2010 Disaster Calendar [March]

2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters

• FEWW Amendment to Murphy’s Law: If more things can go wrong they will go wrong about now!

• In the next few years, YOU or someone close to you will likely have experienced a man-made, or human-enhanced ‘natural disaster.’

• “About 99.98 percent of human effort goes to debilitate the ecosystems. In other words, for every single step taken to restore the natural life support services, humans take 6,400 steps in the opposite direction, destroying the planet’s ability to maintain life.” —EDRO

Cost of Disaster in 2009

Catastrophes cost insurers $26b in 2009, Swiss Re [re-insurers] reported, while estimating the wider economic losses at $62 billion, which means more than a half of all damage caused by catastrophes  in 2009 was uninsured (hint!)

2010 Disaster Calendar

Click links for previous entries:  January 2010 |February 2010

[Note: This listing is by no means exhaustive.]

March 2010

• Day Sixty [March 1]
  • Chile. As the extents of Chilean megaquake and tsunami disasters unfold, the death toll surged over 720 today. It has now been revealed the Chilean government declared immediately after the megaquake struck offshore Maule, “there would be no danger of a tsunami.”  Their fatal error, which they now blame on “incorrect data” supplied by their “Navy experts” probably doubled the death toll as it now stands.
  • Western Europe. Storm Xynthia carved a swathe of destruction along western Europe, killing at least 60 people. Most of the damage was cause in France, were 50 of the victims lost their lives, prompting the French government to declare a national disaster. The storm swept north-eastwards across Western Europe, claiming more lives in Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Germany, and causing damage in Luxembourg.
• Day Sixty-one [March 2]
  • Uganda. Deadly landslides in the mountainous region of Bududa, about 275km east of the capital Kampala, have killed more than 30 people and left at least 100 missing, AP reported an official as saying.
  • Cusco region, Peru. Another round of heavy rains in the Cusco region, Peru triggered flooding which killed at least a dozen people.  Torrential rains caused rivers to overflow their banks on Monday, local media reported.
  • Brazil. Torrential rains triggered flash floods destroying houses in the outskirts of Sao Paulo and damaging roads and buildings throughout southwestern Brazil, AP reported.  Some areas experienced the equivalent of half a month’s rain in just one hour.
  • Haiti. Floods and mudslides killed at least 13 people in Haiti, Reuters reported.  About two third of the port town of Les Cayes was flooded.
  • Jersey.  Torrential rain and strong winds caused widespread damage on the island of jersey, a British dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. Tens of homes were flooded, trees uprooted and river banks collapsed as torrential rain and strong winds swept up the island, JEP reported.
  • Nova Scotia. Canada. Widespread damage was reported as strong winds and rain pummeled parts of the Maritimes, leaving thousands of Nova Scotians without power, a report said.
  • Yemen. “A blast in a suspected dynamite storage depot in the basement of a residential building in Yemen killed up to 19 people as they slept and reduced their building to rubble, an official says.” ABC-AU said.
  • QLD, Australia. As rising floodwaters threatened to submerge towns in SW Queensland, Australia the towns of  Charleville and Roma were declared disaster zones, a report said.
• Day Sixty-two [March 3]
  • Bududa, Uganda. The death toll from mudslides in eastern Uganda has reached 86, AP reported. According to other reports up to 350 other are buried in the mud, 50 of them young students.
  • Coal Mine in Wuhai City, China. about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) west of Beijing, has reportedly been flooded. About 44 miners are missing, presumed drowned.
  • Western Outback, Australia. Up to 200 firefighters,  using 80 of fire engines and aircraft were battling the flames in Western Outback , Australia, The media reported. The flames had already  consumed about 25,000 hectares of bushland.
  • Mogadishu, Somalia. About a dozen  Somalis were killed and 3 dozen others wounded in an exchange of fire between rival groups in Mogadishu, witnesses and medics said Wednesday, AFP reported.

• Day Sixty-three [March 4]
  • Baqouba, Iraq. At least 33 people including 10 policemen were killed and 55 others injured in the city of Baqouba, Iraq in three separate “suicide-bombing” attacks, media reported.
  • Uttar Pradesh state, India. Some 63 people were killed in yet another stampede at a temple during a religious festival in the Uttar Pradesh state, India. “Assistant police superintendent SP Pathak said: ‘We have now counted all the bodies and they include 37 children and 26 women who had come to collect free gifts.’ ” RTE reported.Another 25 devotees were injured, some seriously, other reports said.
  • Nairobi, Kenya. “Nairobi and parts of eastern Kenya where malaria was never prevalent now are suffering 170 new cases of the disease a week as climate change brings warming temperatures and warmth-loving mosquitoes to Kenya’s once-cool highlands, researchers say.” AlertNet reported.
  • Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory. The full scale of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza continues to unfold, one year after the end of Israel’s massacre of Gazans, named Operation Cast Lead. The UN’s humanitarian relief coordinator, John Holmes, who is visiting the area said: “In real terms, the progress has been extremely limited, because of course there’s been no possibility of most construction materials entering Gaza since the end of that military operation, so reconstruction and redevelopment has hardly been able to start. So even though some of the local population is showing remarkable ingenuity in trying to recycle rubble, for example into breeze blocks, which then can be used to start some kind of reconstruction, really very little progress has been made because of the continuing blockade and that’s the biggest problem that people face in Gaza.” UN Radio reported.
  • Cusco, Peru. Rivers have overflowed in Cusco region of Peru once again bursting their banks, triggering mudslides, flooding homes, destroying highways and killing 7 people with at least thirty otghers reported as missing. The victims of this latest disaster were mostly women and children, Plan reported local authorities as saying.
  • Queensland, Australia. “The current flood could exceed the level of the legendary 1890 inundation, the southwest Queensland town of St George has been warned.” AAP reported.”Already, an area the size of Victoria is under water in Queensland.”As widespread inundation continues to set new records, forecasters expect more rain across southern Queensland.QLD Premier Anna Bligh said 57 areas are already eligible for disaster-relief funding, with the initial damage estimated at $135 million, a report said.
• Day Sixty-four [March 5]
  • Serbia. “Heavy rains and rapid snow melting have caused floods in the eastern and central part of Serbia damaging and flooding 1,306 households several times and affecting more than 3,150 people. The houses are still under water according to latest assessments. Based on the situation, the Red Cross of Serbia will provide basic food and non-food items to 1,500 vulnerable people and will assist some 3,150 people in reducing the risk of water-borne diseases and in returning to normal living. This operation is expected to be implemented over six months, and will therefore be completed by the end of August, 2010. A Final Report will be made available by 30 November 2010 (three months after the end of the operation). ”  IFRC reported.
  • Iraq. “Seven years after the March 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq remains deeply divided. There are few prospects of durable solutions for the approximately 15 per cent of the population who are displaced inside and outside Iraq. It is thought that there are almost 2.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs), close to half of whom were displaced prior to 2003. Though Iraq is no longer in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, daily life for all Iraqis is precarious. Public health, electricity, water and sanitation services remain inadequate.” NRC reported.
  • ISLAMABAD, Pakistan. ” A suicide bomber targeted Shiite Muslims on two buses being escorted by security forces through a northwestern Pakistan border area rife with sectarian and insurgent violence, killing 12 people Friday. ” AP reported.
  • Phoenix, Arizona, USA. A  crash on Interstate 10 near Phoenix, Arizona, has left “multiple people” dead, media reported.
  • Pakistan. Between 351 and 651 of the 1,200 “militants” killed in 114 out of  an unknown total number of US Predator Drone attacks in Pakistan’s remote tribal areas were in fact civilians, according to a report by an American think tank, Telegraph UK reported.
  • Bududa district, Uganda. The worst rains and flooding in recent history to strike eastern Uganda, which triggered deadly landslide, killing 86 people, have left thousands of people homeless.  Massive mudslides from Mount Elgon near the Uganda-Kenya border have buried three villages in the Bududa district, 275km from the capital, Kampala, various news reports said.
  • Baghdad, Iraq. Three polling stations in Baghdad were hit by explosions that killed at least 14 people and left at least a hundred others injured, some critically, various media reported.

• Day Sixty-five [March 6, 2010]
  • HANGU, Pakistan. At least twelve people, including four women, were killed and 35 others injured when a “suicide bomber” blew himself up near a passengers’ convoy near Thall, Hangu, Pkistan, official sources and eyewitnesses said, a news agency reported.  The village of Thall is in Hangu District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan
  • Fallujah, Iraq. Doctors in Fallujah, Iraq  are reporting a high level of birth defects, blaming weapons used by the US after the Iraq invasion, a report said.  A British-based Iraqi researcher said the rate of congenital heart defects was 95 per 1,000 births, or 13 times the rate recorded in Europe. “I’ve seen footage of babies born with an eye in the middle of the forehead, the nose on the forehead,” she added.
  • Islamabad, Pakistan. The government forces killed at least 30 “Taliban militants” in the country’s tribal region near the Afghan border, reports said.
  • Bududa, Uganda. Heavy rain continues to worsen the landslides on the slopes of Mount Elgon, forcing more people out o f their homes. The number of evacuees is now more than 4,000. About 350 are believed to have died,  but a fewer less than 100 bodies have been recovered.  The death toll includes 60 school children who had earlier sought shelter in a health center which is now covered by earth and rocks.
  • Mansalay township, Mindoro island, the Philippines. Anti-govt forces ambushed a Philippine army patrol near Mansalay township, killing 11 soldiers, and wounding seven others, AFP reported.
  • Kenya. Flash floods in various parts of Kenya have killed at least a dozen people, 200 livestock and left about 2,000 people homeless, according to various reports.

• Day Sixty-six [March 7, 2010]
  • Mosul, Iraq. Figures verified by UNHCR, record a rise in the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) to 866 families (or 5,196 people) as of 4 March 2010, up from 720 families (4,320 people) on 1 March, representing an increase of 146 families (876 people) in three days.
  • Northern Afghanistan. “Up to 60 militants and 19 civilians may have been killed in bloody clashes between rival Islamist militant groups in northern Afghanistan, a police official said Sunday.” AFP reported.”The Taliban is the main militant group behind an increasingly deadly insurgency to topple the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai and force out about 121,000 US and NATO troops stationed in Afghanistan. ” The report said.
  • Afghanistan. A Utah marine killed in Afghanistan raised the number of US troops killed in Bush/Obama/Blair/Brown opium war to 70 since the beginning of 2010.
  • Afghanistan. Two more British soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in less than 24 hours, raised the total number of Coalition dead to 117, since the beginning of 2010 [and 1,683 since 2001.]
• Day Sixty-seven [March 8, 2010]
  • Central Nigeria. At least 200 people have been massacred in central Nigeria in tit-for-tat, Tutsi versus Hutu style, sectarian violence. Many women and children are among the dead. “The killings represent the latest religious violence in an area once known as Nigeria’s top tourist destination, adding to the tally of thousands already killed in the last decade in the name of religious and political ambitions.” AP reported.
  • Lahore, Pakistan. “A suicide car bomb attack on a police intelligence unit in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore killed at least 11 people and wounded about 60 on Monday during the morning rush hour, officials said.” Reuters reported.
  • Bingol, Eastern Turkey. A deadly earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least 41 62 people, local sources reported.  As of posting, the number of casualties had not yet been reported.  For additional details see:  Deadly Quake Kills Dozens in Turkey.
  • Florida, USA. “A prolonged cold snap in January wiped out about 70 percent of Florida’s tomato crop, and the impact is hitting Pittsburgh and the rest of the country.” A report said. The price of tomatoes has already increased by 3 fold from $14  to $42 per case.[“The average wholesale price for a 25-pound box of tomatoes is now $30, up from $6.50 a year ago. Florida’s growers would normally ship about 25 million pounds of tomatoes a week; right now, they’re shipping less than a quarter of that,” the Florida Tomato Grower’s Exchangep spokesman said.]
  • Australia. “Major flooding across the southwest region has inundated homes and businesses, closed roads and flooded entire towns such as Bollon.The damage bill is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. ” A report said.
  • NSW, Australia. Natural disaster areas were declared for Wagga Wagga, in NSW’s Riverina, and Central Darling Shire after damaging storms and flash flooding, which inundated the region.  Australian media reported.“The southern New South Wales city experienced its wettest day since 1966 on Sunday.” A report said.  Local farmers have have reportedly lost hundreds of tons of grain. More than 200 km of fencing, and large stretches of road have been destroyed or damaged.
  • Melbourne, Australia. Severe thunderstorms have hit Melbourne submerging parts of the city in waste-high water, turning roads into rivers, sweeping cars, as Victoria state is lashed by strong winds and hail stones the size of golf balls (AFP report described them as the size of tennis balls), causing damage throughout the territory.

• Day Sixty-eight [March 9, 2010]
  • Uganda. More than 300,000 people have been displaced by floods in eastern Uganda, a cabinet minister has said. “The floods have affected over 300,000 people in three districts,” the deputy minister for disaster preparedness and refugees, Musa Eceru told reporters. “We trying to raise funds to help the affected people and we are calling for aid from both local and international sources.” A report said.Ugandan government said about 500,000  living in mountainous areas of Uganda will have to be relocated because of the risk of mudslides.
  • Colorado, USA. Gov. Bill Ritter declared Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon a disaster emergency after 20 large boulders crashed onto the interstate early yesterday, causing extensive damage to the roadway, causing  a 17-mile stretch to be closed and traffic re-routed two hours to the north, GJSentinel reported.
• Day Sixty-nine [March 10, 2010]
  • Mozambique. Flooding has killed at least two people and displaced thousands more, prompting the authorities to issue a red alert for various areas. “Torrential rains that have battered central Mozambique for weeks have raised water levels in the Cahora Bassa, a major dam on the Zambezi river. Authorities have opened the floodgates to to ease the pressure on the dam walls. “ Reuters SA reported.The authorities  would forcibly evacuate about 130,000 people from areas near river, a governments pokesman said, as heavy rain continued to rise the water levels.
  • Somaliland, Somalia. Heavy rains inundated Somalia’s northern breakaway region of Somaliland, killing Thousands of livestock. “Around five thousand goats were killed by the floods in Tog-Wajale area where a river burst its banks,” local elder Adan Duale said. “Around five thousand goats were killed by the floods in Tog-Wajale area where a river burst its banks,” a local elder said, SMH reported.
  • Tanzania. Up to 30,000 people who were left homeless after two deluges in the country’s eastern and central regions in December and January,  are still without shelter.  “The railroad linking the commercial capital Dar es Salaam and the countryside was washed away by the raging waters, forcing travelers to take a 450-km bus trip to catch trains to other parts of the country.”
  • Kenya. Massive floods have killed at least seven people and left dozens missing in Kenya, RFI reported. Government has warned floods still threaten the southern  and western regions of the country, UPI reported.Helicopters were used to rescue hundreds of stranded tourists, some on luxury safari tours.  In the Garbatula region, Kenya’s Eastern Province, hundreds of houses were submerged by floodwater.
  • Zambia. Torrential rains have displaced at least 100,000 families, UPI reported
  • Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. Heavy rains have pummeled eastern, central and southern Africa, killing hundreds of lives, forcing millions of people from their homes, destroying property and livestock, RFI reported.

• Day Seventy [March 11, 2010]
  • Mogadishu, Somali. At least 20 civilians were killed Thursday in day 2 of heavy fighting between Somali government troops and anti-government fighters in the capital Mogadishu, head of Mogadishu ambulance service Ali Muse told AFP. “The civilian casualty is very high today. We counted more than 20 civilians who were killed this morning alone.” He said.”As many as 30 people were killed with 12 of them in one area in the north of Mogadishu. We have picked almost 83 wounded people including 35 children mainly in the northern districts of Mogadishu.” Ali Muse told Xinhua.
  • North Waziristan, Pakistan. Some 14 people were killed in US drone attacks in North Waziristan which left  scores of others injured, a report said.Six aid workers including two  women, of a U.S.-based charity organization were killed and eight others wounded in an attack in a remote village of the northwestern Mansehra town on Wednesday, Reuters India reported.
  • Kansas, USA. President B.O. finally declared  Kansas a major disaster area. Severe winter storms and snowstorm struck Kansas between  Dec. 22, 2009, to Jan. 8, 2010, a report said.
  • Cunene, Angola. At least 10,000 people have lost their homes to floods in Angola’s southern province of Cunene,  the state-owned news agency Angop reported.
• Day Seventy-one [March 12, 2010]
  • Mozambique. Large tracts of agricultural land have been flooded, particularly along the banks of the Zambezi, causing major losses to subsistence farmers. “Luis Pacheco, the Sofala delegate of the country’s relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC), told the independent daily ‘O Pais’ that up until the last couple of weeks the main problem farmers in Sofala had faced was drought.” All Africa reported.”Because of the drought that has assailed Sofala, many households returned to areas of risk – to the banks of the rivers in search of fertile areas for food production”, he said. “These areas are now completely inundated.”
  • Southern Kazakhstan. Severe floods have caused massive mudslides across a region of Kazakhstan that borders China, destroying many homes and affecting hundreds of people, AP reported.
  • Eastern Almaty, Kazakhstan. The authorities said a dam at the Kyzyl-Agash reservoir in the eastern Almaty region colapsed  inundating  a nearby village and affecting 3,000 residents. “There are deaths, but identities and the number has yet to be confirmed,” they said, AP reported. At least 20 people were reported as missing [later confirmed dead,] Russian news agency RIA-Novosti quoted an Emergency Services Ministry spokesperson as saying.
  • Zhylbulak, Kazakhstan. Heavy rain and melting snow destroyed a levee in Zhylbulak, flooding 140 homes and affecting more than 800 people.
  • Kazakhstan. “Major railroads and highway bridges across the country have also been washed away, causing severe disruptions.” AP reported.
  • Rancagua, Chile. Two powerful aftershocks struck central Chile causing significant damage in the city of Rancagua according to various reports. As of posting there weer no report of fatalities.
  • Madagascar. Disaster officials in Madagascar’s said at least 10 people had died and 32,000 affected by Tropical Storm Hubert, AP reported.
  • Minnesota, USA. “Governor Tim Pawlenty announced today that Beltrami, Clearwater, Wilkin, Mahnomen, Becker, Pope, Hubbard, Wadena, Cass, Crow Wing, Aitkin, Itasca, St. Louis, Lake, Cook and Carlton Counties have been designated as primary agricultural disaster areas by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack due to losses caused by the combined effects of multiple disasters that occurred during the growing season.” Review Messenger reported.
  • Lahore, Pakistan. “Suicide bombers targeting the Pakistani military killed at least 45 people in Lahore on Friday, ” Reuters reported.”Two suicide bombers attacked within the span of 15 to 20 seconds and they were on foot,” provincial police chief Tariq Saleem Dogar told reporters.
  • Zimbabwe. About 2.17 million Zimbabweans currently need food aid, “and this number is set to rise on the back of an expected failed 2010 harvest. ” Int Red Cross said.
  • Afghanistan. “According to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, U.S. and Allied forces have killed and injured more civilians than have the insurgents during Operation Moshtarak. Incredibly, the Pentagon continues to insist that this operation ‘protects the people.'” Rethink Afghanistan reported.
• Day Seventy-two [March 13, 2010]
  • Mingora, Swat Valley, northwest Pakistan. At least 10 people were killed and 34 others injured in a suicide blast Saturday at a security checkpoint outside the district court in Mingora, the main city in Swat Valley, northwest Pakistan, police said, Xinhua and BBC reported.
  • South Dakota, USA. Twenty-nine counties and three American Indian reservations in South Dakota that were hit by a late January ice storm were declared disaster areas by President B.O., and will now be eligible for recovery help from the federal government, Native American Times reported.
  • Calif., USA. Six California counties that were hit hard by flooding and debris flows in January and February storms were declared as disaster areas by President B.O.  The counties were, Calaveras, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Siskiyou Mercury News reported.
  • Kazakhstan. The death toll has risen to 35 after a dam collapse in Kyzyl-Agash in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. At least 1,000 villagers were evacuated. BBC reported.
  • Thailand. The Interior Ministry has declared drought disaster zones in 13,975 villages in 277 districts of 36 provinces,  local news reports said.
  • Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa. CITY authorities are applying for Nelson Mandela Bay to be declared a disaster zone amid the region’s crippling drought, Weekend Post reported.The Kouga Dam is currently at 37%, the Churchill Dam at 16.5%, the Impofu Dam at 48%, the Loerie Dam at 37% and the Groendal Dam at 41.5%, the report said.The authorities say there should be enough supplies during the soccer world cup .“Part of the plan is to make use of recycled water from the Fishwater Flats sewerage works – there will be enough water for the World Cup,” municipality spokesperson said.
  • Mekong River, Southeast Asia. Drought in the Mekong Basin is threatening the livelihood of at least 60 million people in Southeast Asia. “The flows are the lowest for 20 years, according to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), which has said water supply, navigation and irrigation are at threat.” AFP reported.”Severe drought will have an impact on agriculture, food security, access to clean water and river transport and will affect the economic development of people already facing serious poverty,” the MRC group said. “They believe the unusually low water levels are caused by Chinese dams.” AFP reported.
  • Vietnam. The worst drought in Vietnam since 1902, when records started, is paralyzing the country.”Salinization has been a pattern in the Mekong Delta the last 30 to 50 years but things are getting worse every year due to climate change,” Pham Van Du, deputy director at the Department of Planting in the agricultural ministry told IRIN, the news agency for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.About 100,000 hectares of rice in the Mekong Delta are threatened by salt contamination., he said, UPI reported.Both China and El Nino are being blamed for Vietnam’s water woes.
  • Valparaiso, Chile. Chile’s new President Sebastian Pinera declared central region O’ Higgins a state of catastrophe on Thursday, immediately after  taking office, after two powerful aftershocks struck the region.
• Day Seventy-three [March 14, 2010]
  • Kandahar, Afghanistan. A series of explosions struck the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 35 people and wounding 45 others, local authorities said, UPI reported.
  • Guerrero, Mexico. At least 13 people were killed including five policemen, some of them beheaded, around the beach resort of Acapulco. arriving for spring break. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Guerrero state, 11 other people, including government troops and suspected traffickers, were killed, authorities said, LA Times reported.
  • Georgia, USA. Some 98 counties in Georgia have been designated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture as a primary natural disaster area due to inordinate  rainfall that has been swamping the region since September 2009, and is still continuing, a report said.”President [B.O.] and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to the area and serious harm to farms in Georgia and we want to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses to a wide variety of crops.”Georgian farmers in the 98 counties have suffered losses to “field crops such as corn, cotton, millet, peanuts, sorghum, soybeans, pasture and forage, as well as fruit, vegetable, and nut crops, such as beans, collard and turnip greens, cowpeas, pecans, peppers, pumpkins, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and nursery crops. ” The report said.”Farmers in 58 additional Georgia counties and 33 counties in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee were also designated natural disaster areas because they are contiguous to the 98 Georgia counties.”
  • Cianjur, Indonesia. Another deadly landslide, the second in under three weeks, struck Cianjur claiming 11 lives, and burying scores of homes in the area.
  • Pakistan. Government’s fighter jets bombed positions in the northwest on Sunday, “killing 16 militants” and destroying three hideouts, a government official said, Reuters reported.
• Day Seventy-four [March 15, 2010]
  • Guangxi Zhuang, China. Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in south China, one of the country’s poorest areas is suffering its worst drought in 58 years, with only 2.2 mm of rain since October 2009, People’s Daily reported.  “Since last September, rainfall in Guangxi, as well as neighboring Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, has fallen to the lowest levels since 1952, said the China Meteorological Administration. Coupled with persistent high temperatures, the lack of rain has resulted in a severe drought that is affecting about 11 million people.”
  • India. “Twenty-six students have died after a bus they were on plunged into a river in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, police say. “A report said.
  • Northeast United States. At least 7 people were killed many buildings were damaged and up to a million homes lost electricity after a torrential rainstorm battered northeastern United States.
• Day Seventy-five [March 16, 2010]
  • Fiji Islands. “The National Disaster Council has declared a state of disaster in the northern division and eastern division,” National Disaster Management Office operations officer Anthony Blake said.  Cyclone Tomas slammed into Fiji islands with 212 km/hr winds and gusts of up to 280 km/hr, leaving a trail of destruction behind; however, the full impact of the disaster would not be known for a few days because there’s no communication with the outer islands and the northern section of Vanua Levu, the country’s second largest island. An initial report suggested that 50 homes may have been destroyed on Vanua Levu. Fiji’s National Disaster Council also declared a 30-day state of emergency earlier today, covering the country’s northern and eastern divisions.
  • Arkansas, USA. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe declared three counties of Cleburne, Saline and White as disaster areas because of large-scale damage caused by tornadoes and severe storms last week. At least one Pearson man was killed and three others were injured. The storms also damaged scores of homes and businesses, reports said.
  • Connecticut, USA. Governor M. Jodi Rell declared a state of emergency in Connecticut after touring the areas damaged by a severe storm in Fairfield County, saying: “Saturday’s storm was among the most destructive to ever hit Fairfield County and the damage is simply astounding. Power lines are down, countless homes and businesses are damaged and thousands of trees – some as large as 5 feet in diameter – were simply bowled over.“The winds have knocked over signs and blown down power poles and – of course – falling tree limbs have taken down additional utility lines,” the Governor said. “State and municipal crews are working as fast as they can to clear the roads and utility crews are out in force to get power restored. But this is a monumental job and it will take some time.”At least three deaths in Connecticut have  associated with the storm, a report said.
• Day Seventy-six [March 17, 2010]
  • Angola. Angola has reported flooding in a several areas, with an estimated 24,000 people affected, UN OCHA said.
  • Zimbabwe. Northern Zimbabwe experienced flash floods that have destroyed the livelihoods of about 1,800 people, UN OCHA reported.
  • Kazakhstan. “The number of victims of last week’s flood that destroyed a village near Kazakh financial hub Almaty has risen to 37, a deputy prime minister said Tuesday.” Reuters reported.  The village of Kyzyl-Agash was completely destroyed after a nearby dam burst, flooding the area north of Almaty.
  • JAVA. Indonesia. Fifteen people were killed and 34 others injured in two traffic accidents on Wednesday in Java, Indonesia, police was quoted by the detik.com as saying, Xinhua reported.
  • Guizhou Province, China. About 17 million people in Guizhou Province are short of drinking water, officials said Wednesday. “Eighty-six out of the total 88 cities and counties are suffering from the drought,” they said.About 6.45 million hectares of cropland is suffering from drought, at least 1.8 million hectares more than last year, the national flood prevention and drought relief said, Xinhua reported.
  • Jos, Nigeria. At least 13 people were killed in new Nigerian sectarian clash, a report said.
  • North Waziristan, Pakistan. At least 10 people were killed and four wounded in two consecutive US drone attacks in North Waziristan, Pakistan, military sources said.
• Day Seventy-seven [March 18, 2010]
  • Sahel region , West Africa. A humanitarian disaster is unfolding  across the Sahel region of West Africa where some 10 million people are threatened with a severe food shortage caused by drought, aid agency Oxfam said. The worst affected country is Niger where 8 million people are at risk. Some 2 million people are threatened in Chad and a substantial number of people are expected to be affected in Mali. Parts of Nigeria and Burkina Faso are also at risk, Oxfam said.About 58 percent of Niger’s 15.2 million people face “severe or moderate” food shortages, AFP reported.
  • Oregon, USA. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has issued Executive Order declaring a state of drought emergency in Klamath County and all bordering counties which includes Jackson, Douglas, Lane, Deschutes and Lake counties, a report said.
  • Central Nigeria. In yet another episode of sectarian violence, 13 people were killed in a central Nigerian village, a report said.
  • West Virginia, USA. Flooding has caused severe damage to property in Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Mercer, Raleigh and Summers counties, prompting Gov. Joe Manchin to send a letter to President B.O. asking the counties be declared natural disaster areas, a report said.
  • Massachusetts, USA. Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency as a strong storm lashed Massachusetts, flooding public and private property, forcing school closures and overwhelming storm drainage systems. “The storm caused serious flooding in parts of the state and hampered transportation routes, including a washed-out subway track bed along the Green Line’s D branch in Newton that has suspended service.” A report said.
  • Maine, USA. Gov. Baldacci has asked President B.O. that a major disaster be declared in five Maine counties of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and York, which were worst affected by last month’s severe storm, a report said.
  • Afghanistan. “At least 35 people were killed Wednesday in a fiery collision between a bus and a truck on a treacherous pass in northern Afghanistan, the interior ministry said.” AFP reported.  “The Salang pass connecting northern and southern Afghanistan is a notoriously dangerous stretch of road, and the scene of avalanches in February that killed 170 people.”
• Day Seventy-eight [March 19, 2010]
  • Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. “Taunton Mayor Charles Crowley extended a state of emergency until 5 a.m. Saturday, helping the city qualify for federal funds for repairs to public and private properties. The last flood of this size, he said, hit Taunton in May of 1968. ‘To see it to this extent is historic in nature.’” A report said.
  • New Jersey, USA. Damage from the storm in Central Jersey now stands at $25 million with hundreds of homes and businesses flooded. Reports say.
  • Minnesota, USA. “Gov. Tim Pawlenty has declared a flood emergency in 28 Minnesota counties stretching from northwest Minnesota into the southern part of the state and over to the Twin Cities,” according to a report.
  • Manitoba, Canada. At least two Manitoba First Nations in the Red Sucker Lake and Shamattawa reserves have in the northern part of the province declared States of emergency.
  • New Hampshire, USA. Gov. John Lynch is asking President B.O. to declare portions of the state — including Rockingham County — disaster areas because of damage from the storms.  Two storms have struck the state in two weeks. Referring to the second storm Lynch said:  “This certainly was a significant storm and caused widespread damage.” Reports said.
  • Wayne Township, New Jersey, USA. “A state of emergency was declared in Wayne Township, New Jersey after a days-long nor’easter inundated the area last weekend with several feet of water, sending residents scurrying for higher ground even before the Passaic River had crested… Nearly all residents living in the low lying areas were severely impacted by flooding conditions …”
  • Rhode Island. USA. Tens of homes and businesses were flooded after  Pawtuxet River rose to its highest level ever recorded following a spell of of torrential rain. Gov. Don Carcieri declared a state of emergency earlier this week, a report said.
  • Oregon, USA. “Gov. Ted Kulongoski issued a state drought declaration for Klamath and surrounding counties on Wednesday, and asked the Obama administration to follow suit with a federal disaster declaration so farmers can get loans and other assistance. ” A report said.
• Day Seventy-nine [March 20, 2010]
  • Arizona, USA. Governor Jan Brewer announced that President B.O. had declared  eight Arizona counties and six tribal nations, as major disaster areas, due to the damaged caused by the January winter storms.  “Governor Brewer declared emergencies in Apache, Coconino, Gila, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai counties, and sought assistance from the federal government for funding for those areas, as well as for the Gila River Indian Community, the Hopi Tribe, San Carlos Apache and White Mountain Apache Tribes, and the Tohono O’odham and Navajo Nations.” A report said.
  • Yunnan province, SW China. The numbers of people and livestock short of drinking water in SW China have risen from 11 million and 2 million respectively just 5 days ago to more that 20 million people and 12 million  livestock today. SW China on the precipice of catastrophe.
• Day Eighty [March 21, 2010]
  • Fiji Isles. “Aerial surveys show that significant damage has been sustained in the eastern part of Vanua Levu, Taveuni and the northern Lau group. While reports from field assessments are coming in, so far 144 houses are reported totally destroyed and 174 damaged. More than 20 schools and several health facilities have also been damaged.” UN OCHA said. Three deaths have been attributed to the cyclone, as of posting, with no serious injuries reported.   TC TOMAS affected more than 30,000 people across FIJI Isles.
  • KENYA. Cholera risk is spreading across Kenya. “As of 15 March, 15 districts nationwide were affected with cholera, with 663 cases confirmed since January, according to a Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation update. At least 15 deaths have been recorded.” UNOCHA/IRIN reported.
  • Helmand province, Afghanistan. Ten people have been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province. Seven others were also injured in the attack in Gereshk district, officials said.
  • KABUL, Afghanistan — “Bombings killed at least 13 civilians who had gathered to celebrate spring picnics in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, provincial authorities reported, and a joint NATO-Afghan force shot an elderly man in a house raid on a rural village in Wardak Province.” NYTimes reported.
• Day Eighty-one [March 22, 2010]
  • Pakistan. More than 3 dozen people were killed and a comparable number wounded in a series of attacks by U.S. drone aircraft and Pakistani  helicopters in various parts of Pakistan, Reuters reported.
  • Massachusetts, USA. Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown, and a group of Congressmen including Ed Markey, Barney Frank and Jim McGovern have  sent a letter to President B.O. urging him support Massachusetts’ application for a Presidential Disaster declaration as a result of last week’s devastating floods, a report said. More than 25 cm (10 inches) of rain fell on Massachusetts in less than 72 hours, causing severe damage to homes, public facilities and businesses in 6 Massachusetts counties.“The rain came out of nowhere and the floods punched Massachusetts right in the gut. We need to respond for the people who are hurting, whether it’s elderly folks displaced from their homes or businesses that are still shut down, and that means a federal disaster declaration as soon as possible. There’s no time to wait. I’m working closely with Governor Patrick and our delegation, along with other federal, state and local officials to make sure we get aid to these communities right away. I strongly urge President Obama to support the state’s application for a disaster declaration so we can get immediate help to those who need it most,” said Senator John Kerry.
  • Northwestern, NSW, Australia. Natural disaster zones have been declared after large-scale deluge in the Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett shires in northwestern NSW, Australia, a report said.The townships of Goodooga and Wanaaring have been cut off by floodwater, Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan said.’Coming so soon after major flooding at Christmas, these floods are causing and compounding significant damage to roads and other public infrastructure across the Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett shires,’ Mr Whan said on Monday.’This natural disaster declaration means that a range of people who have suffered property damage from these floods, including residents, farmers, business owners and councils, can seek assistance.”
  • Hong Kong. Air pollution soared to record levels in Hong Kong today. “According to the Hedley Environmental Index, which monitors and publishes in real-time the economic costs of Hong Kong’s air pollution, the bad air would have resulted in 175 premature deaths and 1.29 million visits to the doctor so far this year.” Reuters reported.
  • Taiwan. Much of northern Taiwan was declared “hazardous” because of sandstorm, with a number of people hospitalized.
  • Beijing, China. Beijing was hit Monday by a second sandstorm just two days after a severe sandstorm struck on Saturday. The sandstorm originated from Mongolia and arrived in Beijing Monday morning, but was expected to subside by the evening. The health costs of the two storms are bound to be severe; however, as of posting there was no assessment available.
• Day Eighty-two [March 23, 2010]
  • Fujian, China. About 15 pupils have been stabbed to death or seriously injured at a primary school in China’s southern province of Fujian, Xinhua said.
  • Perth, Australia. The city of Perth in western Australia was pummeled by torrential rains, giant hailstones, flash flooding, landslides and 125km/hour winds gusts. The storm, described as a “freak storm,” struck Perth, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses, with the cost of damage estimated at US$100m.
• Day Eighty-three [March 24, 2010]
  • Caracas, Venezuela. A large fire has consumed nearly 120 hectares (300 acres) of the Avila National Park outside Caracas, and is still burning. The thickly wooded slopes are home to more than 120 mammal species and 500 types of bird, Reuters reported.
  • Florida, USA. At least 431 manatees have died in Florida waters due to “cold stress syndrome” so far this year. The fatalities in less than 3 months now exceed the total for any full calendar year on record, authorities said, Reuters reported.
  • Eastern Uzbekistan. At least 14 children have died, out of 147 who were infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in the eastern city of Namangan in 2007-8, regional prosecutor Bakhtier Shodmonov said in a documentary posted on the news portal Ferghana.ru, a report said.
  • New Jersey, USA. President B.O. has declared parts of  New Jersey  major disaster areas. The area was struck by a severe winter storm and snowstorm on February 5-6, 2010.  “A brutal winter storm dumped 28 inches of snow across seven counties in the southern part of the state, Obama said today federal aid would be used to supplement state and local recovery efforts to repair facilities that were damaged during the blizzard.” A report said.
  • North Carolina, USA. Prompted by significant crop loses caused after excessive rain and flooding, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has designated 13 counties in Eastern Carolina as disaster areas. Another 26 adjacent counties will also be eligible. A report said. The primary natural disaster areas: Camden, Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Durham, Granville, Greene, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Pender and Washington counties. The contiguous natural disaster areas: Alamance, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Caswell, Chatham, Columbus, Dare, Duplin, Franklin, Gates, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Pamlico, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Sampson, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Wayne and Wilson counties.
  • Zambia. “At least 30 villages in Mashikili Ward in Keembe Constituency in Chibombo District have been submerged after persistent rains which have also posed a threat to crop yield this year in the area,”  said a report.
• Day Eighty-four [March 25, 2010]
  • Washington, DC, USA. President B.O. has signed a disaster declaration for the District of Columbia related to February’s snowstorms, which left The federal government closed for four consecutive days, a report said.
  • Maine, USA. President B.O. declared a major disaster in the state of Maine after severe winter storms that struck the region between February 23 and March 2, 2010, a report said.
  • Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. “Nelson Mandela Bay was declared a disaster area on Thursday because of an ongoing draught and decreasing water levels, the city said. ” A report said.
  • Chad. Severe droughts in Chad is crippling local agriculture, causing chronic food shortages, according to local reports.  “Severe food shortages in western Chad lead to rising malnutrition in children.” UNICEF reported.
  • Peshawar, Pakistan. “At least 58 people, including militants and civilians, were killed in fierce clashes and artillery and air attacks by security forces on suspected militant positions in the troubled Aurakzai tribal region in northwest Pakistan today, sources said.” A report said.
  • Croton, Licking County, Ohio, USA. At least 250,000 hens were killed as a result of fire in Croton, Licking County, Ohio, a report said.
  • Buenaventura, southwestern Colombia. At least seven people were killed and 50 others wounded when a car bomb exploded in the port city of Buenaventura, southwestern Colombia. A reports said.
  • Kolkata, India. 24 people were killed in a building fire. Four were killed when they jumped out of windows,  two died in hospital, and the 18 others burnt to death. Their bodies  were recovered from the staircase. “The door to the top roof was locked. They could have been alive if they had reached the roof,” an official told AFP.
  • Kenya. President Kibaki declared a state  of emergency “to deal with the effects of drought even as heavy rains pound most parts of the country.” A report said.”In a special issue of the Kenya Gazette, the President invoked sections of the Preservation of Public Security Act to declare that the country was facing prolonged drought even as weathermen predicted that heavy rains will be witnessed in most regions until May.”He said he was “satisfied that the prolonged drought is a national calamity or disaster” and directed that all supplies and services essential to the well being of Kenyans be provided equitably and at fair prices.“
• Day Eighty-five [March 26, 2010]
  • Batangafo, Central African Republic. “A fresh outbreak of fighting between armed groups and herdsmen in Central African Republic has forced at least 1,500 people to flee their villages near the northern town of Batangafo.” UNHCR said.
  • Iowa, USA. Twelve Iowa counties have been added to the list of a presidential disaster declaration for damage sustained during the January ice storms. The addition of Adams, Boone, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dallas, Emmet, Greene, Hardin, Ida, Monona, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Story and Union Counties brings the total number of disaster counties to 27, a report said.
  • Long Island, USA. “The Long Island Power Authority is seeking to get Long Island declared a federal disaster area in order to be reimbursed for millions in costs related to the recent Nor’easter,” a report said.  The cost of damage is estimated at between $20 million and $25 million.
• Day Eighty-six [March 27, 2010]
  • South Korean. A South Korean naval vessel with 104 crew members sank off the west coast of Korean Peninsula. The authorities said other navy ships in the area had rescued 58 of the crew with the remaining 46 unaccounted for, various news agencies reported
  • Mournfulville, Kentucky, USA. Eleven people were killed in I-65 crash, ten of them members of an extended family from Kentucky, reports said.
  • Pakistan-Afghanistan Border. “Five Pakistani soldiers and at least 31 suspected militants have been killed in clashes near the Afghan border, Pakistan’s military has said.” The attack in the tribal district of Orakazi occurred just a day after military aircraft bombed areas in the district killing at least 11 people, BBC reported.
  • Province of Diyala, Iraq. The death toll from two Friday bomb explosions in Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala rose to 53 today with 105 others wounded, a provincial police source said. “Our latest reports said that 53 people were killed and 105 others injured by the two bombings,” the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
• Day Eighty-seven [March 28, 2010]
  • Haut Uele district, northeast Congo. Human Rights Watch released a report detailing a massacre of 321 Congolese by the Uganda-based Lord’s Resistance Army in December 2009, a report said.
  • Al-Qaim, province of Anbar, Iraq. At least 6 people including one official  were killed and 28 others injured in five bomb attacks at a residential area in the town of al-Qaim in Iraq’s western province of Anbar on Sunday, a local police source said, Reuters and Xinhua reported.
  • Afghanistan. At least 11 civilians were killed and several others injured in roadside bomb blasts in Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday, AFP and others reported.  The Interior Ministry said five children were killed when a roadside bomb exploded.
  • Afghanistan. Total number of US troops killed in Afghanistan reached 21 this month (83 for the year, so far).
  • Afghanistan. Total number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan reached 33, so far this year.
  • Afghanistan. Total number of troops from all occupying forces killed in Afghanistan in 2010 reached 136.
  • Thailand. “The Interior Ministry’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department on Friday announced that 53 provinces – 382 districts, 2,499 tambons [local government unit, smaller than a district, covering about 10 villages each] and 19,704 villages – throughout the country have been declared disaster areas because of water shortages.” A report said. About  6.5 million people in 1.8 million households have been affected. “The severe dry season has caused damage to 147,482 rai [~23,600ha] of farmland.”
  • Cebu City, Philippines. “The Cebu City government has placed all 31 mountain barangays in the city under a state of calamity due to the ill effects of the drought brought by the El Niño phenomenon.” A report said.
• Day Eighty-eight [March 29, 2010]
  • Mozambique. “A combination of localized floods and drought conditions have adversely affected the current cropping season. Officially, 456,000 people are estimated to have been affected by drought and floods, which have the potential to threaten 130,000 people living in the floodplains of Zambezi, Búzi, Púngoe, Licungo, and Save basins; 13,000 of them could require immediate evacuation to resettlement villages.” Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) reported.
  • Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Considerable damage has been reported in Rowan County, Charlotte, North Carolina after severe thunderstorms pummeled the area, said Charlotte Observer.
  • Moscow, Russia. “At least 35 people were killed on Monday when two separate blasts rocked metro stations in central Moscow during the rush hour, law enforcement and emergency officials said.” Reuters reported.
  • Southern Sudan. “Food security conditions between April and June are expected to worsen due to a severe hunger period that has already begun three to four months earlier than usual, and may be intensified due to conflict.” FEWS said. “Many IDPs [internally displaced persons,] located mainly in Wullu, Yirol, Awerial, Maper, Mvolo,Biemnon, Panyijar, Terekeka, Kuajina, and Tonj have abandoned farmlands, food stocks, and livestock, and have restricted access to food due to lack of income. Some IDPs may access limited farmland from community members during the next cropping season. The mid–April elections may escalate conflict and add to the estimated 260,000 IDPs in Southern Sudan.”
  • Marjah, Afghanistan. “Over a month since pro-government Afghan and foreign forces retook Nad Ali District, including the town of Marjah, in the southern province of Helmand from Taliban insurgents, thousands of the displaced are yet to return to their homes, according to aid agencies.” UN-OCHA said.
  • Karbala, Iraq. “Serial blasts which tore through the heart of the central Iraqi city of Karbala Monday killed at least 12 people and injured 32, reports said. “ A report said.
  • Pakistan. At least 22 people said to be “Taliban fighters” were killed on Sunday by the Pakistani army. The fighting occurred in the tribal region in Orakazi, a report said.
• Day Eighty-nine [March 30, 2010]
  • Massachusetts, USA. President B.O. issued a disaster declaration for the state of Massachusetts as the Atlantic coast braces for more flooding.  “Also Monday, Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency and mobilized the National Guard.” A report said.
  • Rhode Island, USA. “The federal government has declared several areas of Rhode Island a major disaster after flooding and storms that swept through the state earlier this month. ” Source.
  • Mongolia. The magnitude of disaster caused by extreme cold  in Mongolia increase, devastating nomadic herder communities. About 10% of the country’s livestock, some 4.5 million heads, have now perished leaving thousands of families with nothing to survive on, a report said. (See also February entries.)
  • West Virginia, USA. President B.O. has signed a “major disaster declaration” for West Virginia’s flood-stricken regions.  “Southern West Virginia counties were slammed March 12-13 with flooding from a combination of torrential rain and lingering piles of snow on already saturated ground. Two died during the storm,” said a report.
  • New Hampshire, USA. President B.O. has declared the six counties in NH major disaster areas. The damage occurred in February’s wind storm. Gov. John Lynch says the cost of damaged has exceeded $10 million, said a report.
  • Detroit, USA. “Jobless residents throughout Detroit are victims of a man-made disaster that is devastating communities across the country. And when life gets tough for America, the pain for black Americans is exponentially worse.
    Today, the unemployment rate for African-Americans is 15.8 percent, nearly double the national average. Detroit’s unemployment rate is just under 30 percent, disproportionately African-American men. The mayor and local leaders say their figures show the actual jobless rate to be closer to 50 percent. That’s no longer a recession, it’s a depression.” Source.
  • Kansas, USA. Gov. Mark Parkinson is seeking a federal agricultural disaster declaration for Allen and Linn counties in response to weather-related crop losses from heavy rains between September 1 and December 31, 2009, a report said.
  • New York, USA. Gov David Paterson is urging President B.O. for a major disaster declaration for Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties in the wake of the March 13 through 15 Nor’easter that caused flooding, said a report.
  • Afghanistan-Pakistan Border. “Pakistani ground troops backed by war planes and helicopter gunships killed 10 [alleged] militants Tuesday in the latest battle zone in the tribal area near Afghanistan, security officials said.”  AFP reported.
  • Pakistan.  “Pakistani fighter planes bombed Taliban positions in the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai on Tuesday, killing 26 [people alleged to be] militants and destroying some of their hideouts, a government official said.” Reuters reported.
  • Mexico. “Ten students, ages 8 to 21, were shot to death while traveling in the Mexican state of Durango to receive government scholarships, officials said.”  Source. Another21 people were killed on Sunday.
  • Mexico. At least 18 people were killed in attacks on 2 Mexican army bases, a report said.
• Day Ninety [March 31, 2010]
  • Shandong province, China. Staff at a local hospital morgue in Jining, a city in Shandong province on China’s east coast dumped 21 dead fetuses and infants’ bodies near the banks of Guangfu River,  said a report. Some of the babies are known to have died of diseases, though the exact nature of those has not been revealed.
  • Rhode Island, USA. President B.O. has issued an emergency declaration for the entire state of Rhode Island, in response to the worst of widespread flooding in the Northeast which prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents, local media reported.
  • Pakistan. Five Pakistani soldiers and 25 others were killed in Pakistan clash, a report said.
  • Dagestan, Russia. “At least 12 people, including a top local police official, have been killed by two suicide bombings in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.” A report said.  Nine of the victims were said to be police officers. Another eighteen people were injured in the two blasts, the report added.
  • Afghanistan. “At least 13 people have been killed and about 40 more injured by a bomb attack on a market in Lashkar Gah in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province,” RFI reported.

Related Links:

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

Pakistani fighter planes bombed Taliban positions in the northwest on Sunday, killing 16 militants and destroying three hideouts, a government official said.

“The antiphase will rapidly transform humans into vicious animals, fighting each other for water, food, fuel, land and all other dwindling natural resources. The fighting, in turn, enhances the positive feedbacks, accelerating the downward spiral.” —EDRO

Note: IF the numbers of fatalities/casualties in a given disaster are claimed to be larger than a few hundreds, and no video or photographic evidence is presented to support the claim, those figures should be carefully analyzed. Governments and aid organizations invariably exaggerate the casualty figures to maximize the inflow of aid and donations for self-serving purposes and interests other than those of the victims. See footnote at https://feww.wordpress.com/earthquake/haiti-earthquake-disaster/

Disaster Calendar 2010 is Copyright of Fire-Earth Blog Authors. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.