All 31 workers escaped without injuries from a collapsed industrial tunnel in Los Angeles’ Wilmington area, after scrambling over a tall pile of loose underground soil, city officials said late on Wednesday.

The trapped workers were shuttled back to the tunnel’s entry point, more than 5 miles (8 km) away from the affected area, after they escaped the collapsed section and met several coworkers in the unaffected part of the tunnel, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.

The tunnel, which had a diameter of 18 ft (5.5 m), trapped 27 individuals, while four workers entered the damaged section to assist with rescue, LA Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva told reporters in a media briefing.

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“The workers had to climb through debris. They had to make themselves out through,” before they were assisted out, Villanueva said.

Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager of Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, told the briefing that a section of the already built part of the tunnel experienced squeezing ground conditions and partially collapsed.

“LAFD has just reported that all workers who were trapped in the tunnel in Wilmington are now out and accounted for. I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped. Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.

The collapsed section was a part of the Los Angeles County’s Clearwater Project, where the new 7-mile tunnel is being built to upgrade the region’s sewer system, officials added.

(Reuters)

The Chief Executive Officer of Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Linda Yaccarino, has stepped down after two years in the role.

Yaccarino announced her resignation in a tweet on the platform on Wednesday, without stating a specific reason for her departure.

However, she noted that the company was entering “a new chapter” following its recent acquisition by Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI.

Yaccarino wrote, “After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏.

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“When #elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company.

“I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App.”

Yaccarino praised the efforts of the X team, noting the strides made in restoring advertiser trust and prioritising user safety.

“I’m incredibly proud of the X team, the historic business turnaround we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable.

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“We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritise the safety of our users, especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence.

“This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform.

“Now, the best is yet to come as X enters a new chapter with #xai,” she added.

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She described the platform as “truly a digital town square for all voices and the world’s most powerful culture signal,” adding, that it couldn’t have been achieved without users, business partners, and the team.

Musk, who is the world’s richest man and also heads Tesla and SpaceX, appointed Yaccarino as CEO in May 2023, shortly after acquiring the platform, formerly known as Twitter in a $44 billion deal.

Yaccarino, a former advertising executive at NBC Universal, formally took over in June 2023, succeeding Musk, who had briefly served as interim CEO following the takeover.

In a world filled with sprawling mega-terminals and transcontinental flights, there are still places where flying is raw, rugged, and incredibly personal.

Each one is a story of bold landings, short runways, and human ingenuity. although there’s no official metric defining “smallest” (e.g., by size, traffic, or infrastructure).

These are the world’s smallest airports, tiny airstrips tucked into remote islands, mountainsides, and icy frontiers.

1. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport – Saba, Caribbean Netherlands

On the volcanic island of Saba, this airport looks more like a cliffside parking lot than a place for planes. Its runway is only 400 meters long, the shortest in the world that handles commercial flights.

At each end is a drop straight into the Caribbean Sea. There is no room for error here, which is why only small STOL aircraft and specially trained pilots are allowed to land. Despite its challenges, this little airport is a lifeline for the island’s residents and the adventurous tourists who dare to visit.

2. Tenzing-Hillary Airport – Lukla, Nepal

High in the Himalayas near Mount Everest, Tenzing-Hillary Airport is not just small, it’s extreme. At nearly 9,400 feet above sea level, its 527-meter runway slopes sharply downward toward a cliff, helping planes gain speed on takeoff but giving pilots little room to brake when landing.

Strong winds, fog, and unpredictable weather make it one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Yet it’s the main gateway for trekkers and climbers heading toward the Everest Base Camp, and most consider it an unforgettable part of the journey.

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3. Barra Airport – Outer Hebrides, Scotland

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Barra is a place where the ocean tide decides when planes can land. This airport, located on a beach in the Outer Hebrides, is the only one in the world where scheduled commercial flights use sand as their runway.

Aircraft land and take off during low tide, using the wide, flat shoreline as a landing strip. When the tide comes in, the runway disappears beneath the waves. It is an extraordinary experience for passengers and a perfect example of how humans adapt to nature in creative ways.

4. Courchevel Altiport – French Alps, France

This airport serves one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world, but it is also one of the trickiest to land in. Courchevel’s runway is only 537 meters long and built into a steep Alpine slope.

There is no chance to circle back if something goes wrong, so the approach must be perfect. Surrounded by snow-covered peaks and perched at over 6,500 feet, the airport is used mostly by helicopters and small private planes. Landing here feels less like aviation and more like mountain sport.

5. Agatti Aerodrome – Lakshadweep, India

Agatti is a thin strip of coral in the Indian Ocean, and its airport is just as narrow. The 1,200-meter runway stretches across a sliver of land, with water visible on both sides during takeoff and landing. It looks like the plane is about to land in the sea until the wheels touch down.

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With no space for expansion or emergency runoffs, pilots have to land with absolute precision. Despite its size, Agatti is the only air connection for the Lakshadweep islands, making it a vital piece of infrastructure.

6. Luang Namtha Airport – Laos

Tucked into the forested hills of northern Laos, Luang Namtha Airport is a quiet, no-frills place that serves a largely rural area. The airport is small, with limited flights and a modest terminal building.

On most days, the sound of crickets and birds fills the air while the occasional propeller plane comes and goes. It might not look like much, but to locals and travelers looking for access to northern Laos, it is a key part of the journey.

7. Helgoland Airport – North Sea, Germany

The island of Helgoland is a tiny speck in the North Sea, and its airport is equally compact. With a runway just 480 meters long, strong sea winds, and limited space, pilots need special training to land here.

Most aircraft that come in are small and lightweight, ferrying tourists and supplies from the mainland. Though the flight only takes about 20 minutes, the approach feels dramatic, with the island rising from the sea like a rock. For residents and visitors, this airport is a fragile but essential bridge to the rest of Germany.

8. Yrausquin Airport – Aruba (Historic)

Before Aruba became a bustling tourist destination with a large international airport, it relied on small domestic airfields. One of the early ones bore the Yrausquin name, like the better-known airport in Saba.

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These runways were short, bare-bones, and often located in isolated parts of the island. Though most of them no longer exist, they played a critical role in connecting the Caribbean’s scattered islands before modern aviation infrastructure took hold.

9. Tiksi Airport – Siberia, Russia

Tiksi is about as remote as it gets. Located deep in the Arctic Circle, this small airport connects the town of Tiksi with the rest of Russia. Conditions here are harsh. Temperatures can plunge well below freezing, and snow and ice often cover the runway. Flights are rare, and delays are common due to unpredictable weather.

Still, the airport is vital for delivering supplies, medical aid, and even news to the isolated population living in one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth.

10. Funchal Airport – Madeira, Portugal

Funchal’s airport, now named after Cristiano Ronaldo, is a modern facility today, but its past tells a different story. Originally, the runway was much shorter and curved along a cliffside with no margin for error.

Pilots had to be specially trained to land there, especially with frequent crosswinds and sudden weather changes. Though the runway has since been extended on massive pillars over the ocean, the airport’s early days remain a dramatic chapter in aviation history.