Trick or Treat: ‘Organized Crime’ Setting Sicily on Fire

Palermo homes evacuated as fires spread

Authorities have evacuated multiple properties in Palermo as raging wildfires, believed to have started intentionally, and fanned by the powerful ‘Sirocco’ winds, continue to spread across several parts of Sicily.

The fires have forced the closure of several motorways and highways across the affected areas. “The A20 motorway between Palermo and Messina was shut down to the wildfires that are also threatening several buildings and hotels in the area. The 113 state highway between Lascari and Cefalù was also closed.  Some 50 nursery-school children were overcome by fumes from a fire on Monte Caputo at Monreale near Palermo  and taken to hospital, while the school was evacuated,” ANSA reported.

Sicily’s President Rosario Crocetta told reporters that he believed the fires were started by organized crime.

“How do you explain a blazing fire in Cefalù [on Wednesday night,] when the temperature was [only] 24 degrees?

“Of course, the heat and wind then play their part. I do not have proof, but I suspect criminals were responsible because they always affect the most valuable areas around Palermo,”he said.

Mt Etna Spews Ash, Smoke and Fire

DDZ

Strambolian eruptions continue at Etna

The eruption follows reports of volcanic tremors starting five days ago.

“On May 17th we witnessed an increase in the amplitude of volcanic tremors and recorded intense degassing accompanied by occasional, weak emissions from the northeastern crater,” the Catania branch of Italy’s National Volcanology and Geophysics Institute said in a statement.

Etna lies above the convergent plate margin between the African and the Eurasian Plates, making it one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, and currently stands 3,330m high. The volcano covers an area of 1,190km² with a basal circumference of 140km.

One of the 16 Decade Volcanoes, Mt Etna is in an almost constant state of activity.

Mt Etna. Image source: marcorestivo

State of Emergency Declared in Sicily

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – October 16, 2013

Governor of Sicily declares a state of emergency amid migrant crisis

The declaration came after Italian navy said it hads rescued about 300 migrants from two boats near the island of Lampedusa, said a report.

At least 36 people were killed when their boat capsized between Malta and Lampedusa, on Friday.

Another migrant boat capsized on October 3, 2013 killing more than 350 migrants less than 600 meters from Lampedusa.

Recent disasters have occurred when boats overcrowded with desperate migrants capsize in the Mediterranean Sea. Source: UNHCR

Increasing number of people from Africa and the Middle East are fleeing war and poverty in search of a better life in Europe.

About 32,000 migrants have arrived in Italy and Malta so far this year, said UNHCR.

On average, about 1,000 migrants have been killed, mostly by drowning, over the past 25 years.

Related Links

• Dozens Killed as Yet Another Migrant Boat Sinks October 12, 2013
• Hundreds Killed in Another Migrants Boat Disaster October 3, 2013

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NSA collects millions of e-mail address books globally: Report

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NSA collected about 680,000 e-mail address books from Yahoo, Hotmail, Facebook, Gmail and others in a single day, or 250 million per year. Read more...

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Big tech companies plan to track you even more aggressively

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The Shutdown of the U.S. Government and “Debt Default”: A Dress Rehearsal for the Privatization of the Federal State System?

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Dozens Killed as Yet Another Migrant Boat Sinks

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – October 12, 2013

Yet another migrant boat sinks off Italy in last week’s Déjà vu

At least 36 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized and sank in the Mediterranean sea, said reports.

The boat capsized about 120km off the Italian island of Lampedusa, where at least 339 people drowned on October 3, when their boat capsized and sank less than 600 meters from the island.

Last week’s disaster occurred when a boat similar to the one above caught fire as it headed toward Lampedusa Island, south of Sicily. Source: UNHCR

Today’s incident was the third migrants boat disaster in the Mediterranean in two weeks. Thirteen people drowned off the southern coast of Italy on Monday September 30 after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel, said UNHCR.

In August, six migrants drowned after they jumped out of a boat off the coast of Sicily and attempted to swim ashore.

In July seven immigrants drowned as they held on to a fishing cage that was being towed to shore.

13 immigrants drowned off the coast of Sicily on Monday after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel. Photo credit: Reuters.

Sicily and the surrounding islands are ideal portals for desperate refugees and illegal immigrants from Libya, Tunisia, sub-Saharan Africa in search of employment and a better quality of life, said UNHCR.

Related Links

• Dozens Killed in Yet Another Migrants Boat Disaster October 3, 2013

Dozens Killed in Yet Another Migrants Boat Disaster

Migrants Boat Capsizes Near Lampedusa, Italy, Killing Dozens

A boat carrying hundreds of immigrants capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, killing at least 96 people.

There were at least 450 people on board when the boat capsized, Ansa news agency reported. Italy’s Coast Guard has reportedly rescued about 147 people so far.

“Of the estimated 500 passengers on the boat, believed to be Eritreans, only 147 have been rescued so far. The boat, which originated from Libya, caught fire half a mile from the coast.” UNHCR  reported.

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has described the incident as an “enormous tragedy.”

Thursday’s disaster occurred when a boat similar to the one above caught fire as it headed toward Lampedusa Island, south of Sicily. Source: UNHCR

Today’s incident was the second migrants boat disaster this week off Italy’s coast. Thirteen people drowned off the southern coast of Italy on Monday after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel, said UNHCR.

In July seven immigrants drowned as they held on to a fishing cage that was being towed to shore.

13 immigrants drowned off the coast of Sicily on Monday after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel. Photo credit: Reuters.

Sicily and the surrounding islands are prime targets for desperate refugees and illegal immigrants from Libya, Tunisia, sub-Saharan Africa in search of employment and a better quality of life.