Authorities in South Africa say a fast-moving field fire is now contained in the resort community of St. Francis Bay, but not before the blaze claimed at least 11 homes. There was no immediate word of any injuries. The fire broke out Thursday near Lyme Road North, which runs between…
Botswanans had a bit of a scare on Saturday when the helicopter carrying President Mokgweetsi Masisi had engine trouble. A Botswana Defence Force presidential helicopter was forced to make an immediate landing as it arrived around 5:30 p.m. at Francistown Airport, upon arrival from Mathangwane. Francistown is Botswana’s second-largest city….
A house fire that swept through a densely populated neighborhood in the city of Bukavu in Democratic Republic of Congo late Sunday left at least one person dead and four seriously injured, while displacing hundreds of residents who turned to sleeping in the elements. President Felix Tshisekedi said he mourned…
People all around the world were riveted by the flames as the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris burned on Monday night, heavily damaging the centuries-old landmark and cultural symbol of France. The fire broke out during a Roman Catholic Mass shortly before 7 p.m. local time, and quickly spread…
A wildfire in South Africa threatened a popular tourist landmark on Sunday, as fire crews battled flames hoping to contain the spread before it forced evacuations in neighboring Cape Town communities. The fire broke out on the slopes of Lion’s Head mountain, a 669-meter peak known as a hiking destination…
In South Africa, a devastating fire that swept through the historic town of Wupperthal in the Western Cape region has left some 200 people homeless. Sunday’s fire at the town, built around a Moravian church mission station, claimed dozens of homes, the town hall and a clinic, according to former…
Emmanuel Mensah, a Ghanaian immigrant living in the United States, is being hailed as a hero for saving the lives of four neighbors before he couldn’t escape from what is now New York City’s worst fatal fire since 1990. Twelve people died in Thursday’s blaze, among them the 28-year-old member…
A group of United Nations human rights experts has called on Cameroon’s government to end renewed violence in the country’s Anglophone regions and guard against ongoing human rights violations. The experts on a range of human rights issues – peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, arbitrary detentions and executions – said…
The Lusaka City Market was heavily damaged by fire Tuesday, amid recent warnings from the head of Zambia’s police service that saboteurs are targeting government buildings, utilities and other public spaces. President Edgar Lungu was quick to appeal for calm in Zambia’s politically charged environment, and urged Lusaka residents to…
Police in London say at least 79 people have died in the London Grenfell Tower blaze, including many who remain missing but are presumed dead. Another 10 people remain in critical condition following the massive fire that swept through the 24-story residential tower, with 19 people all told still in hospital for…
The death toll in London’s Grenfell Tower blaze now stands at 30, with authorities warning that the fatalities are likely to rise and it is unlikely that any more survivors will be found. A number of the victims are believed to be of African descent, in a part of the…
There are 170 million Facebook users on the African continent, including some 70 percent of people who are online, and most of them are familiar with features like “Safety Check” in times of a natural disaster or emergency. That’s true, for example, in the ongoing Western Cape wildfires where Facebook Safety…