Page 14 - Natural Disasters

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Death toll from Chile's wildfires reaches 131, more than 300 people missing

The death toll from wildfires that ravaged central Chile for several days increased to 131 on Tuesday, and more than 300 people were still missing as the blazes appeared to be burning themselves out. The fires in Valparaiso are said to be Chile's deadliest disaster since an earthquake in 2010. Officials have suggested that some could have been intentionally set. President Gabriel Boric during a visit to the region announced that furniture used for the 2023 Pan American Games will be donated to victims. He said the government also will forgive the water bills for 9,200 affected homes. The fires began Friday on the mountainous eastern edge of Vina del Mar, a beach resort known for a festival that attracts the best in Latin music. Two other towns, Quilpe and Villa Alemana, also were hit hard as the fires spread quickly in dry weather and strong winds. The Vina del Mar Festival cancelled its opening gala as a sign of mourning. Many participating singers including Alejandro Sanz, Pablo

Los Angeles sees more than 300 mudslides during storm, no deaths reported

One of the wettest storms in Southern California history began to ease up on Tuesday after bombarding Los Angeles with nearly half of its seasonal rainfall in just two days. Although the rain was tapering off, the threat of potentially deadly landslides persisted. The slow-moving storm that parked itself over the region on Monday and dumped a record amount of rain on sections of the nation's second-largest city could linger into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms were expected to bring light to moderate rain to the region, but some places could get brief yet fierce downpours that could dump up ton an inch (roughly 2.5 centimeters) of rain in an hour. Crews have responded to 307 mudslides and five buildings have been deemed uninhabitable since the atmospheric river-fuelled storm moved into the region over the weekend, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference on Tuesday. Despite the torrents of rain, ...

Death toll rises to 112 as wildfires continue to wreak havoc in Chile

President Gabriel Boric announced on Sunday, following his visit to the affected districts, that Monday and Tuesday would be designated as national mourning days in honour of the fire victims

Earthquake of 4.0 magnitude hits Gujarat's Kutch district; no casualties

An earthquake of 4.0 magnitude hit Gujarat's Kutch district on Sunday evening but there is no report of damage to property and life, officials said. The epicentre of the earthquake was located near Bhachau in Kutch district, as per the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR). The tremor was recorded at 4:45 pm on Sunday with its epicentre around 21 km north, northwest (NNW) from Bhachau, the ISR said in its latest update. "No damage to property or life was reported as per the preliminary information," said Kutch collector Amit Arora. Kutch district is located in a "very high risk" seismic zone, and tremors of lower intensity are a regular occurrence. In 2001, a massive earthquake shook the Kutch district affecting several towns and villages, killing around 13,800 people and leaving 1.67 lakh injured.

Colombia declares disaster over wildfires, asks for international help

Colombia's government declared a disaster on Thursday and asked for international help to combat raging wildfires that are expected to worsen in coming days due to warm, dry conditions associated with the El Nio weather phenomenon. Officials raised the number of fires from 25 to 31, and said nine of them were under control. They did not order mandatory evacuations despite some fires burning in the mountains that surround some municipalities. President Gustavo Petro said Chile, the United States, Peru and Canada have already responded to the call for help, without specifying when the assistance will arrive to the South American country. The government also asked for aid from the United Nations and European Union. To the extent that we know that in the coming days and weeks crisis events are going to increase, we want to make sure that we have the physical capacity to address and mitigate them, Petro said. Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies repo

Remaining landslide victims found in China, bringing death toll to 44

The bodies of the remaining victims of a landslide in southwestern China were recovered Thursday, bringing the death toll to 44 after four days of searching through the rubble of dirt and crumbled homes, state media said. The final body was found in the evening, according to state broadcaster CCTV, which posted photos of excavators and teams of searchers in orange uniforms and helmets, part of a contingent of more than 1,000 rescuers. The landslide slammed into houses at the foot of a slope early Monday morning in Liangshui, a village in a remote and mountainous part of Yunnan province. It left a barren swath on the slope after hitting the village, which sits between snow-covered, terraced fields. Two survivors were found on Monday. A preliminary investigation found that the landslide had been triggered by the collapse of a steep clifftop area, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. It did not elaborate on the cause of the initial collapse. Rescuers struggled with snow, icy roa

Death toll in China landslide rises to 31 while 16 people still missing

The death toll from a landslide that struck southwest China's mountainous Yunnan province has climbed to 20, with 24 people still missing, local authorities said on Tuesday. The landslide occurred in Liangshui Village in the city of Zhaotong at about 6 a.m. on Monday, trapping a total of 47 people. At least 20 people have been found dead, while 24 others remain missing, state-run CGTN news channel reported. The Ministry of Emergency Management upgraded the emergency response level to the second-highest level from the Level-III emergency response for disaster relief activated by the Provincial Commission for Disaster Reduction immediately after the landslide. The ministry dispatched teams to the disaster-hit area to guide the rescue and relief work, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The Chinese government has allocated funds totalling 50 million yuan (about USD 7 million) to support disaster relief and emergency rescue work focusing on search and rescue, the relocation

8 killed, 39 people missing as landslide strikes southwest China region

At least eight people were killed and 39 others went missing after a landslide struck southwest China's mountainous Yunnan province on Monday. The disaster struck the Liangshui village of Zhaotong city at 5:51 am Beijing time, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Eight people were confirmed dead in the landslide, official media reports said. As many as 39 others are missing. All the 47 victims are from 18 different households, rescue officials said. Over 500 residents were evacuated from the landslide-hit areas as the provincial commission for disaster reduction activated a Level-III emergency response for disaster relief, state-run CCTV reported. Efforts are on to rescue the people trapped under the landslide, official media reported. A total of 795 rescue workers equipped with one drone and 120 vehicles, including excavators, loaders and transport vehicles, are carrying out search and rescue work at the site. As many as 33 firefighting vehicles and 10 loading machines are

NDRF to observe 2024 as year of CBRN preparedness, response

The NDRF has decided to observe 2024 as the year of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) preparedness and response and will undertake training and exercises to attain better capability to deal with such disasters, Director General of the force Atul Karwal said Friday. He was speaking at the Vigyan Bhawan here during the 19th raising day of the federal contingency force. The DG said the Union home ministry, under which the force functions, has sanctioned fresh equipments to it for CBRN combat. The force has procured seven HAZMAT (hazardous material) vehicles during the recently concluded G20 Summit in the national capital for tackling CBRN accidents and disasters. The force, Karwal said, also has trained three teams for tackling forest fires and new equipment for this task are being procured, a job entrusted to the NDRF in 2023. He said the ministry of home affairs has also sanctioned eight new regional response centres (RRCs) for stationing its rescuers in various

Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state confronts flood damage after rain kills 11

Neighbourhoods in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state remained flooded on Monday more than a day after torrential rains that killed at least 11 people. The heavy downpour wreaked havoc over the weekend, flooding peoples' homes, a hospital, the metro line in the city of Rio de Janeiro and a main freeway section, Avenida Brasil. Some people drowned and were killed in landslides, while at least three died after being electrocuted. Eight towns across the state remained at a very high risk of landslides and another 10 at high risk, according to civil defence officials. We feel like animals. It's not normal to live like this, Heloisa Regina, 55, said as she surveyed her flooded bar and home in Duque de Caxias, a city to the north of Rio where more than 100 millimetres (3.9 feet) of rain fell in 24 hours. Regina spent the night trying to sleep on a pool table, wondering how she was going to pay to repair the damage to the bar she has owned for 30 years. We've lost everything, she said. Residen

Centre assures NDRF funds to flood-hit Tamil Nadu: DMK leader Baalu

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured to provide NDRF funds to Tamil Nadu affected by floods in December 2023, immediately after the inter-ministerial committee submits a comprehensive report to him on January 21, DMK Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu said on Saturday. Baalu, who led an all-party MP delegation from Tamil Nadu and called on Shah at his residence in the national capital, said he was hopeful that the Centre would disburse the funds. The delegation told the Home Minister that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin spent the funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief and rehabilitation of the people affected by unprecedented rains. "We told him to take speedy action on the memorandum submitted by our Chief Minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting Rs 37,907.21 crore for the massive damages caused due to Cyclone Michaung and unprecedented rain in the southern districts," Baalu told reporters. The sum included an interim relief of Rs ...

Winter storm to bring snow, winds, ice and life-threatening chill to US

Brutally cold weather could prove a deadly challenge Saturday amid a continuing wave of Arctic storms that has hammered much of the country with blinding snow, freezing rain and whipping winds. Governors from New York to Louisiana declared states of emergency ahead of predicted snow and bone-chilling temperatures. In St. Louis, the National Weather Service bureau warned of rare and life-threatening cold. The fierce weather blitzed campaign schedules in Iowa, the leadoff GOP caucus state. With a blizzard warning covering most of the state, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump all shuffled their schedules ahead of Monday's presidential vote. Near-record cold in Kansas City will make for a frigid NFL playoff game Saturday night, when the Chiefs host Miami. Fans will be allowed to bring in blankets and first-aid stations were set up at Arrowhead Stadium. On Sunday, fans in Buffalo will contend with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow and fierce winds as the Bill

Death toll from Japan earthquakes rises to 126 as rain imperil shaky ground

Aftershocks threatened to bury more homes and block roads crucial for relief shipments, as the death toll from the earthquakes that rattled Japan's western coastline this past week rose to 126 on Saturday. Among the dead was a 5-year-old boy who had been recovering from injuries after boiling water spilled on him during Monday's 7.6 magnitude earthquake. His condition suddenly worsened and he died Friday, according to Ishikawa prefecture, the hardest-hit region. Officials warned that roads, already cracked from the dozens of earthquakes that continue to shake the area, could collapse completely. That risk was growing with rain and snow expected overnight and Sunday. The death toll on Saturday rose to 126. Wajima city has recorded the highest number of deaths with 69, followed by Suzu with 38. More than 500 people were injured, at least 27 of them seriously. The temblors left roofs sitting haplessly on roads and everything beneath them crushed flat. Roads were warped like rubber. A

Japan to accept earthquake relief from US only, refuses help from others

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said there were offers for help and messages of condolence from governments including Taiwan and China

Japan earthquake death toll rises to 55, military joins relief effort

A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 55 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned on Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead. Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area. Damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death toll, saying he was aware of the prefecture's tally. Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas. Residents expressed sorrow about their uncertain futures. "It's not just that it's a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don't think we can live here anymore, Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house. The house was also damaged

Declare Tamil Nadu floods as severe natural disaster: CM Stalin urges PM

The Chief Minister added that infrastructure has been severely hit after floods ravaged Chennai and districts in the south

Uttar Pradesh to install 50 lightning detection sensors to avert casualties

Under this initiative, 50 new Lighting Detection Sensors will be installed across the state, in addition to 5,000 early warning systems to send real-time lightning alerts to the public

Japan earthquake: Roads crack, poles topple; tsunami warning issued

Japan's series of earthquakes on Monday triggered a frantic evacuation from coastal areas. The Kishida government has set up a special emergency centre to overlook the crisis

Floods in Congo's central province kill at least 22 people: Official

Flooding triggered by heavy rains in central Congo killed at least 22 people, including 10 from the same family, a local official said Tuesday. The hourslong rainfall in the district of Kananga in Kasai Central province destroyed many houses and structures, the province's governor, John Kabeya, said as rescue efforts intensified in search of survivors. Five more deaths were confirmed later on Tuesday in addition to the initially reported death toll of 17, he said. The collapse of a wall caused 10 deaths, all members of the same family in Bikuku, said Kabeya. There was significant material damage caused by the floods, according to Nathalie Kambala, country director of The Hand in Hand for Integral Development nongovernmental organisation. Flooding caused by heavy rainfall is frequent in parts of Congo, especially in remote areas. In May, more than 400 people died in floods and landslides brought on by torrential overnight rains in eastern Congo's South Kivu province. Among the ...