State of Emergency Declared on Greek Island of Zante amid Massive Wildfires

“It’s arson according to an organized plan… There is no doubt about it” — Justice Minister

State of emergency was declared after more than a dozen blazes had raged on the popular tourist island of Zante, also known as Zakynthos, for four days.

“It’s arson according to an organized plan […] There is no doubt about it,” said the Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis, who is  the member of parliament for Zakynthos.

Elsewhere, a massive wildfire near Athens has also been burning for several days, consuming thousands of hectares of brush in steep terrain.

The blaze started in Kalamos, a coastal town about some 45 km NE of the capital, and rapidly spread to three other towns, destroying or damaging dozens of homes and prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency in the area.

MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, Aug. 29, 2014

VOLCANIC ERUPTION
SIGNIFICANT SEISMIC EVENTS
BARDARBUNGA VOLCANO
TAVURVUR VOLCANO
SCENARIOS 023, 017, 09, 08, 07
.

Fissure eruption reported in Holuhraun lava field, Dyngjujokull glacier, Iceland

The eruption breached surface in Holuhraun lava field about 5km north of Dyngjujokull about 00:02 GMT on Friday, said IMO.

Seismic activity has decreased as a result of the pressure release, however a significant amount of earthquakes is still detected in the magma dike, between the eruption site and south to about 5 km into Dyngjujökull.

The aviation color-code was raised to “red” and back to “orange,” as there was no ash emission.

A significant shock measuring 5.2Mw centered at 64.770°N, 17.335°W occurred at a depth of 7.5km at 12:21UTC, said USGS/EHP.

Tavurvur Volcano Erupts in Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Mount Tavurvur on PNG’s East New Britain Island erupted violently at 3.00 a.m. local time,  said Rabaul Volcanological Observatory.

It ejected plumes of smoke and ash to a height of about 17,000m over the South Pacific island country, forcing the authorities to warn local residents to stay indoors, and causing airlines to alter some flight paths.

“Flight paths between Sydney and Narita (Tokyo) and Sydney and Shanghai have been altered as a result of the volcanic ash cloud over Rabaul in eastern Papua New Guinea,” Qantas spokeswoman told Reuters.

The eruption reached the top of the atmosphere at 50,000 feet, which is the same height as which planes travel, could disrupt air flights from Australia, said the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia.

M5.6 Quake Strikes South of Athens, Greece

Centered at 36.738°N, 23.757°E, about 137km south of Athens, the quake struck at a depth of 91.8km, said USGS/EHP.

The quake was felt in Athens; however, there were no reports of casualties or severe damage, as of posting.

Significant Quakes Strike Greece, Red Sea

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
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M4.6 quake strikes N of Athens, Greece

Centered at 38.525°N 23.703°E the quake occurred at a depth of about 10km some 60km (37mi) N of Athens, Greece.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 4.6Mw
Event Time: 2014-07-11 09:46:06 UTC
Location: 38.525°N 23.703°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 6km (4mi) E of Nea Artaki, Greece
• 11km (7mi) NE of Chalkida, Greece
• 40km (25mi) NE of Thivai, Greece
• 43km (27mi) NNW of Ayios Stefanos, Greece
• 60km (37mi) N of Athens, Greece

EQ Location Map

M4.6 quake strikes the Red Sea

Magnitude: 4.6Mw – 40.13°E 17.32°N Depth=10 km [GEOFON Program]
Event Time: 2014-07-10 21:53:59 UTC
Location: 17.759°N 40.112°E depth=14.9km (9.2mi) [USGS/EHP]
Nearby Cities:

• 182km (113mi) SW of Al Qunfidhah, Saudi Arabia
• 211km (131mi) NE of Nak’fa, Eritrea
• 242km (150mi) SW of Al Majaridah, Saudi Arabia
• 243km (151mi) WNW of Farasan, Saudi Arabia
• 296km (184mi) NNE of Asmara, Eritrea