HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — A scenic cliff on the wave-swept coast of Hawaii's Big Island has collapsed, the National Park Service said.
The Holei Sea Arch, located in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, was about 90 feet (27.4 meters) high before it collapsed sometime between Sept. 23 and Sept. 27, possibly when the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo.
Its collapse into the Pacific Ocean was not unexpected; however, it marks “the latest transformation of the park’s remote and rugged coastline,” the NPS said in a Facebook post. People reacting to the post called it a sign of nature taking its course.
Officials at the park service warned visitors to stay away from the site since it is unstable and presents a serious falling hazard.
“Photos on social media show people entering the closed area near where the sea arch once stood, putting themselves and first responders at great risk of falling and drowning,” the NPS said.
The popular tourist site was formed about 550 years ago. The name Holei comes from a small endemic plant in the milkweed family.
These photos provided by USGS shows from left, the Hōlei Sea Arch in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 2022 the Hōlei Sea Arch after collapsing into the Pacific Ocean on Sept. 27, 2026. (USGS via AP)
In this photo made with a smartphone, Holei Sea Arch is shown on July 12, 2021 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A crash involving multiple vehicles on the highway to the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa on Saturday killed 17 people, most of them pilgrims on the way to a prayer site, officials said.
The crash in the Salama area happened after midnight when a truck driver tried and failed to overtake another truck, police said. That caused a collision with vehicles including a van carrying pilgrims, police said.
The van's driver and 16 passengers, most of them women, died at the scene, police said.
The pilgrims were going to a prayer site in Nakuru County, west of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, said Martin Kivuva, archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa.
The archbishop said in a statement that he and others were “saddened with lots of grief” over the deaths. President William Ruto offered condolences to the families, friends, parishioners and the entire Catholic community "who are mourning this painful loss.”
Road accidents are a problem across Africa. In Kenya and elsewhere in the region, the accidents often are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles, excess speed and poor road conditions.
Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority called upon all motorists to exercise extreme caution, avoid dangerous overtaking and strictly observe lane discipline. The government agency said the stretch where the crash happened was a so-called “black spot" and that recommendations to address the safety concerns had been made.
People view the wreckage of a 14-seater minibus that was involved in an accident killing all the passengers, in the Salama area, Makueni County, Eastern Kenya, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)
People view the wreckage of a 14-seater minibus that was involved in an accident killing all the passengers, in the Salama area, Makueni County, Eastern Kenya, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)
People view the wreckage of a 14-seater minibus that was involved in an accident killing all the passengers, in the Salama area, Makueni County, Eastern Kenya, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)
People gather at the scene where a 14-seater minibus was involved in an accident killing all the passengers, in the Salama area, Makueni County, Eastern Kenya, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)
People gather at the scene where a 14-seater mini bus was involved in an accident killing all the passengers, in the Salama area, Makueni County, Eastern Kenya, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)
