Earth is fighting to stay alive. Mass dieoffs, triggered by anthropogenic assault and fallout of planetary defense systems offsetting the impact, could begin anytime!
Emergency Bulletins are now available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.
-------------------------------
We do NOT use Twitter or Facebook accounts. Our user names including "FEWW" have been hijacked by trolls.
-------------------------------
WARNING: WordPress Digitally Tracking Visitors!
Injury Claims Against Google: Fire-Earth posts important news & unique analysis that could help save you from harm, but Google [Alphabet Inc] filters the blog to protect their vast business interest. If you incur any injury or loss due to the denial of information, you may sue the Internet Mafia for damages.
STOP CENSORING THE REAL NEWS
WordPress is HACKING this blog!
WordPress continues to hack FIRE-EARTH & affiliated blogs at the behest of its corporate clients.
Blog Moderators condemn in the strongest terms the blatant removal and manipulation of content.
Starting January 29, 2013, Google & WordPress have restricted access to FIRE-EARTH reducing blog traffic by up to 95 percent, enabling their affiliated sites and commercial partners to hijack (and twist) the news, analysis and core ideas presented here.
Blocking information, hacking websites and twisting the facts concerning harm inflicted to Earth by humans are major crimes against nature, punishable by drought, famine, disease...
Caution
Technical information and scientific data from the US Government agencies (NASA, EPA…) are subject to variation due to political expediency.
This caution also extends to the UN organizations (e.g., FAO, WHO…).
As of August 2011, FIRE-EARTH will no longer reprint photos from NASA, due to the agency's wanton crimes against nature.
March 2023
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
ORIGINAL CONTENT POSTED ON THIS BLOG ARE COPYRIGHTS OF THE BLOG AUTHORS.
Content MAY BE REPRODUCED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES BY PRIOR PERMISSION ONLY.
REPRINTING FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES OR POSTING ON BLOGS THAT CARRY COMMERCIAL ADS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
YOU may NOT copy, re-blog or otherwise reproduce any part of this blog on Facebook or Twitter.
More than one million Rohingya face dramatic overcrowding in Bangladesh refugees camps, or are internally displaced
Prompted by the scope and speed of Rohingya refugee crisis, UNHCR declared a “Level 3 Emergency” – the highest level – in mid-September.
Excerpts from reports published by
Save the Children
UNOCHA
UNHCR
More than half a million Rohingya fleeing horrific violence and bloodshed in Myanmar have arrived in Bangladesh over the past six weeks.
According to latest estimates some 515,000 refugees have fled from Myanmar since 25 August, including people continuing to arrive this week. The emergency assistance is focused on refugee protection, shelter, water and sanitation and bolstering the capacity of the local host communities across south-east Bangladesh. Relieving dramatic overcrowding in the two existing camps – Kutupalong and Nyapara – which are now twice their population prior to the latest crisis – is also a priority, not least as refugee numbers are still growing.
Among the refugees are large numbers of children, many of them unaccompanied or separated from their families. More than half the new arrivals are women, including mothers with small children or infants. There are also many older people and people with disabilities. Illness, injuries and trauma as a result of extreme violence, torture and sexual abuse exacerbate the hardships. Many have lost family, relatives and friends. The new arrivals have joined an estimated 300,000 refugees who were already in Bangladesh before the crisis.
Internally Displaced People
Additionally, there are 121,000 internally displaced people in Rakhine State and 98,000 others in Kachin and Shan States.
An estimated 281,000 newly arrived Rohingya are in need of urgent nutrition support to prevent or treat malnutrition, according to new data from the Inter-Sector Coordination Group, including 145,000 children under the age of five and more than 50,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women.
At least 14,000 newly arrived Rohingya children under five are already believed to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
More deaths and diseases follow the deadly floods in S. Asia
Outbreaks of malaria, dengue, diarrhea and respiratory infections have hit tens of thousands of people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal as the waters from the worst floods in recent years recede, aid agencies have said.
Severe floods have killed up to 1,500 people in South Asia since July, leaving tens of thousands displaced, in open air.
About 40,000 people have been infected in Bangladesh and Nepal, while multiple communities have been entirely wiped out in India’s eastern state of Bihar, Save the Children said.
An estimated 17 million children need protection, healthcare and basic nutrition in India alone, the agency said.
A campaign of arson, mass killing and rape by the Myanmar army is forcing up to 90,000 Rohingya minority to cross the border into already strained refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from previous outbreaks of violence have already fled Myanmar seeking safety in overcrowded Bngladesh refugee camps, UNHCR said.
Deadlier than average monsoon rains wreak havoc in India, Nepal and Bangladesh
Incessant rains have destroyed roads, bridges and other public infrastructure, washed away crops and killed scores of people and farm animals across South Asia.
The floods have ruined hundreds of thousands of homes, affecting or displacing up to 10 million people, according to local news.
Sierra Leone mudslide
The death toll in Sierra Leone mudslide has passed 500, with at least 600 others still missing.
Congo
Meanwhile, a massive landslide in eastern Congo buried a village last week, and may have killed hundreds of people.
Additional information on increasing threats of landslides in central and west and Africa are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.
MORA devastates Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh
Cyclone MORA made landfall between the port of Cox’s Bazar and the city of Chittagong just after 00:01 UTC on Tuesday.
The cyclone has killed at least 10 people, so far, and forced 300,000 people to evacuate. About 1 million others await evacuation.
Low-lying coastal areas in 17 coastal districts, including Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong, were “likely to be inundated” by a storm surge of about 1.5m above normal levels, authorities warned, as the cyclone headed north.
More than 20,000 shelters in refugee camps for Rohingya in Balukhali and Kutupalong were damaged, according to reports.
“In some places, almost every shanty home made of tin, bamboo and plastic has been flattened,” a community leader told reporters.
An estimated 350,000 Rohingya, who have fled the violence in Myanmar, and were housed in large camps in Cox’s Bazar, have been severely affected.
Japanese establishment financially supports Buddhist Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing of Rohingya –Informed sources
Myanmar is pursuing the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority from its territory, a senior UN official has told reporters.
John McKissick, a representative of the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said Burmese troops have been “killing men, shooting them, slaughtering children, raping women, burning and looting houses, forcing these people to cross the river” into neighboring Bangladesh.
“The Rohingya are being squeezed by the callous actions of both the Myanmar and Bangladesh authorities. Fleeing collective punishment in Myanmar, they are being pushed back by the Bangladeshi authorities. Trapped between these cruel fates, their desperate need for food, water and medical care is not being addressed,” said Amnesty International’s South Asia Director.
The Bangladeshi authorities have cracked down on the flow of Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar. Over the past week, the Bangladesh Border Guards have detained and forcibly returned hundreds.
Myanmar’s Buddhist majority consider the Rohingya as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
Lightning strikes kill more than 260 people in Bangladesh
At least 261 people have been killed by lightning strikes in Bangladesh, so far this year, putting the disaster-prone country on track to top last year’s 265 fatalities.
Most lightning deaths in the region occur during the warm months in spring, summer and early fall.
India
Meanwhile, at least 93 people were killed by lightning storms across India in the past 2 days, and dozens more have been injured.
The government has declared that it will give 400,000 rupees ($5,925) to each of the lightning victims’ families. Injured farmers may also receive some compensation.
In 2014, a record 2,500 people were killed in the country, according to the official figures.
“It looks as if the entire area has been flattened by a bulldozer.”
Cyclone ROANU brought strong winds, heavy rains and tidal surges when it made landfall along the coast of Bangladesh. It is estimated that 75,000 houses were destroyed and more than 200,000 people were left homeless. Strong winds of up to 90-km per hour wreaked havoc in the coastal areas, leaving widespread devastation in their wake.
“It looks as if the entire area has been flattened by a bulldozer. None of the tin or thatch-roofed houses in the area are left standing,” said a member of the National Disaster Response Team of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.
“I used to earn around 300 to 350 Bangladeshi Taka (4.00 – 4.50 US Dollars) per day. My family lived on that income. I don’t have any savings. The storm destroyed my stock and there is no one left in the village who can buy anything,” said a villager.
Tropical Storm ROANU displaces more than 1.3 million in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
More than 1 million people have been evacuated in Bangladesh following the devastation caused by Tropical Storm ROANU.
The storm made landfall in Bangladesh on 21 May, killing dozens of people and destroying or damaging about 100,000 houses across 15 districts. The Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Chandpur districts being among the worst hit, said the Bangladeshi Department of Disaster Management.
Sri Lanka
Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm ROANU have affected 400,000 people across Sri Lanka, since May 15.
The storm related disasters have killed about 90, and left 116 others missing. The floods have displaced about 300,000 people. “The majority of the displaced are in Colombo and Gampaha districts. Water, sanitation and hygiene, health, shelter and food have been identified as priorities.” OCHA reported.
Maldives
Continuous heavy rainfall and storm surges on 15 islands have damaged/destroyed homes and properties.
Micronesia
All four island states of Micronesia remain under States of Emergency due to severe drought which continues to affect 100,000 people. Yap and the Chuuk Northwest region are the worst affected. The Government reports that food security for the outlying islands is a serious concern with saltwater intrusion destroying taro patches, the main staple crop. Yap State is currently providing food assistance to residents of the outlying islands. [UN OCHA]
Marshall Islands
Despite recent rainfall, an estimated 21,000 people remain severely affected by El Niño-induced drought across the Marshall Islands. Food baskets are being prepared for distribution to people in the outer islands. An outbreak of conjunctivitis or pinkeye (inflammation of the eye) was also reported in Majuro.
Health officials have linked the outbreak to the limited water available for handwashing. [UN OCHA]
¼ Million people stranded in Bangladesh as floods, deadly mudslides bury hundreds of villages
Flash floods and deadly mudslides have drowned hundreds of villages in low-lying areas of Bangladesh, including southeastern districts of Cox’ Bazar, Bandarban and Chittagong, destroying scores of homes and leaving about 250,000 people stranded since June 24.
At least two dozen people have lost their lives and many more are injured, according to reports.
The victims are facing food shortages as well as lack of safe drinking water, and are at the risk of being affected by water-borne diseases, according to the government’s Disaster Management Information Center (DMIC).
Men, women and children are being raped “to eliminate public protest,” said a report. Detainees are routinely subject to virginity tests, rape and gang rape after arrest.
“The study notes a surge in sexual violence after the Egyptian military takeover in July 2013.”
Time running out for thousands in distress at sea: UNHCR
Time is running out for thousands of people in distress at sea, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday warned, urging governments in the Southeast Asia region to urgently rescue the vulnerable people.
“We estimate that nearly 4,000 people from Myanmar and Bangladesh remain stranded at sea with dwindling supplies on board. This includes some 2,000 men, women and children stranded on at least five boats near the Myanmar-Bangladesh coasts for more than 40 days. Unconfirmed reports suggest the number could be higher,” UNHCR spokesman told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.
Chadians Fleeing Boko Haram
An estimated 32,000 Chadians and other internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled Boko Haram attacks and crossed the border from Nigeria into Chad’s Lac Chad region since the beginning of January 2015, said IOM.
Islamic State terrorists take control of Ramadi, Iraq
Islamic State terrorists have taken control of Ramadi. At least 500 have been killed and 42,840 people fled fighting in the city over 16–17 May, adding to the 180,000 already displaced in Anbar since early April. Access to new IDPs in Habbaniyah, Khadiyah district, is limited due to insecurity, and health concerns are growing, reported Acaps.
Sudan: Fighting between Southern Reizeigat and Maaliya tribes in Abu Karinka, East Darfur, has reportedly displaced up to 24,000 households – 168,000 people. Those who remain have been cut off from water, food, and fuel aid. Measles cases have climbed to 4,127 so far this year, with West Darfur the worst-affected state. http://geo.acaps.org
Burundi: Displacement has increased sharply with the worsening political crisis. 105,000 people are seeking asylum in neighbouring countries, including 78,000 in Tanzania, where living conditions are worsening rapidly. Political protests continue in Burundi, despite the President warning that protesters will be considered accomplices of perpetrators of the attempted coup. http://geo.acaps.org
Extreme Rain Events have triggered severe flooding across Bangladesh, destroying homes, public infrastructure and croplands.
Up to a million people have already fled their homes, as floodwaters threaten the densely populated capital, Dhaka.
“Over the next couple of days the flood situation around Dhaka [could] further deteriorate,” warned an official at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center.
“The main rivers continue to flow above danger levels due to heavy rainfall upstream in India. We expect the situation to worsen in the next 72 hours.”
Flooding has destroyed large swathes of croplands in dozens of districts, killing scores of livestock.
“I’ve lost my home and my rice,” said a farmer in the northern district of Rangpur. “My two cows are also missing. I don’t know how I’ll survive the year.”
Extreme Weather and Climate Events have claimed more than half million lives in the country over the past 4 decades.
Pavlof continues to erupt amid near continuous seismicity
PAVLOF VOLCANO (CAVW #1102-03-)
Location: 55°25’2″ N 161°53’37” W,
Summit Elevation: 8261 ft (2,518 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Lava is fountaining at Pavlof summit, as the volcano continues to erupt, spewing continuous ash, steam, and gas cloudd to an altitude of about 20,000 ft above sea level, AVO reported.
This morning the cloud was carried to the southeast. Satellite images show persistent elevated surface temperatures at the summit and on the northwest flank, commensurate with the summit lava fountaining and resulting lava flow.
Seismic activity remains elevated with nearly continuous tremor recorded on the seismic network.
Pavlof in eruption, May 16, 2013 at 04:00 PM AKDT. Photograph courtesy of pilot Theo Chesley/ via AVO
Pavlof Volcano erupting on May 16, 2013. Photo taken from about 6,000 ft, at 10:20 am, by pilot Theo Chesley. This view is looking at the north side of Pavlof; the peak in the foreground is Pavlof Sister. Image courtesy of the photographer via AVO.
=0=
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Cyclone MAHASEN Damaged or Destroyed Thousands of Homes in Bangladesh
At least a million people had been forced to flee low-lying coastal areas as the cyclone approached. However, the storm weakened rapidly prior to landing.
Nevertheless, it damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, mostly mud houses, and left dozens of people dead, including more than two dozen from Myanmar.
=0=
“Monster” Tornado Left 13 Dead or Missing, Destroyed Scores of Homes
The deadly tornado struck a subdivision of Rancho Brazos, near the town of Granbury in Hood County, N Texas with winds of up to 200 miles per hour, and was rated EF4 by the National Weather Service (NWS).
“This tornado was a monster,” said Hood County Commissioner. “It’s just devastating.”
The tornado left at least 13 people dead or missing, with about 50 others injured, destroyed more than 120 homes, and displaced over 250 residents.
=0=
Iraq Violence: 100 Killed, Hundreds more Wounded in 3 Days
At least 47 people were killed and many dozens wounded in two explosions in Baquba, a city located about 50 km north of Baghdad, and Madain located further south, reports quoting local police said.
Since Wednesday May 15 about 100 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded in bombing campaigns across Iraq.
=0=
S China Storms Affect 2 million people, Dozens Dead or Missing
“Ten provincial localities in south China have been affected by the fresh round of storms and flooding that began on Tuesday, including Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Sichuan,” said a report.
DISASTER CALENDAR – May 17, 2013— SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,030 Days Left
Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,030 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History
Bangladesh could be hit by intensifying MAHASEN: Forecasters
TS MAHASEN is forecast to intensify, striking Bangladesh as a severe cyclonic storm at about 20:30UTC on May 16, according to several models.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall near 21.1 N, 91.2 E, (near Chittagong, Bangladesh’s min seaport and 2nd largest city) with sustained winds of about 120 km/h (80 mph), and wind gusts reaching 165km/h.
“Depression which already turned into cyclonic storm would likely move initially northwestwards during the next 36 hours and recurve thereafter northeastwards towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast,” according to a bulletin issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
At 15:00UTC on Monday May 13, the Tropical Cyclone 01B (MAHASEN) was positioned near 12.8N, 85.7E, about 630 NM (1,160km) SSW of Kolkata, India, tracking NW at 6-hr average forward speed of 09NM, according to JTWC.
The authorities are concluding the rescue operation at Rana Plaza garment factory complex twenty days into the collapse. The confirmed death toll was 1,127, on May 13.
Many people were still missing. The official number of missing was 149 but unofficial estimates are reportedly higher.
-=-
Illinois, USA: Eleven Counties Declared Federal Disaster Areas
The White House has issued a fedear disaster declaration for 11 Illinois counties that suffered damage from last month’s flooding.
Powerful storms, severe flooding and high winds hit Illinois in April, causing destruction and damage in 49 counties.
Counties covered by the federal disaster declaration are Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Wil.
Assessment teams found about 3,700 damaged homes across 14 counties.
Gov. Quinn previously declared 49 Illinois counties as state disaster areas.
-=-
DISASTER CALENDAR – May 13, 2013— SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,034 Days Left
Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,034 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History
MAHASEN, which formed over Indian Ocean near Bay of Bengal early Saturday, is forecast to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ by Monday morning, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Tropical Storm MAHASEN. Base Image: 8km Res Visible/Shortwave IR Image 2013/05/12/01:30UTC. Working Best Track 10MAY2013/06:00UTC- 12MAY2013/00:00UTC. Official TCFC Forecast 12MAY2013/00:00UTC (source: JTWC). Credit CIMSS
Indian Ocean’s first cyclone of the season, MAHASEN promises to bring heavy rains and high winds to the region.
The storm was heading northwestwards, about 1,000km away from India’s eastern coast, as of posting. However, the cyclone could change trajectory moving towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast in the next 36 hours, said IMD.
“I opened the front door and the whole mountain was on fire.” —a Ventura County resident
Thousands of people including residents in several Ventura County communities and students at Cal State Uni Channel Islands were forced to evacuate after several wildfires consumed more than 10,000 acres.
Fast moving Springs fire forced authorities to evacuate students from Cal State Uni Channel Islands in Camarillo and resident of several neighborhoods in Ventura County.
More than 2,000 homes were threatened by the blaze, which had damaged about two dozen homes, as of posting.
Springs fire, powered by Santa Ana winds, extremely low humidity and temperatures in the upper 90s, had consumed at least 8,000 acres and was only 10% contained, as of posting.
Banning Fire in Riverside County, which has consumed at least 3,000 acres since Wednesday, was 40% contained by Thursday, said Cal Fire.
Another brush fire in Tehama County, north of the town of Butte Meadows, had consumed more than 2,000 acres and was only 10% contained.
Several other fires were burning in northern Calif., as of posting.
Officials closed a 10-mile section of Pacific Coast Highway between Las Posas Road in Ventura County and the Los Angeles County due to extreme fire hazard.
“This is the problem we have: high winds, high temperatures, low humidities, plus the (vegetation) fuels that have been suffering from the drought we’ve had this winter. This all adds up to a perfect storm for wildfire.”
Some 945 fire personnel are tackling the blaze from fire departments throughout the Southland.
Calif. Max Temps Forecast. See inset for forecast time and period.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
US military cargo plane crashes in Kyrgyzstan
A US tanker aircraft used for midair refueling over Afghanistan has crashed after taking off from US Manas airbase near Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek, according to reports.
The US military uses the Manas airbase for its operations in Afghanistan since 2001.
A crew of five people were flying the KC-135 Stratotanker, according to AKI Press, a Kyrgyz news agency.
Second Crash in 4 Days
At least 7 crew members of a 747-400 US cargo plane were killed when the aircraft crashed at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan on Monday.
The Dubai-bound Boeing 747-400—operated by Florida-based National Air Cargo—crashed just after takeoff from Bagram Air Base around 11:20 a.m. local time, Monday, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
0O0
Death Toll in Bangladesh Building Collapse Climbs to 507
The death toll from the collapse of an eight-story factory building near the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, has climbed to 507, officials have said.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has confirmed outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle in southwest China, and Tibet Autonomous Region, said a report.
A village in Dagze County in Lhasa City reported on April 25 that 145 heads of cattle were showing suspected signs of the disease, according to the MOA.
“Local authorities sealed off and sterilized the infected area, where 527 heads of cattle have been culled and safely disposed of, so as to prevent spreading the disease,” the ministry was reported as saying.
0O0
Death Toll in Gold Mine Collapse Climbs to 100
About 100 miners have reportedly been killed after an “unlicensed” gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s Darfur region. The gold mine, some 200 km NW of the North Darfur state capital El Fasher, began to collapse on Monday, trapping nine of the rescue team on Thursday.
0O0
Chinese ring sold rodent meat as beef and mutton
Some 904 people have been arrested in China during a three-month surveillance campaign involving food-related crimes. The ring sold rodent meat, rat and fox, as beef and mutton, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has revealed.
Police have uncovered 382 cases involving fake meat, and seized more than 20,000 tons of illegal products since January 25, the ministry said.
“In Wuxi, in east China’s Jiangsu Province, suspects made fake mutton from fox, mink and rat by adding chemicals. The products were sold to markets and the suspects made more than 10 million yuan (1.62 million U.S. dollars) from the illegal activities,” the report said.
0O0
.
DISASTER CALENDAR – May 3, 2013— SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,044 Days Left
Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,044 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History
Another two million dead and Texas would have named a town after Bush
Mr Obama will help dedicate the George W. Bush Presidential ‘Lie-Bury’ and Museum on Thursday. He is on record as saying “the failed policies of George W. Bush” wiped away a budget surplus. Mr. Bush put two wars “on a credit card,” led the country away “from our values” and “crashed the economy.”
Ironically, Mr Bush, 66, has read little more than about half dozen books in his entire life.
He raised more than $500 million for his presidential center, which will occupy 23 acres on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
0O0
Spain unemployment hits record high
Total number of unemployed people in Spain has now topped 6.2 million, a new record of 27.2 percent of the nation’s workforce, according to the official data.
0O0
Death Toll Rises in Bangladesh Building Collapse
At least 228 people were killed and up to 2,000 others injured when a building collapsed in a suburb of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.
More than 2,000 people were in the Rana Plaza building in Savar, about 30km outside Dhaka, when it collapsed on Wednesday.
It’s not known how many people are still trapped in the rubble.
The factory owners, who have gone into hiding, had ignored warnings after cracks were noticed on Tuesday, Police said.
0O0
China: Death toll in Lushan quake reaches 196
Death toll from M7.0 earthquake that hit Lushan County, Sichuan Province, on Saturday has climbed to 196, with at least 21 people reported as missing, and about 12,000 people injured.
Meantime, two dozen people were reportedly injured when two quakes hit Yibin City, about 500 km from Lushan County.
“Two successive earthquakes measuring 4.8 and 4.2 magnitude jolted , southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Thursday morning, leaving 24 people injured and thousands of houses damaged.” said a report.
0O0
Afghanistan: Earthquake and flooding kill 40 people
Death toll from a 5.6Mw earthquake that struck NW of Jalalabad, Afghanistan on Wednesday has climbed to at least 20, with more than 150 other injured.
The quake left hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged.
Meantime, ongoping flash floods in the northern province of Balkh have left at least 20 people dead and thousands of houses destroyed or damaged.
0O0
IRAQ: Clashes between army and Sunni militants kill more than 100
Iraq continues to plunge deeper into sectarian violence after two days of fighting between government forces and Sunni militants left at least 100 people dead and scores of others injured.
.
DISASTER CALENDAR – April 25, 2013—SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,052 Days Left
Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,052 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History
Hindu Kush Region Earthquake Kills or Injures Dozens
A 5.6Mw earthquake struck25 km (15 miles) NW of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing about a dozen people and injuring many more.
The quake was centered at 34.517°N, 70.207°E, and struck at a depth of about 60km, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 09:25 UTC. USGS/EHP reported.
Many homes have been destroyed, according to reports.
Bangladesh
Building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh kills nearly 100, injures more than 1,000
A large block housing garment factories and shops collapsed in Dhaka Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing about 100 people and injuring more than a thousand, officials have said.
96 bodies have so far been recovered, as the death toll continues to grow.
“It looks like an earthquake has struck here,” said a local residen.
Five garment factories, which supply retailers including major brands in Britain, Canad, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and the United States, were housed in the block, despite cracks in the building, said a report.
“It is dreadful that leading brands and governments continue to allow garment workers to die or suffer terrible disabling injuries in unsafe factories making clothes for Western nations’ shoppers,” said War on Want a U.K. anti-poverty charity.
USA
Massachusetts Disaster Declaration Signed by White House
The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the area affected by the severe winter storm, snowstorm, and flooding during the period of February 8-9, 2013.
The worst affected areas include Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.
Texas Emergency Declaration Signed by White House
The White House has declared an emergency exists in the State of Texas due to the continuing emergency conditions resulting from a catastrophic explosion in McLennan County that occurred April 17, 2013.
Taiwan
Taiwan health authorities have confirmed the country’s first human infection of H7N9 avian flu on Wednesday, said a report.
China
Health authorities in China have confirmed 4 new cases of human H7N9 avian influenza infection, including two in Zhejiang, one in Anhui and the first case in Shandong province.
The latest cases raise the total number of H7N9 infections to 108, including 22 fatalities.
Millions swelter following ‘catastrophic damage’ to power grids caused by derecho
At least 18 people are dead since Friday as a result of severe weather and millions are still without power, while more than 160 locations across 12 states tied or set all-time record high temperatures.
Electric utilities in Maryland, Ohio and Virginia said the weekend derecho caused ‘catastrophic damage’ to their power grids.
It may take a week or more before power is restored to millions of people in the Mid-Atlantic region amid blistering heat.
A surface boundary separating excessive heat (temperatures above 100 degrees) in the southern United States with a milder airmass to its north will continue to be the focus for severe thunderstorms today. There are three main areas of concern, including the northern Rockies, the Mid-Mississippi River to Ohio Valleys and portions of the Mid-Atlantic into the Southeast, particularly the eastern Carolinas. The primary threats will be large hail and damaging winds, however an isolated tornado can not be ruled out across southern Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as northern Iowa and Illinois. -NWS
Excessive heat warnings and advisories are forecast to continue into the beginning of the week over much of the mid-Mississippi valley and southern state, NWS said.
Hundreds of daily high temperature records were broken this weekend; dozens of all-time high temperature records were set.
Valencia, Spain. Two mega forest fires about 30 kilometers west of Valencia on Spain’s eastern coast have consumed at least 50,000 hectares (~124,000 acres), forcing more than 2,500 people to evacuate the area.
The Spanish authorities raised the forest fire warning to the highest level in Valencia region as temperatures topped 104 degrees (40ºC).
China. Torrential rain continues to batter large swaths of SW China causing major widespread damage and mass evacuations, Xinhuanet reported.
Ludian County in Yunnan Province is among the worst hit areas, the report said.
Since late June, extreme rain events and flooding throughout China have left hundreds of people dead or injured, displaced or affected at least a million others, destroyed thousands of homes, inundated hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland and caused hundreds of million of dollars in crop damage.
The worst-hit areas are east China’s Zhejiang province, its neighboring Jiangxi province, central China’s Hunan province, China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the entire southwest.
“More rain and storms are expected to hit Zhejiang, Fujian and Anhui provinces in south China, as well as Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces in the southwest, over the next three days. Precipitation in some areas may total as much as 160 mm, according to the National Meteorological Center,” the report said.
Assam, India. Mega Floods caused by unusually intense monsoon rains across eastern India’s Assam state have left about 100 people dead, and displaced at least two million people.
Bangladesh. Intense monsoon rains in Bangladesh have claimed at least 120 lives, with many more injured, an unknown number missing and at least 1.5 million people displaced.
The majority of victims were children, who were drowned in flash floods, buried by landslides or house collapses, or struck by lightning, reports said.
Flooding and landslides have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses , submerged entire villages and left at least 100,000 without work.
Many of the displaced are without food and water.
Chittagong port, the largest seaport in Bangladesh, received nearly 16 inches of rain in a single 12-hour period last week.
Tens of thousands of evacuees crowding emergency shelters; hundreds of Colorado homes destroyed
Waldo Canyon Fire dubbed ‘a monster’ by local fire chief grew nearly 300 percent overnight, consuming at least 18,500 acres, and destroying an estimated 500 homes.
The blaze has destroyed many homes on the edges of Colorado Springs prompting more evacuations on Wednesday.
As many as 50,000 people have fled their homes, so far, though the authorities have not yet revealed the exact number of the displaced, or the number of homes destroyed by the blaze.
The blaze has burned about 12 acres along the southwest boundary of the Air Force Academy campus.
The blaze, currently about 5% contained, is expected to continue growing:
Size: 18,500 acres [Reported by JIC at 11:57UTC on Thursday, June 28, 2012]
Structures threatened: 20,085 residences and 160 commercial structures
Growth Potential: Extreme
Terrain Difficulty: Extreme
Wind Conditions: 12 mph SW
Temperature: 93 degrees
Humidity: 8%
Evacuations and Closures
Currently on mandatory evacuation:
Cascade, Chipita Park, Green Mountain Falls, Crystola
City of Colorado Springs
All areas north of Garden of the Gods Rd. between I-25 to the east all the way to the western City limits and north to the Air Force Academy.
Air Force Academy
Evacuated areas include all housing areas on the base except the airfield.
Closed between Cave of the Winds and El Paso/Teller County line.
Pike National Forest
Order 12-08 closes the Pike National Forest in the area of the Waldo Canyon Fire as shown on map of order.
Currently on Voluntary Evacuation:
Crystal Park
Manitou Springs
The fire is one of ten major wildfires burning in Colorado, as of posting.
Waldo Canyon Fire Map (June 27).
Other Significant Fires in Colorado
High Park Fire, Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests / Pawnee National Grassland, about 15 miles west of Fort Collins, 87,284 acres, 75% contained.
At least 257 homes have been lost and the toll is expected to grow as assessments continue.
Several thousand residents currently remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
The Little Sand Fire, located 13 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs, 22,440 acres consumed, 31% contained.
Weber Fire, San Juan National Forest, 6 miles south of Mancos, CO, has consumed 9,155 acres, 30% contained.
Evacuations are in place, number of evacuees NOT reported by Montezuma County Sheriff.
Pine Ridge Fire. “The lightning-ignited Pine Ridge Fire was reported June 27 about 10 miles northeast of Grand Junction above the Book Cliffs. It has grown rapidly and is currently estimated at 500 acres. Seven structures are threatened.” Inciweb reported.
At least 3 dozen active wildfires are currently burning hundreds of thousands of acres in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, California and Virginia.
Montana Wildfires – State of Emergency Declared
Dahl Fire Wildfire. Montana Governor has signed an emergency declaration for Musselshell, Rosebud, Custer, Treasure, Yellowstone and Big Horn Counties and the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Earlier this week, Gov Schweitzer signed another emergency proclamation for Lewis & Clark, Broadwater, Jefferson and Madison Counties.
Dahl, Hawk Creek, and Ash Creek Fires.The Dahl Fire in Musselshell County was reported on Tuesday, June 26th and has since exploded to 18,751 acres.
The massive blaze is fueled by high temperatures, low relative humidities and gusty winds, with ZERO containment.
Pony fire and at least 2 other fires, Antelope Lane fire and Corral fire, are burning in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, threatening numerous structures.
The town of Mammoth and South Boulder north to the Indiana University Geology Field Station are under mandatory evacuation, fire authorities reported.
Utah Wildfires
The Wood Hollow Fire, a blaze about 1 mile south of Fountain Green in Utah State Division of Forestry Fire & State Lands has now grown to 46,190 acres, claiming at least one life and destroying a reported 56 structures and scores of farm animals, mostly sheep.
The communities of Indian Ridge, Elk Ridge, Big Hollow, and Oaker Hills communities are under mandatory evacuation.
The entire town of Fairview (pop: 1,200) has been evacuated.
About 2,000 others have been evacuated from surrounding communities.
Church Camp Fire, located 22 miles S. of Duchesne, has grown to 4,000 acres, destroying 12 homes.
Mandatory evacuation ordered by Duchesne County authorities for the Argyle Canyon Road, east of State Road 191 to Gardner Canyon and 2 miles north and 2 miles south of Argyle Canyon Road.
Fire Behavior: Extreme fire behavior, crowning, torching, spotting. Short crown runs in dense timber.
Containment: ZERO percent.
Growth Potential: Extreme
Wyoming Wildfires.The Fontenelle Fire, a wildfire burning in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Lincoln and Sublette County, Wyoming, about 33-miles northwest of the community of LaBarge was first reported around 4:30pm on Sunday, June 24.
The fire has grown nearly 9 folds from about 2,000 to 17,000 acres in 24 hours.
The blaze has forced several road closures and evacuations in the area.
Record heat continues in southern Plains
Excessive Heat Warnings
Excessive Heat Warning and Dust Storm Warning are in effect in Arizona, as of posting.
Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
Heat Advisories
Heat Advisories are in effect until 10 p.m. CDT today, expanding dangerous heat to the north and east. Record high temperatures are impacting parts of 13 states today including South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, NWS reported.
Record High Temperatures
Record high temperatures were reported at 92 locations in 10 central-U.S. states, NOAA/NCDC said.
Colorado reported 18 record high temperature, with the highest at 110 degrees at John Martin Dam, breaking the old record set in 1980 by 4 degrees.
Kansas reported 13 record highs, with the highest record of 112 degrees at Healy (Lane Co.), topping the old record set in 1971 by 4 degrees.
Other record highs and ties were recorded in Missouri (4 record highs), Nebraska (3 ), Wyoming (14), Arkansas (10), Oklahoma (5 ), Alabama (2), Tennessee (2), Texas (21).
Air Quality Alerts
Air Quality Alerts are in effect for parts of six states: Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
NESDIS Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data
Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS
Flooding in the U.S.
Some 24 locations nationally were under flood conditions this morning. Seven river gauge sites were at Major Flood level, three at Moderate Flood and 14 at Minor Flood; 22 sites were Near Flood, NOAA’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service reported.
U.S. Drought
The drought in the U.S. has intensified since last week with 72.01 of the lower 48 in D0-D4 (Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought) conditions.
No reported change in Hawaii since last week, with 78.89 of the state in D0-D4 conditions.
Alaska has reported an increase in dry conditions since last week, climbing from 18.35% to 42.00% in D0.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Drought Impact on US Corn Crop. USDA has rated only 56 percent of the U.S. corn crop as good/excellent, the lowest rating for the category in quarter of a century.
Flooding in Florida. Scores of homes and dozens of road were left completely submerged under 2 feet of water, with low-lying areas experiencing up to 4 feet, before Tropical Depression DEBBY finally left Florida, moving into the Atlantic.
Bangladesh. Intense monsoon rains have triggered severe flooding and landslide, killing more than 100 people, washing away at least 1,000 homes and stranding about a quarter a million people.
Parts of the country received more than 18 inches of rain in under 24 hours.
Ireland. Severe flooding in County Cork and Northern Ireland, caused by heavy overnight rains, has led to severe flooding, with Clonakilty and Douglas being the worst hit areas, said a report.
“There is no access in or out of Clonakilty, while Douglas village was under a meter of water. Parts of the city were evacuated and hundreds of ESB customers are still without power as a result.”
“Northern Ireland also experienced heavy rain. Homes in Belfast were flooded and motorists were forced to abandon their cars.”
Many homes have been evacuated in Ballyvolane, with flooding also reported in counties Sligo and Tipperary.
Many homes and businesses have been severely damaged by floodwater.
Met Éireann said it has been the wettest month of June on record in the Republic of Ireland.
New study links 1 in 5 deaths in Bangladesh to arsenic in the drinking water
Increased mortality is linked to chronic diseases with a 70 percent increased mortality risk among those with the highest level of exposure
Between 33 and 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to arsenic in the drinking water—a catastrophe that the World Health Organization has called “the largest mass poisoning in history.” A new study published in the current issue of the medical journal The Lancet provides the most complete and detailed picture to date of the high mortality rates associated with this exposure, which began with the widespread installation of tube wells throughout the country 30 years ago—a measure intended to control water-bourne diseases.
Among the surprising findings of the study, conducted by a team of researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and the University of Chicago, and led by Dr. Joseph Graziano are these:
One in five deaths in Bangladesh (population: 125 million) is associated with exposure to water from wells with arsenic concentrations greater than 10 micrograms per liter.
Arsenic exposure was associated with increased mortality due to heart disease and other chronic diseases in addition to the more familiar medical consequences of arsenic exposure: skin lesions, cancers of the skin, bladder and lung.
An increase of nearly 70 percent in all-cause mortality was found among those exposed to the highest concentration of arsenic in water (150 to 864 micrograms/liter). But researchers found a dose-related effect that included increased mortality even at relatively low levels of exposure, including the Bangladesh safety standard (50 micrograms/liter) and the WHO recommended standard (10 micrograms/liter).
The study draws its results from a carefully designed, prospective, longitudinal study involving 12,000 people in Bangladesh who were tracked for over a decade. To gather data for the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS), researchers traversed the tropical landscape over wooden bridges to interview each of the 12,000 participants and take urine samples every two years. Lifestyle and health data were tracked, allowing researchers to control for factors such as smoking, blood pressure and body-mass index. In addition, nearly 6,000 wells were tested to establish the arsenic concentration of the water source for each participant.
In an accompanying commentary in the same issue of The Lancet, Margaret P. Karagas of Dartmouth Medical School, describes the study design as “a substantial advance over previous ecological studies.”
The mass poisoning in Bangladesh was a result of well-intentioned efforts on the part of aid and development agencies in the 1970s, which built 10 million tube wells in an attempt to reduce water-bourne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, according to Dr. Graziano, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School. While the new wells reduced exposure to the microbes causing such diseases, they yielded water contamined with arsenic, which occurs naturally in the region. Arsenic can be avoided, however, by digging deeper wells—an approach that is already yielding safer drinking water for roughly 100,000 people. The Columbia Mailman School team has been at the forefront of this effort.
“The need for a global response is apparent because the situation goes far beyond the Bangladesh borders,” says Dr. Graziano. “Arsenic in ground water is affecting 140 million people across many countries and especially in South Asia. “There needs to be a concerted effort to bring safe to millions of people. Investment has not been commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.”
What has flowering of bamboo plants got to do with famine and war?
They Boost Rats Reproduction Rate, Causing Infestation, Famine and War
About 130,000 people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in south-eastern Bangladesh, plagued by rat infestation, face serious food shortages. The rats are eating everything in their sight including crops, seeds and the stocks, a report by AlertNet said.
Every 50 years or so, flowers produced by the bamboo plants, if consumed by rats, dramatically increase their reproduction rate, says the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).
Melocanna bambusoides fruit. “Once every 48 years in the remote Indian state of Mizoram, a strange phenomenon takes over the land, threatening famine and death. Hundreds of thousands of acres of bamboo begin to flower and fruit, sparking a plague of rats. Drawn by the nutrient-rich pear-sized fruit, millions of hungry rats feast — their numbers growing exponentially as they descend into a reproductive frenzy. They devour crops, bringing hardship and even famine upon Mizoram’s farmers. The locals call this biological anomaly the Mautam, and when it last struck in 1959, famine killed thousands and plunged the state into a 20-year guerilla insurgency.” Photo and caption: American Bamboo Org.
“Even in normal years, when harvests are good and bamboo available for collection, food insecurity is especially acute in remote areas of CHT,” said Abigail Masefield, ECHO’s food assistance coordinator for South Asia.
“Discussions with communities have confirmed a significant reduction in the 2009 harvest compared to the normal harvest, with only around 30 to 50 percent of normal production level reported by all the communities visited.”
The CHT, bordering India and Myanmar, are one of the most disadvantaged regions of Bangladesh, where more than 60 percent of the 1.3 million population are living below the poverty line, according to the U.N. Development Programme.
Thousands of landless Bengalis were settled in the 5,500-sq-miles (14,200 sq km) region under a government plan in the 1980s to ease population pressure in the plains, and also to defuse a 25-year tribal separatist insurgency which ended in 1997.
The affected populations have lost all of their crops including rice, bananas and chilli crops, as well as turmeric and ginger, which are the cash-earning crops, according to aid workers.
“To further compound matters, the bamboo dies after flowering and takes five years to regenerate, impacting the income of populations who make a meagre but important income by selling bamboo to a local paper mill.” The report said.
A rodent feeding on Melocanna bambusoides fruit. “But the rats aren’t the only part of the story puzzling scientists. Bamboo itself is an enigmatic plant. Many bamboo species reproduce only once in their lifetime, then die. What’s bizarre is how long they wait before reproducing —20, 50, even 100 or more years, depending on the species. Even stranger: Many species reproduce synchronously: Like clockwork, all plants in a given geographic region flower and seed at precisely the same moment, then die.”Photo and caption: American Bamboo Org.
Masefield said although the number of rats has recently declined, wild pigs and forest monkeys destroy what little crops are left.
“This means that the traditional lean season—March/April to August—is set to be particularly acute and early during 2010.”
The rats can also carry potentially deadly diseases including bubonic plague, typhoid and typhus, causing major epidemics as the rodents exponentially increase in number.
–
Serial No 1,628. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).
TC Bijli dumped as much as 50 mm of rain per hour in parts of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar
Tropical Cyclone Bijli came ashore over eastern Bangladesh on April 17, 2009. The storm caused little damage, according to news reports, but did dump as much as 50 millimeters of rain per hour in the regions where rainfall was heaviest, shown in red, on Bangladesh and neighboring Myanmar. This image, made with data captured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite on April 17, shows the rainfall associated with the storm. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC). Caption by Holli Riebeek [Edited for brevity by Moderator.]
Tropical Storm Bijli draped the east coast of India in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on April 16, 2009. Bijli became a tropical storm in the northwest Bay of Bengal on April 15. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid [sic] Response team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey. [Edited for brevity by Moderator.]
A U.S. diplomat in Myanmar said the death toll in cyclone Nargis may exceed 100,000. Shari Villarosa, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Yangon, said figure was based on data from an international non-governmental organization.
“The information we are receiving indicates over 100,000 deaths,” she said, “I think most of the damage was caused by these 12-foot storm surges.”
According to the Myanmar state radio, the death toll was 22,980 with 42,119 missing and 1,383 injured by Wednesday night.
Dead bodies from Cyclone Nargis float on a flooded field in Labutta (Source: AFP) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice.
Nargis is Asia’s second most devastating cyclone in terms of loss of human lives. In 1991 a storm in Bangladesh killed 143,000.
“The confirmed number is 3,934 dead, 41 injured and 2,879 missing within the Yangon and Irrawaddy divisions,” Myanmar TV reported.
“The death toll only covers two of the five disaster zones where U.N. officials said hundreds of thousands of people were without shelter and drinking water in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.” (Source)
Fire Earth 