Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, at about 21:00 EDT on May 28, 2026 (01:00 UTC on May 29). Space Launch Delta 45 warned that debris from the New Glenn explosion could wash ashore along publicly accessible areas over the coming days and weeks, and said anyone who finds suspected debris should call 911 and avoid direct contact.
At least one person was reported dead and nine others remained missing after a tank containing white liquor imploded at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, at approximately 07:15 LT on May 26, injuring multiple workers and emergency responders.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency for Orange County on May 23, 2026, after the state said a methyl methacrylate storage tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove began heating up and emitting toxic fumes, leaving about 50 000 residents subject to evacuation orders.
Chinese authorities have detained mine officials and launched an investigation after a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi Province killed 82 people, the deadliest coal mine disaster in China since 2009. The operations at the company’s four mines had been suspended following the explosion.
A methyl methacrylate leak from a storage tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, California, was reported at around 15:30 LT (22:30 UTC) on May 21, 2026, prompting evacuation orders for about 40 000 people across northwestern Orange County.
Two men were killed after a 2 m (6.6 feet) high river embankment collapsed near Jeli in western Kelantan at approximately 20:20 local time (LT) on May 20, 2026, burying a group believed to have been illegally mining for gold near the Jerimbong oil palm plantation.
Dust storms triggered a multi-vehicle crash on US-195 near Spangle on May 13, 2026, while another crash was reported on I-90 near Spokane. Authorities reported near-zero visibility in the area, with the crashes causing both routes to be closed for over 10 hours.
At least seven people were hospitalized after blowing dust reduced visibility and triggered multiple vehicle crashes along U.S. 91 near Cove, Utah, close to the Idaho border, at around 16:00 MDT (22:00 UTC) on May 13, 2026.
A rip current incident off Cocoa Beach, Florida, left two adults dead on April 14, 2026, after they entered the ocean to help a child in distress. The child survived, while both rescuers were pulled from the surf unresponsive and pronounced dead at the hospital.
A multi-vehicle pileup involving more than 75 vehicles occurred at about 14:50 LT on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, on the Highway 6 eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 70 near mile marker 216, just east of the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel in Clear Creek County, Colorado, during snowy and slick mountain driving conditions. Colorado State Patrol said 19 people were medically evaluated, eight were taken to hospitals, and one person sustained serious injuries. Eastbound I-70 remained closed for about five hours before reopening later that evening.
