May 02

The flight encountered severe weather and heavy rain during its approach to Saint Croix Airport. With fuel reserves critically low, the pilots executed a water landing in the Caribbean Sea. Rough seas caused the fuselage to break apart, resulting in the loss of most passengers and crew. Nearby vessels and Coast Guard teams rescued survivors and recovered victims. Investigations highlighted errors in fuel planning and diversion decision-making under adverse conditions. The incident prompted the aviation industry to reinforce protocols for fuel reserves and weather assessments.

In the pre-dawn hours of May 2, 1972, a fire broke out deep within the Sunshine Mine shafts beneath Kellogg and Wallace, Idaho. The blaze spread rapidly through the narrow tunnels, cutting off escape routes for dozens of workers. Rescue teams faced intense heat and smoke as they attempted to reach the trapped miners. Despite valiant efforts, 91 men perished, making it the second-deadliest metal mining disaster on American soil. Investigators later pointed to an electrical fault as the likely cause, highlighting systemic safety lapses. The tragedy spurred calls for stricter mining regulations and improved emergency response protocols. Memorials and annual commemorations continue to honor the fallen miners and the lessons learned from this catastrophe.

Following the reactor explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on April 26, 1986, Soviet authorities ordered the evacuation of the nearby city of Chernobyl on May 2. The move affected tens of thousands of residents, many of whom were unaware of the severe radiation levels they faced. Buses transported families to temporary shelters hundreds of miles away, leaving homes and possessions behind. Officials cleared the area to establish a 30-kilometer exclusion zone that remains largely uninhabited to this day. The evacuation highlighted the Soviet government’s slow public response and the immense challenges of managing a nuclear crisis. Long-term studies have since tracked the health and environmental impacts of the disaster. Chernobyl’s ghost town status has become a potent symbol of nuclear risk and resilience.

On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta with sustained winds exceeding 200 km/h, generating a massive storm surge. Entire villages were swept away and vast tracts of farmland submerged under floodwaters. Official figures placed the death toll at over 138,000, with millions rendered homeless and without food or clean water. Government restrictions initially hampered international relief efforts, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies eventually airlifted supplies, but many remote communities remained isolated. The disaster exposed Myanmar’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and underscored the need for robust disaster preparedness. Rebuilding took years as survivors struggled to recover from unprecedented levels of destruction.

In early May 2008, the long-dormant Chaitén Volcano in Chile unexpectedly awakened after centuries of quiet. A column of ash and steam rose tens of thousands of meters into the sky, blanketing nearby towns. The eruption proved explosive, hurling volcanic material across a wide radius. Authorities ordered an urgent evacuation of more than 4,500 people to safeguard lives from pyroclastic flows and ashfall. The nearby town of Chaitén was later severely damaged by lava and mudflows. The event marked the first major eruption of Chaitén in over 9,000 years, attracting global scientific attention. Recovery and monitoring efforts continued for years as geologists studied the volcano's behavior and impact on the region's environment.

In May 2011, a rare and aggressive strain of E. coli O104:H4 emerged in northern Germany before spreading to neighboring countries. Contaminated sprouts were later identified as the primary source of the outbreak. Over 30 people lost their lives, while thousands suffered severe gastrointestinal and kidney complications. Health authorities initiated extensive recalls and closed affected farms to stem the spread. The incident prompted urgent reviews of food safety protocols across the EU. It highlighted vulnerabilities in the monitoring and distribution of fresh produce. Subsequent investigations led to strengthened cross-border cooperation and improved outbreak response measures.

In early May 2014, torrential rains triggered two massive mudslides in the mountainous regions of Badakhshan province, northeastern Afghanistan. Entire villages were engulfed as saturated soil and debris rushed down steep slopes at high speed. Up to 2,500 people were reported missing amid the widespread destruction. Rescue efforts were hampered by the remote terrain and ongoing rainfall, leaving many communities cut off. The Afghan government and international aid agencies launched a coordinated response to locate survivors and deliver emergency supplies. The disaster underscored the region's vulnerability to extreme weather and the need for improved early warning systems. Reconstruction and hazard mitigation projects were later proposed to reduce future risks.