Deaths, Natural Disaster | featured news

Buildings are destroyed as hundreds of dazed, screaming and crying residents wander through streetsDisaster in New Zealand Big Quake Strikes New Zealand USGS: Q

Rescuers battled rough seas Tuesday to reach remote Indonesian islands pounded by a 10-foot tsunami that swept away homes, killing at least 113 people... Also Tuesday, the country's most volatile volcano, Mount Merapi, 800 miles to the east, started to erupt at dusk as scientists warned that pressure building beneath its lava dome could trigger one of the most powerful blasts in years.

The death toll from Typhoon Megi rose to 11 on Saturday as it cut a deadly path into Asia, triggering mudslides and leaving tourists stranded in Taiwan.

Torrential rains from a tropical depression have caused mudslides in Guatemala, killing at least 28 people — most of them in separate disasters along the same highway.

Landslides killed at least 65 people and left hundreds missing Sunday in northwest China's Gansu province, the latest disaster caused by widespread flooding in the country.

One of Indonesia's most active volcanos erupted Friday, sending lava and a searing gas cloud tumbling down its slopes. At least four family members were swept away and feared dead, officials said, and several others were badly hurt.

The government has had difficulties getting aid to the affected area, and at times receiving accurate information. On Sunday, officials reduced the number of dead to 730, saying that earlier reports on Sunday, reaching as high at 1,100, were not credible.

The death toll from a typhoon that hit the Philippines rose sharply to 53 Saturday, officials said, warning the number of dead could go up further with dozens of others missing days after the disaster.

The first typhoon to lash the Philippines this year flooded streets in the capital and toppled power lines Wednesday, causing widespread blackouts and suspending flights, classes and work in some government offices.

Deadly tornadoes touched down Thursday in Minnesota, killing at least two people, police said.