August 8

On a summer day in 2012, a routine shift at the Xiaojiawan Coal Mine turned into one of China’s deadliest mining disasters. An unexpected explosion trapped over a hundred miners deep underground, leading to a desperate rescue mission.

On August 4, 1993, China Airlines Flight 605, an Airbus A300 series twin‑engine wide‑body airliner on a scheduled flight from Taipei to Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, touched down long and fast in heavy rain and gusting winds. The aircraft was unable to stop on the wet runway, overran runway 13, and came to rest near the seawall. Passengers and crew evacuated; several people were injured and the airframe was substantially damaged. Investigators later pointed to an unstable approach, adverse weather, and reduced braking effectiveness on a contaminated runway as primary contributors.

On August 30, 2013, a private passenger bus carrying a large group of travellers plunged down an embankment on a highway in Mahabubnagar district, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana). The vehicle's fall killed dozens and injured many more, touching off a frantic local rescue, an official inquiry into causes such as suspected brake failure or driver error, and renewed public debate about road safety for long‑distance buses in rural India.