or reached a small island in the lake on…Open
AI:An overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, resulting in a massive loss of life and leaving at least 27 people missing. The vessel was operating far beyond its legal 90-person capacity when it went down in the waters shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia. This tragedy highlights the recurring pattern of systemic negligence and lack of oversight that plagues developing regions, where safety protocols are treated as mere suggestions while ordinary citizens pay the ultimate price for overcrowding and failed infrastructure.Open
An 18-month investigation by the Los Angeles County Fire Department has pinpointed an electrical spark from a Southern California Edison transmission tower, one that wasn't even in service, as the cause of the Eaton Fire, a blaze that killed 19 people and leveled more than 9,000 buildings. Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone released the findings […] The post LA County investigators blame Edison's idle transmission tower for Eaton Fire that killed 19 appeared first on American Almanac .
An 18-month investigation by the Los Angeles County Fire Department has pinpointed an electrical spark from a Southern California Edison transmission tower, one that wasn't even in service, as the cause of the Eaton Fire, a blaze that killed 19 people and leveled more than 9,000 buildings. Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone released the findings after investigators reviewed physical evidence, witness accounts, and multiple videos tracing the fire's origin to Eaton Canyon in the Altadena foothills. The report concluded that electrical arcing from a tower on Edison's inactive Mesa-Sylmar transmission line ignited dry vegetation beneath the structure on January 7, 2025, as powerful Santa Ana winds drove the flames into surrounding neighborhoods.…Open
The 2025 fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed the Altadena community in Los Angeles County, began at an inactive tower belonging to Southern California Edison, officials said.