Page 13 - Natural Disasters

Afghanistan flash floods kill 33, injure 27; hundreds rendered homeless

Afghanistan is among the most vulnerable countries against natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, avalanches, landslides and drought

At least 18 dead, 2 missing as landslides hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island

A search and rescue team found 18 people killed by landslides on Indonesia's Sulawesi island and are still looking for two missing, officials said Monday. Rescuers found about 14 bodies in Makale village on Sunday afternoon and four in South Makale, said Mexianus Bekabel, the chief of Makassar Search and Rescue. We are still looking for two more victims, but fog and drizzle made the search difficult and officers in the field were overwhelmed, Sulaiman Malia, chief of the Tana Toraja district Disaster Management Agency, said on Monday. Loosened by torrential rain, mud poured from surrounding hills onto four houses just before midnight Saturday in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province, said local police chief Gunardi Mundu. He said a family gathering was being held in one of the houses when the landslide hit. Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers joined the search in the remote hillside villages of Makale and South Makale, Mundu said. Rescuers early Sunday managed t

At least 13 people killed, nearly 15,000 displaced by flooding in Kenya

Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to the deaths of at least 13 people and displaced some 15,000, the United Nations said, as forecasters warned more rains can be expected until June. The U.N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, citing the Kenya Red Cross Society, said Thursday that nearly 20,000 people have been affected. That includes the estimated 15,000 displaced by heavy rains and flash floods across the country since the start of the wet season in mid-March. The East African country has seen thousands of people killed by flooding in previous rainy seasons, mostly in the lake regions and downstream of major rivers. The Kenya Red Cross Society told The Associated Press that five major roads were cut off by the floods, including Garissa Road in northern Kenya, where a bus carrying 51 passengers was swept away on Tuesday. All passengers were rescued. Kenya's disaster management agency issued a flood warning to residents of Lamu, Tana River and

Russia, Kazakhstan battle worst floods as major rivers burst banks

The Kremlin said Putin was being updated regularly on the situation but had no current plans to visit the area while emergency services tried to deal with rising waters

Guatemala's Prez issues natural disaster declaration amid 44 forest fires

Guatemala's president issued a natural disaster declaration Wednesday as 44 forest fires continue to burn across the Central American country. President Bernardo Arvalo said that 80% of the fires were started by people. Farmers often burn stubble and grass in their fields around this time of year in preparation for planting. The current situation is not a coincidence, 80% of those fires were set, Arvalo said. Authorities canceled classes across three central provinces to protect students from the prevailing smoke. One of the largest fires is near a suburb of Guatemala City, the capital. The declaration frees up funding for fire fighting efforts. Guatemala is more accustomed to dealing with its restive volcanoes than forest fires.

Earthquake of 5.3-magnitude hits Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district

Tremors were felt in parts of north India as a 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. The earthquake struck at 9.34 pm, the National Center for Seismology said. Mild tremors were also felt in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana. The quake lasted for a few seconds. "I felt a strong jolt lasting a couple of seconds. Just when I was thinking of rushing downstairs, the tremors stopped," said Sanjay Kumar, a Chandigarh resident.

WATCH: Taiwan earthquake turns swimming pool in Taipei into massive waves

In the video clip circulating on social media, a man can be seen caught up in the pool amid the heavy waves caused by the earthquake

Taiwan's strong earthquake leaves roads cracked, buildings tilted: WATCH

Taiwan experienced its biggest earthquake in 25 years, which occurred 25 km south-southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 15.5 km

Natural disasters cause $65bn loss in APAC in 2023; 91% loss uninsured: Aon

As per the report, 398 natural disaster events occurred globally in 2023, resulting in an economic loss of $380 billion in the year.

5 dead, over 100 injured in Jalpaiguri cyclone; WB CM Mamata meets victims

Four people died and over 100 were injured as a sudden storm wreaked havoc in parts of Jalpaiguri district in northern West Bengal on Sunday, officials said. Several hutments and houses were damaged, trees uprooted and electric poles came crashing down as strong winds accompanied by hail struck most parts of the district headquarters town and many areas of neighbouring Mainaguri, they said. Among the most affected areas were Rajarhat, Barnish, Bakali, Jorpakdi, Madhabdanga and Saptibari, the officials said, adding that several acres of agricultural land and crops suffered damages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the storm, and said he had spoken with officials and asked them to ensure proper assistance to those affected by it. "My thoughts are with those affected by the storms in Jalpaiguri-Mainaguri areas of West Bengal. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," Modi said on X. "I would also urge all @BJP4Bengal Karyakartas to assist those .

Natural calamities pushed disaster damages above $100 billion in 2023

In the US, homeowners are already struggling under rising insurance premiums

6.9 magnitude quake in Papua New Guinea kills 3, wrecks nearly 1,000 homes

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has hit a remote part of western Papua New Guinea killing at least three people and causing extensive damage to around 1,000 homes, officials said. The quake rocked the East Sepik region at about 6.20 am Sunday (2020 GMT Saturday) near the town of Ambunti, about 470 miles (756 kilometres) northwest of the capital of Port Moresby, and at a depth of 25 miles (about 40 kilometres), according to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. East Sepik province Governor Allan Bird posted on Facebook Sunday that initial estimates show the earthquake had destroyed about 1,000 homes in the area which was already dealing with widespread flooding from earlier in March. The flooding actually covers an area more than 800 kilometres long, and so there's about maybe 60 or 70 villages involved all along the Sepik River, Bird told the ABC on Monday. Local emergency crews were already active in the region because of the flooding when the earthquake struck. The floo

Death toll from heavy rains in southeastern states of Brazil jumps to 23

Heavy rains in Brazil this weekend killed at least 23 people in the southeastern states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. Espirito Santos' state government said Sunday that 15 people died and almost 5,000 were out of their homes due to heavy rains falling since Friday night. Rio authorities reported eight deaths Saturday. Thirteen deaths in Espirito Santo were registered in Mimoso do Sul, a countryside city 74 kilometers (46 miles) south of the state capital, Vitoria. Rescue teams in both states had to stop their work Friday night because of risks of new landslides, with efforts restarting Saturday afternoon. Mayors and governors of Brazil's southeast region had alerted residents of potential problems for the weekend since Thursday.

4.3 magnitude earthquake hits Western Nepal, no damage, casuality reported

An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Ricther scale hit Western Nepal on Monday evening. However, there was no report of any damage or casuality. The 4.3 magnitude earthquake with epicentre located at Judaga hit the Bajura district at 4:56 pm, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre in Kathmandu. Western Nepal has been witnessing tremors quite frequently in the recent past.

Earthquake of magnitude 3.2 hits Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul, Spiti

Tremors were felt in parts of Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti after a magnitude 3.2 earthquake hit the district on Monday afternoon, officials said. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 5 km. No reports of loss of life or property have been received so far, they said. The tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti falls in seismic zone IV, which is a high damage risk zone.

Organisations work to help dozens of families displaced by Texas wildfires

A gush of red-coloured water spilled from an air tanker on Sunday as it flew over the eastern side of the Smokehouse Creek fire, one of several wildfires that have burned over 1.2 million acres in the northern Texas Panhandle. As firefighters battle against strong winds in their efforts to contain the unprecedented wildfires in the Texas Pandhandle, humanitarian organizations are pivoting their attention to victims who have lost their homes and livelihoods in the blazes. Residents began clearing affected property on Saturday, and by Sunday the extent of the loss began mounting. Julie Winters, the executive director for Hutchinson County United Way, said the organization has heard estimates of over 150 homes being impacted in the county, noting that the fires extend to at least five other counties. "We already know that a large group of people are uninsured who lost their homes. So without monetary assistance, it's going to be very hard for them to start back over," Winters said. A

World Civil Defence Day 2024: All you need to know about civil defence

World Civil Defence Day, inter alia, promotes joint effort and participation among countries to reinforce resilience and reaction capacities in the face of developing dangers and challenges

Texas nuclear weapons facility pauses operations amid widespread wildfires

Rapidly moving Texas wildfires on Tuesday prompted evacuation orders in small towns and shut down a nuclear facility as strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fuelled the blaze in the state's rural Panhandle. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest fire burned nearly 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometres), according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. That is more than twice its size since the fire sparked Monday. Authorities have not said what might have caused the blaze, which tore through sparsely populated counties surrounded by rolling plains. Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe, Abbott said. The largest blaze, known as the Smokehouse Creek Fire, closed highways and remained 0 per cent contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Forest Service. The main facility that assembles and disassembles America's nuclear arsenal shut

CM Sukhu presents supplementary Budget of Rs 10,307 cr for 2023-24

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday presented the first and last instalment of the Supplementary budget of Rs 10,307.59 crore, including Rs 7,267.41 crore under State Schemes and Rs 3,040.18 crore under centrally sponsored schemes. Presenting the demands, Sukhu said that major expenditure proposed under the State Schemes included Rs 3,367.76 crore for repayment of ways and means, advance/overdraft, 696.44 crore for water supply and sanitation, Rs 598.71 crore for pensions and other retirement benefits, Rs 442.09 crore for assistance to Himachal Road Transport Corporation, Rs 279.32 crore for construction of hospitals, HIMCARE yojana and Mukhya Mantri Chikitsa Sahayata Kosh. A sum of Rs 215.02 crore proposed for roads and bridges, Rs 110.76 crore construction of multipurpose buildings, Mini Dwarka, Secretariats, State Guest House in New Delhi and maintenance of various office building, Rs 110.67 crore rail projects, Rs 102.47 crore for Urban Local Bodies

Himachal suffered loss of Rs 9,905 cr due to heavy rains: Revenue minister

Himachal Pradesh suffered losses to the tune of Rs 9,905.77 crore due to heavy rains during monsoon in 2023, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said in his reply to a question of Congress MLA Rajinder Rana. Negi said that Rs 1,254.22 crore rupees were released to the districts and various departments for relief and Rs 483.16 crore have been released for compensation. No special package has been provided by the central government for disaster relief to the state and a total of Rs 787.25 crore has been given to the state, he said. Replying to another question of Chaitanya Sharma (Congress), Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that online registration of workers would be done and gaps would be reviewed. He said that 80 per cent employment is being given to the state's youths in many industries but this is not happening in some industries. He said that Rs 350 per day is given to unskilled labourers, Rs 387 to semi-skilled, Rs 435 to skilled and Rs 518 to highly skilled labourers