DISASTER Diary – May 20, 2013

88 Killed, more than 150 injured in Iraq shooting and bombing attacks

At least nine bomb explosions ripped through predominantly Shia districts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Monday, killing dozens of people and wounding over 130 others, reports said.

Two car bombs hit the predominantly Shia city of Basra in southern Iraq also on  Monday, killing at least 13 and injuring 40 others.

Meantime, the authorities found the bodies of 13 people kidnapped on Saturday in a desert in Anbar Province with bullet wounds to their heads and chests. At least 6 of the victims were policemen.

The death toll from Iraqi violence exceeded 200, with hundreds of others injured.

April was the deadliest month in Iraq since 2008, as bombing attacks and shootings killed more than 700 people and injured at least 1,600 others across the country, said the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Baghdad was the deadliest province, with at least 211 killed and about 500 injured, UNAMI reported.

-oOo-

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 20, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,027 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,027 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Global Disasters/ Significant Events Headlines – 19 April 2013

UPDATE: Texas fertilizer plant explosion

UPDATE @ 12:00 UTC –  12 bodies have been recovered, at least 35 people are missing [some of the victims may have been vaporized in the inferno,] and more than 200 injured in the blast, officials have said.

A deadly blast rocked the West Fertilizer Plant in the small town of West north of Waco, Texas at about 7.50pm local time  on Wednesday [00:50 UTC on Thursday.]

Dozens of people are feared dead and at least 160 were injured, including 24 – 48 critically, after the explosion destroyed scores of home and released toxic fumes into the air. [There’s NO official death toll as yet, but West mayor said the explosion had killed at least 14 people, as the search to recover bodies continued.]

The Day After. An aerial view shows the aftermath of a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in the town of West, near Waco, Texas April 18, 2013. A large apartment block destroyed by the blast is seen on top left corner of the image. Credit: REUTERS/Adrees Latif. More images…

The blast was recorded as a 2.1 magnitude quake by USGS/EHP, which said, “the magnitude measures only the ground motion, not the air wave, so is substantially less than the true size of the event.”

“Every house within about four blocks is blown apart,”  the Waco Tribune quoted an eyewitness as saying.

Image shows the smoldering West Fertilizer Co. plant in West, Texas after a massive  explosion. Credit: McLennan County Sheriff and Fire

Texas state Gov. Perry said he would declare the area a disaster and request an emergency declaration for federal aid from the White House.

Official have evacuated half of the town’s 2,700 population. West is located in north-central part of Texas  about 20 miles (32 km) north of Waco.

Smoke rises from the scene of an explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant in West, Texas in this April 18, 2103 still image from video courtesy of NBCDFW TV. REUTERS/NBCDFW-NBC/Handout

“The West plant is one of thousands of sites across rural America that store and sell hazardous materials such as chemicals and fertilizer for agricultural use, many within close range of residences and schools,” said a report.

It’s not known why the planning authorities allowed so many residential units to be built  so close to a fertilizer plant.

Officials said there was NO evidence of foul play.

• See also:  Massive Explosion at Texas Plant ‘Kills Many,’ Injures Hundreds, Levels 5-Block Radius April 18, 2013

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State of Emergency declared in Illinois amid widespread flooding

Illinois Governor Quinn has declared a state of emergency as  widespread flooding brought havoc to the Chicago area on Thursday, with another wave of storms forecast for the region.

“Heavy rainfall over the past few days has created dangerous flooding in areas across the state,” Quinn said. “Everyone should stay home and off the roads if possible. To ensure safety as these storms continue, people should be alert and avoid flooded areas.”

Several towns and counties have separately declared a state of emergency, including Elmhurst, Lisle and Lombard.

“Quinn said a hospital in Morris had to be evacuated as well as two trailer parks currently under water. Residents have lost whole rooms of belongings, and in Chicago a sinkhole swallowed three cars, injuring a man,” according to a report.

Three cars were swallowed by a sinkhole Thursday on Chicago’s South Side. One person was injured. Source: nbcchicago. More images …

• Road Closures Map

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State of emergency Declared in Wyoming, Michigan

Mayor of Wyoming, Mich., has declared a state of emergency in the city due to  flooding.

• Mandatory evacuations have been issued for the worst affected areas, said a report.

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State of emergency Declared in Alma, Michigan

A state of emergency has been declared in the city of Alma, Mich., due to flooding.

• “Flood levels are expected to continue through Wednesday, April 23,” said a report.
  

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States of emergencies declared in 2 Michigan counties

Midland and Newaygo counties in Michigan have both declared a state of emergency due to flooding, said a report.

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State of emergencies declared in Benton County, Ark.

Officials have declared a state of emergency in Benton County, Ark., after extreme rain events caused widespread flooding, said a report.

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China reports four new H7N9 infections

Health officials in China have reported 7 new cases of H7N9 avian flu infections in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang,  said a report.

• The latest cases raises the total number of H7N9 infections to at least 87, with 17 fatalities.
• The latest 3 (of a total of 30) patients in Zhejiang are said to be in critical condition.
  

Human-to-human transmission of H7N9 revisited

More than 50 percent of patients infected with H7N9 virus in China had no contact with poultry, said the World Health Organization on Friday.

• “As the investigation gets deeper we’re finding that more than half have had no contact with poultry”, O’Leary told a briefing.

• “It’s hard to definitively rule in or rule out chickens”, he said. “This is still an animal virus that occasionally infects humans. With rare exceptions, we know that people are not getting sick from other people.” The WHO’s China representative reported.
  

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27 killed, 51 wounded in Baghdad cafe bombing

At least 27 people were killed and 51 others wounded on Thursday when a bomb exploded in a cafe in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, reports said.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – April 19, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,058 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,058 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Baghdad Blasts: Hundreds Killed or Wounded

Bombings in 14 locations leave at least 63 dead and 185 wounded

Baghdad’s worst bombings in months have claimed hundreds of dead and wounded.

Disaster Calendar 2011 – December 22

[December 22, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,546 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Baghdad, Iraq. Co-ordinated bomb attacks in 14 location throughout the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, have killed at least 63 people and injured more than 185, officials said.
• The attackers blasted civilian instead of security targets, a military spokesman said.
• “They targeted children’s schools, day workers and the anti-corruption agency,” he told reporters.
• The attacks come shortly after an arrest warrant was issued for Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi on terror charges.
• The Disaster President, Barrack Obama, was quoted as saying that the US forces were leaving behind “a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government elected by its people.”
• Up to 700 others have been killed or wounded in recent Iraqi bombings over the past few months.

Other Global Disasters

• Thailand. More than 15,000 villages in 20 of Thailand’s 76 provinces have been declared “cold spell disaster zones,” said Thailand’s director general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.
• The disaster provinces facing “critical cold climate” are Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Phrae, Uttaradit, Nan, Tak, Phayao, Lampang, Sakon Nakhon, Lei, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Kalasin, Buri Ram, Suphanburi, Ratchaburi, Chiang Rai, Ubon Ratchathani and Mahasarakham, he said.
• See also previous entry.
• India. The official death toll from a cold snap sweeping northern India has climbed to at least 95, reports said.
• Most of the deaths occur among the homeless  and the dispossessed elderly.
• The actual death toll may be a lot higher.
• India has the world’s 9th largest military expenditure, spending more than $41.3 billion on its armed forces (Source: SIPRI).
• Thailand. A total of 754 bodies have now been recovered, with at least three people still missing following the epic flooding that inundated large parts of Thailand, according to the country’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.  said
• The floods still prevail in six provinces, affecting at least 4 million people.
• The six flooded provinces are Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Lopburi, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.

Global Disaster Links

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar