“Fake dollars” stirs up Shanghai crowed into a deadly frenzy
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede during New Year celebrations in Shanghai, east China.
The incident occurred at Chenyi Square in Shanghai’s Bund area at around 11:35 pm when coupons that looked like dollar bills were thrown from a building resulting in a deadly frenzy to collect the fake money, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Original caption: Photo taken on Jan. 1, 2015 shows a picture of a coupon in a cellphone that looks like “dollar bill” which was thrown from a building’s third-floor window near the scene of an accident that caused casualties among people who took part in new year celebrations in east China’s Shanghai. New Year celebrations in Shanghai’s bund area went astray Wednesday night as a stampede resulted in 35 people dead and 42 injured. A witness said that some coupons were thrown from a building’s third-floor window near the Bund and people standing along the river bank started to scramble for these coupons. The city has set up a working team for rescue operations and to deal with the aftermath. (Xinhua/Ding Ting). More images…
Death Toll Rises in Philippine Storm
Death toll from Tropical Depression JANGMI (local name “SENIANG”) has climbed to at least 54, said a report.
JANGMI weakened into a low pressure area (LPA) on New Year’s eve.
The fatalities were reported in Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao regions,said the report.
The final storm to hit the Philippines in 2014, JANGMI affected 486,512 people in seven regions, triggering 17 incidents of flooding and 12 landslides, destroying or damaging 1,533 houses.
“Thirty-eight roads and 20 bridges remain non-passable in the Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.”
United States
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued dozens of Warnings, Watches and Advisories as “an unusually cold low pressure system” continues to “move from the Colorado River Valley to the southern Rockies Thursday.”
An extreme cold front swooped on Southern California causing several deaths and injuries and plunging temperatures in the Los Angeles Basin by at least 10 degrees below the average.
Meantime, temperature plunged to a record -19 degrees Fahrenheit at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, smashing the previous minimum record of -11 degrees set 116 years ago.
National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
Low Temperature for Wednesday, December 31, 2014
- -44.5ºC (-48ºF) at Daniel, WY
High Temperature for Wednesday, December 31, 2014
- 28.3ºC (83ºF) at West Kendall (Tamiami AP), FL
NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD – Issued 1 am EST Thursday, January 1, 2015
Temperature spread (calculated by FIRE-EARTH) = 72.8°C (131°F)
Bulgaria
A state of emergency has been declared in three municipalities in Montana District, Northwest Bulgaria, said a report quoting the officials.
“Big snowdrifts of over 1 metre formed on Monday, December 29, at about 3:00 p.m. along the roads in the municipalities of Valchedram, Lom, Yakimovo, Brusartsi and Medkovets owing to strong winds and heavy snowfall,” said the report.
Huge Fire Razes Shanties in a Manila Slum
Thousands of poor families have been displaced after a huge fire destroyed about 1,000 shanties in a metro Manila slum. The fire was reportedly ignited by firecrackers.
The massive blaze, which razed a kilometer-long row of shanties, was one of at least 14 major fires reported across the country as Filipinos ushered in the New Year.
Two of the fires turned deadly claiming at least a dozen lives, local media quoted the authorities as saying.
Fire Earth 