NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 9 NOVEMBER 2011

 

 

VIETNAM FLOODS HAVE COST AT LEAST 100 DEATHS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF FLOODING

 

The latest victims - 17 adults and 5 children - died when heavy rain hit 4 provinces.

 

Source: Swedish text-TV / SVT

 

 

BUILDINGS COLLAPSED IN A MAGNITUDE 5.6 EARTHQUAKE IN THE EASTERN TURKEY

 

Wednesday evening saw a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that hit the eastern Turkey causing 20 buildings - including 1-2 hotels and an office building in the city of Van - to collapse according to media in Turkey. One hotel housed at least 30 people when the earthquake occurred.

 

The quake hit the same district that was hit - on 23 October - by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that cost more than 600 human lives. Therefore the new quake caused the local population to panic.

 

The new quake had its epicentre in the EDREMIT district 15 km from the Van province that experienced substantial damage in connection with the quake on 23.10.11 that occurred north-east of Van.

 

According to SVT the epicentre of the new quake was 16 km south of VAN.

 

Rescuers are searching for trapped people in the rubble. One trapped person has been rescued from the rubble.

 

Sources: Text-TV in Denmark (DR1 + TV2), Sweden (SVT) and Germany (ZDF)

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 10 NOVEMBER 2011

 

 

AT LEAST 7 DEAD AND AT LEAST 100 TRAPPED UNDER COLLAPSED BUILDINGS AND 23 RESCUED AFTER YESTERDAY's MAGNITUDE 5.6 EARTHQUAKE IN THE PROVINCE OF VAN IN EASTERN TURKEY

 

23 people were rescued from the rubble of 2 collapsed hotels in VAN - they are all injured, but alive.

 

Yesterday at least 7 buildings were destroyed in the city of Van including 2 hotels.

 

Sources: Text-tv in Sweden (SVT), Denmark (DR1 and TV2), Germany (ZDF text) plus Danish TV 2 News, Live in the morning

 

 

DEATH TOLL AFTER THE MASSIVE LANDSLIDES AND FLOODS IN WESTERN COLOMBIA RISEN TO 96

 

The death toll has risen to 96 since the beginning of the second rainy season in September.

 

According to Red Cross, Colombia - last week-end 48 people were killed by mudslides in the town of Manizales.

 

Currently, Colombia experiences one of the worst rainy seasons for years.

 

Due to the weather phenomenon La Nina, it has rained unusually much between April 2010 and April 2011.

 

More than 400 have already died.

 

Source: German Text-TV (ZDF text)

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 12 NOVEMBER 2011

 

 

DEATH TOLL AFTER EARTHQUAKE EARLIER THIS WEEK IN EASTERN TURKEY HAS RISEN TO 32

 

This was reported by the news agency ANATOLIA.

 

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the town/city of EDREMIT near VANA last Wednesday less than 3 weeks after the massive earthquake that hit the VAN province and cost more than 600 human lives.

 

Turkey is a country with many earthquakes. Several earthplates slip / move thus generating/creating the friction that triggers earthquakes.

 

Sources: Danish text-TV (TV2 News + DR1

 

 

CRIPPLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN JAPAN SHOWN TO THE PRESS

 

The nuclear power plant in FUKUSHIMA that was destroyed by a devastating tsunami on 11 March this year is gradually coming under control. That was the message at a conducted tour for the press today / Saturday.

 

The Japanese authorities and the owners of the nuclear power plant have promised to have achieved a socalled "cool shutdown" by the end of 2011.

 

This situation - a "cool shutdown" - implies that fundamentally, the continuously leaking radio-activity is under control, and then you can start deciding the actions to be taken in relation to the about 80,000 evacuated people.

 

Source: Danish text-TV (DR1)

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 13 NOVEMBER 2011

 

 

INHABITANTS IN THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF THAILAND's CAPITAL BANGKOK ARE PROTESTING AGAINST FLOOD BARRIER

 

In the northern suburbs of Bangkok the protests against a huge wall of sand bags as protection of the centre of Bangkok city against flooding is growing.

 

More than 10,000 inhabitants have signed a petition - they demand the abolition of the dam according to "Bangkok Post".

 

The 6 km long dam is to prevent the water from flowing into the northern part of Bangkok's city centre with the interlocking of the elevated railway BTS which transports 540,000 people each day.

 

The residential areas behind the dam have been under water for now 3 weeks.

 

Source: German text-TV / ZDF text

[nancyk58]

News in relation to natural disasters on 14 November 2011

 

EASTERN TURKEY HIT BY A MAGNITUDE 5.2 EARTHQUAKE - EPICENTRE 31 KM FROM THE CITY OF VAN

 

It is not clear whether anyone was injured.

 

Source: Swedish text-TV / SVT Text

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 17 NOVEMBER 2011

 

 

RADIO-ACTIVITY FOUND IN 192 TONS OF RICE IN JAPAN

 

Radio-activity at a higher-than-allowed level has been detected by the Japanese authorities in 192 tonnes of rice. The rice contained 630 becquerel per kilo. Allowed is up to a limit of 500 becquerel per kilo.

 

The rice comes from fields about 60km from the crippled Fukushima power plant that was hit by a devastating tsunami on 11 March 2011. Radio-activity leaked from the power plant.

 

Earlier measurements showed very small amounts of radio-activity in food like beef, mushrooms and green tea according to BBC.

 

The radio-active rice was under way to the market, but had not yet reached the consumers.

 

Sources: Text-TV (Danish DR1 and Swedish SVT)

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15769321

 

17 November 2011 Last updated at 07:12 GMT

 

Rice containing radioactive caesium found in Japan

 

By Roland Buerk / BBC News, Tokyo

 

Radioactive caesium has been detected above the safety level in rice for the first time in Japan since the nuclear crisis began at the Fukushima plant.

 

The sample came from a Fukushima city farm about 60km from the plant.

 

The government is considering banning shipments from the area it was found.

 

There have been a series of scares over radiation in food in Japan in recent months - in beef, mushrooms and green tea among other products - but never before in the country's staple, rice.

 

Now caesium in concentrations above the official safety limit has been detected in a sample from a farm in Fukushima city.

 

The rice was being prepared for market, but Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said none had been sold.

 

The discovery highlights the difficulty of tracking the radiation which has been spread across eastern Japan by wind and rain.

 

Local governments in rural areas have set up testing centres to try to ensure contaminated products do not get into the food chain.

 

Last week the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also began testing samples bought at shops in the capital in an attempt to further reassure anxious members of the public.

[nancyk58]

FOREST FIRES IN RENO, NEVADA USA. Wind speeds of 90km.

 

Source: Danish TV2 live

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 19 NOVEMBER 2011

 

CENTRAL PARTS OF BANGKOK ARE NO LONGER THREATENED BY FLOODING - according to Thailand's prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

The flooding in Thailand has cost more than 600 human lives, and 5.4 million people have been affected by the flooding. Source: Swedish text-TV (SVT text)

 

 

THOUSANDS OF US CITIZENS EVACUATED DUE TO WILD FIRES IN NEVADA

 

Almost 10,000 - or 9,500 to be exact - had to leave their homes due to wild fires in Nevada according to the internet website for the gambler paradise RENO which has been most affected. A state of EMERGENCY has been declared for all of the state in the western USA on the border to California.

 

About 450 fire fighters were deployed in an attempt to contain the fires that cover more than 800 hectares in the Reno area. Almost 5,000 houses are threatened.

 

Source: German text-TV / ZDF text

 

 

FAMINE IN SOMALIA EASED - THE SITUATION THERE HAS IMPROVED

 

According to the United Nations, there is no longer famine in 3 of the 6 regions previously declared famine-hit.

 

At a time, 750,000 people were close to dying. That number has not fallen to 250,000 people, says UN's humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.

 

According to the UN, massive international emergency aid has resulted in fewer people starving and in fewer deaths as a consequence of starvation.

 

In some areas in Somalia, famine will last at least until July 2012 according to the UN. Emergency aid at the equivalent of 5 billion Danish Kroner will be needed.

 

Source: Danish text-TV / DR1

[nancyk58]

602 DEAD AFTER FLOODING IN THAILAND

 

602 have died after Thailand's worst flooding for more than 50 years according to news agency AP.

 

The flooding began at the end of July and was triggered by heavy monsoon rain and several tropical storms.

 

The water masses have flooded towns / cities including Bangkok which was hard hit by flooding. The situation has improved a lot within the last couple of days.

 

And the clean-up operation has started in many areas.

 

17 of the 77 provinces are still under water.

 

At the culmination of the flooding, two thirds of the provinces were flooded.

 

Source: Danish text-TV / DR1

 

 

EVACUATION OF 11,000 COMMUNITIES DUE TO WILD FIRES IN COLORADO

 

Wild fires near Boulder in Colorado have led to the evacuation of 11,000 communities. Strong winds have made it very difficult to get control over 3 fires. Several buildings have burned down according to the news agency Reuters.

 

Source: Swedish text-TV / SVT text

[nancyk58]

Storm named "Joachim" in southern + western Europe.

 

A ship is stranded in Spain - and a beach has been affected by leaking oil from the ship.

 

2 people killed by waves in Spain.

 

400,000 people without power in France.

 

Storm now heading for southern Germany. The Rhineland area was affected today.

 

EDIT: Also Switzerland was hit - a train was blown off the rails!!

 

 

News from Danish TV2 news on 16 December right now.

 

 

JAPAN:

 

The Fukushima plant is now stabilized.

 

In some areas people are not yet allowed to return due to the level of radiation still being too high.

 

The clean-up operation in Japan will take several decades.

 

News from Danish TV2 news on 16 December right now.

[nancyk58]

AT LEAST 189 KILLED BY STORM WASHI IN THE PHILIPPINES

 

 

The death toll in the Philippines has risen to 189 following a powerful, tropical storm named WASHI that hit the southern part of the island state causing massive flooding and landslides.

 

According to military spokesman Leopoldo Galon about 400 are missing. 71 have been found dead in worst-hit Cagayan de Oro City - a port city on the island of MINDANAO.

 

Earlier the death toll was reported to be 71, but later the death toll was reported to be 97.

 

In other parts of the island 48 have drowned, of which at least 40 in Iligan City. 5 died in a landslide.

 

Source: Danish text-TV (DR1 and TV2 News) plus TV2 live

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16229394

 

17 December 2011 Last updated at 09:40 GMT

 

Philippines storm triggers deadly flash floods

 

Flash floods sparked by a tropical storm in the southern Philippines have killed at least 180 people and left hundreds missing, officials say.

 

Many of the victims were asleep when it struck Mindanao island, killing many in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro.

 

Tens of thousands of people have fled to higher ground, the authorities say.

 

Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster rescue agency, said reports were still coming in and the casualty figures could rise.

 

Mr Ramos said the floodwaters had risen alarmingly fast overnight as people slept.

 

"Massive flooding had been reported over the region, especially in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City," he said

 

Rivers burst their banks after 25mm of rain fell in 24 hours.

 

Large areas were left without power and some domestic flights were cancelled as winds of up to 90 km/h (55mph) swept across the island.

 

A landslide killed at least five people in the east of the island, the national disaster agency said.

 

A military spokesman, Colonel Leopoldo Galon, said an entire army division - some 10,000 soldiers - was involved in the rescue efforts around Cagayan de Oro.

 

Nearly 100 dead bodies - most of them children - had already been found in the city, officials say.

 

Forecasters said the eye of Tropical Storm Washi had passed close to Dipolog City, west of Iligan City, early on Saturday and it was now heading out into the Sulu Sea.Search for bodies

 

Floods had swamped a quarter of Iligan and at least 10 villages on its outskirts, said the city's mayor, Lawrence Cruz.

 

"It's the worst flood in the history of our city," Mr Cruz told GMA television. "It happened so fast, at a time when people were fast asleep."

 

The coast guard and other rescuers were scouring the waters off the coastal city for survivors or bodies, he added.

 

GMA television broadcast dramatic footage of a family escaping their flood-hit home by climbing through a window.

 

Rescue workers were pictured helping survivors to safety in chest-deep floodwater.

 

Three people also drowned in Polanco town in Zamboanga del Norte province, said provincial disaster officer Dennis Tenorio. He said high winds had toppled trees.

 

The storm is set to hit the western island of Palawan later on Saturday, after crossing the Sulu Sea with winds of up to 75 km/h, according to state weather forecasters.

 

The Philippines are struck by about 20 major storms every year.

 

Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae battered the country within days of each other in September, leaving more than 100 people dead.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16236757

 

18 December 2011 Last updated at 13:40 GMT

 

Philippines flood toll passes 650 as search continues

 

The number of people killed in the Philippines by floods triggered by Tropical Storm Washi has risen to 650.

 

Soldiers and volunteers are still searching for the 800 people reported missing on southern Mindanao island.

 

Many were trapped in their homes as the flash floods coincided with high tides. In some places entire villages are reported to have been swept away.

 

Authorities have been criticised for not giving enough warning of the storm's severity.

 

However the state disaster agency said adequate warnings had been given to officials and residents three days before it reached land on Friday.

 

The BBC's Kate McGeown in the capital Manila says most of the 20 typhoons and major storms that hit the country each year affect the north - and many in Mindanao were unprepared for the severity of Tropical Storm Washi.

 

'Overwhelming'

 

The major ports of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were among the areas worst hit on Friday night.

 

Hundreds of bodies have been found in each of the two cities - many piled up in makeshift morgues.

 

Other bodies are gradually being washed ashore along the northern Mindanao coastline or are being found floating at sea.

 

The scale of the disaster has forced the local authorities to issue an appeal for body bags and coffins.

 

"It's overwhelming. We didn't expect these many dead," said Benito Ramos, head of the government's disaster response agency.

 

The Philippines Red Cross is helping co-ordinate the search for those missing with the government and other aid agencies.

 

"Our office was swamped with hundreds of requests to help find their missing parents, children and relatives," said Gwendolyn Pang, Red Cross Secretary-General.

 

Most of the dead were women and children, Ms Pang said.

 

She said many bodies remained unclaimed, raising the possibility that entire families had been swept away.

 

Food and water are also urgently needed for the many displaced people.

 

Almost 35,000 people were still sheltering in evacuation centres on Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

 

But others are living in the remains of their homes, with no electricity or running water.

 

Some of the survivors told of remarkable escapes after their villages were hit by floodwater.

 

One woman said she survived - along with eight family members and neighbours - by sitting on the tin roof of her house as it drifted down a river and miles into the open sea, where they were rescued by a cargo ship.

 

"There was a deafening sound followed by a rush of water. We found ourselves in the river and the current took us out to the sea," Carmelita Pulosan, 42, from Cagayan de Oro, told Reuters.

 

"The current was very strong. God is really good to us. He saved my family," she said.

 

 

Danish text-TV on DR1: 650 people dead in the Philippines. 20,000 soldiers have been mobilized to help the survivors and to search for dead bodies in the mud.

 

The government in Manila and Red Cross are appealing for help.

 

The flood followed a massive tropical storm with lots of rain - 25 mm per hour that caused the rivers to overflow their banks, and many drowned. The storm hit mainly the southern part of the Philippines in the night between Friday and Saturday.

 

The disaster affects 100,000 people who are in urgent need of help.

[nancyk58]

2 EARTHQUAKES IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (Danish text-TV / DR1)

 

2 earthquakes - both magnitude 5.8 - shook Christchurch. In February 2011, Christchurch was shaken by an even more powerful quake killing 182 people. That quake also caused damage at the equivalent of 100 billion Danish Kroner.

 

After the powerful quake earlier this year, experts warned of the risk of aftershocks. No reports of casualties in connection with Friday's 2 earthquakes that occurred at an interval of 1 hour.

 

Public buildings and several offices and shops have been evacuated.

 

The quakes resulted in powerful tremors, but no substantial damage.

 

 

 

THE PHILIPPINES (news from text-TV / TV2): The number of missing after the ravaging of the tropical storm "Washi" in the southern Philippines is rising.

 

The fate of 1,080 people is unknown. Relatives make inquiries in their search for missing loved ones. The number of missing is much higher that what the authorities estimated up to Thursday when between 400 and 500 were reported missing.

[nancyk58]

In Thailand's Ghumpton province a gigantic wave has caused evacuation of a lot of people.

 

Danish TV2 News

 

 

HURRICANE TEARS OFF ROOFS in southern part of the FAROE ISLANDS. In particular SUDERØY HARD HIT

 

Wind gusts up to 49m per second. Some material damage reported. No one injured.

 

In particular Suderøy is hard hit, but the situation is under control.

 

Source: Danish text-tv on TV2

 

 

38 HAITIAN REFUGEES DROWNED OFF CUBA - 21 men + 17 women

 

Cuba's coast guard found their ship half-sunk about 100m off Point Maisi on the eastern part of Cuba. 87 other refugees including 4 children and 7 women were rescued and brought to an international refugee camp where help was offered.

 

Danish text-TV on DR1

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16328342

 

25 December 2011 Last updated at 04:10 GMT

 

Haiti migrants found dead off Cuba's coast

 

At least 38 migrants from Haiti have been found dead after their boat sank just off the eastern tip of Cuba, officials in Havana say.

 

Another 87 people from the boat were rescued, Cuban TV reported quoting civil defence officials.

 

It said the boat was spotted only 100m off shore. A search for more possible survivors is now under way.

 

Fatal incidents involving migrants from Haiti - the Western hemisphere's poorest nation - are not uncommon.

 

In 2009, US Coast Guard officials called off their search for about 70 migrants from Haiti whose boat capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands.

 

In May 2007, at least 61 Haitian migrants died when a boat carrying 150 people sank off the Turks and Caicos, a British territory.

[Italian Plastic]

2 EARTHQUAKES IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND [/color](Danish text-TV / DR1)

 

2 earthquakes - both magnitude 5.8 - shook Christchurch. In February 2011, Christchurch was shaken by an even more powerful quake killing 182 people. That quake also caused damage at the equivalent of 100 billion Danish Kroner.

 

After the powerful quake earlier this year, experts warned of the risk of aftershocks. No reports of casualties in connection with Friday's 2 earthquakes that occurred at an interval of 1 hour.

 

Public buildings and several offices and shops have been evacuated.

 

The quakes resulted in powerful tremors, but no substantial damage.

 

was in Christchurch for these. Pretty terrifying, seeing as there were around 20 aftershocks that night (all of which kept me awake...)

whenever I hear a low rumbling I freak out. gah. can't imagine what the February quakes were like.

[Cobalt]

Surprised the Melb Christmas Day storms weren't posted about - 3 reported tornadoes, one of them a suburb over from me, huge hailstorms etc.

 

We had about 200 roof tiles broken/smashed (high quality ones too) with water damage every room in the house. Whole neighbourhood is still a bit of a mess, the house was only tarped on Thursday morning by emergency services. I haven't been here bc I was dealing with all that shiz

[nancyk58]

^ Thanks for your report, Emma. I hope that the situation is soon back to normal - and HAPPY NEW YEAR.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 31 DECEMBER, 2011

 

 

CYCLONE THANE KILLED AT LEAST 34 IN SOUTHERN INDIA

 

Wind gusts up to 140 km per hour according to the authorities in the city of MADRAS.

 

The majority of the deaths were caused by electrocution / by electric shocks generated by torn-down / knocked-down cables and collapsed walls.

 

The cyclone Thane made landfall in the Indian state of TAMIL NADU Friday evening. It caused substantial material damage and cut power for 10 thousands of people.

 

About 50,000 houses with thatched roofs were destroyed by the storm, said district leader V. Amuthavalli.

 

 

THAILAND: 823 VICTIMS AS A RESULT OF THE WATER MASSES

 

The death toll after the worst flooding in Thailand for more than 50 years continues to rise. 823 have lost their lives according to Thailand's government.

 

Massive rain in the southern part of Thailand - and late (delayed) reports of previous deaths - are the reasons for the death toll now reaching 823.

 

There are also positive news for Thailand's inhabitants: According to the Interiour Ministry, the water is now receding in many areas.

 

The massive floods have affected more than 2 million people in Thailand.

[nancyk58]

I have found this about the Australian flood Emma mentioned:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16336578

 

27 December 2011 Last updated at 03:32 GMT

 

Train derailed, two swept from car in AUSTRALIA FLOODS

 

A freight train has been derailed and two people were swept from their car in flooding that struck Australia's Northern Territory.

 

Two crew members were hurt when the freight train was derailed from a bridge near Katherine, south of Darwin.

 

A man and a woman were also swept from their car on a bridge in the same area, and found clinging to a tree by police.

 

Heavy rain from Tropical Cyclone GRANT, downgraded to a tropical low on Boxing Day, caused the floods.

 

The driver and co-driver of the train were rescued and are being taken to a hospital in Katherine.

 

The couple were trying to cross the bridge when their car stalled, according to media reports.

 

They climbed onto the roof but were carried away by floodwater.

 

Most of the Northern Territory has been spared the worst of the storm, which developed over the Christmas holiday weekend, media reports say.

 

But flooding is still a concern in several areas, meteorologists warn.

 

 

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 1 JANUARY, 2012

 

 

EARTHQUAKE SHOOK TOKYO (sources: Danish text-tv from DR1 + TV2)

 

A powerful earthquake - measured at magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale - hit the area around Japan's capital TOKYO - as reported by the news agency AFP. No reports of substantial damage or serious casualties (AFP).

 

The quake occurred at 2:30 in the afternoon local time - just when the Japanese Emperor Akihito in his New Year's Address urged the Japanese population to stand together in the reconstruction of Japan after the disastrous earthquake and ensuing tsunami on 11 March 2011 that cost 23,000 human lives.

 

The epicentre was near the island of Torishima situated about 560 km south of Tokyo.

 

No tsunami alert was issued.

 

 

A STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED AND ABOUT 40 PEOPLE EVACUATED AFTER MAJOR LANDSLIDE IN TRONDHEIM, NORWAY

 

This was reported by the Norwegian news agency NTB.

 

A state of emergency was declared in Trondheim after the big landslide as reported by VG Nett.

 

About 40 people have been evacuated from the area. 2 helicopter ambulances are flying from farm to farm in the affected area.

 

The landslide was several hundred meters long and wide - and expanding.

 

Source: Danish text-TV from DR1 + TV2

[chuck kottke]

Surprised the Melb Christmas Day storms weren't posted about - 3 reported tornadoes, one of them a suburb over from me, huge hailstorms etc.

 

We had about 200 roof tiles broken/smashed (high quality ones too) with water damage every room in the house. Whole neighbourhood is still a bit of a mess, the house was only tarped on Thursday morning by emergency services. I haven't been here bc I was dealing with all that shiz

 

> Wow, that must have been one powerful windstorm to break 200 roof tiles, usually the toughest roofing for storms of all sorts! Sounds like a mess Emma, I sure hope things are a bit better there for you now. :hug:

I finally fixed the storm damaged stoop roof, damaged from the summer's freak shear wind we had here - I know how it can be, it's bizarre to see big tree limbs in front of your door, debris scattered everywhere, and water pouring in! Hope you can get tiles up on the roof asap, and things back to normal.;)

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 2 JANUARY, 2012

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16387079

 

2 January 2012 Last updated at 20:09 GMT

 

 

Deadly Chile forest fires spread

 

Firefighters in Chile are tackling dozens of forest fires which have killed one person and destroyed 230 sq km (57,000 acres) of land in the southern and central regions.

 

A 75-year-old man died in Bio Bio after he refused to evacuate his home.

 

Firefighters said they had managed to contain four out of six blazes in the Torres del Paine National Park.

 

An Israeli tourist detained on Saturday has denied a charge of causing the park fire through negligence.

 

President Sebastian Pinera said Chile was in a "situation of extreme vulnerability".

 

He said that on Sunday emergency services were battling 48 separate fires, 15 of which were not yet under control.

 

The president said almost 130 sq km (32,000 acres) had been burned in the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.

 

Stiffer penalties

 

He announced that parts of the park would re-open on Wednesday to minimise disruption to tourism and local businesses.

 

An Israeli tourist has been charged with causing the fire through negligence, which he denies.

 

If found guilty, he could face up to 60 days in prison and a fine of around $300 (£190).

 

President Pinera has proposed increasing the penalties for anyone who causes forest fires, be it intentionally or negligently.

 

In the Bio Bio region, fire destroyed more than 100 homes and a plant making wood panels.

 

More than 500 firefighters have been deployed to stem the blaze.

 

The BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago says that Chile always suffers forest fires during the southern hemisphere summer but that a drought has made 2011 a particularly bad year.

 

More on This Story

 

Related Stories

 

Chile fire suspect 'a scapegoat' 01 JANUARY 2012, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

 

In pictures: Chile's wildfire 01 JANUARY 2012, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

 

Fire rages in Chile national park 30 DECEMBER 2011, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

 

From other news sites

 

CTV.ca : Chile battles 3 massive wildfires; 1 killed 1 hr ago

 

BusinessWeek : Copec Falls Most in Five Weeks as Chile Fire Destroys Plant

2 hrs ago

 

Yahoo! UK and Ireland : New fire outbreak kills one in Chile

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Times Live South Africa : Israeli tourist arrested over massive Chile wildfire

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China Post : Firefighters battle huge wildfire at Chilean national park

45 hrs ago

[nancyk58]

DEADLY LANDSLIDE IN THE PHILIPPINES

 

At least 25 have lost their lives and 100 are missing after a landslide in the southern part of the Philippines. The affected area is mainly inhabited by golddiggers according to the authorities.

 

The landslide occurred in a remote mountain village close to the town of Pantukan on the island of Mindanao. A unit from the military is rescuing people out of collapsed buildings - according to the authorities.

 

The area has attracted thousands of golddiggers for decades. There have been numerous deadly accidents due to unorganized digging.

 

Danish text-TV / DR1 on 5 January, 2012

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16426732

 

5 January 2012 Last updated at 16:44 GMT

 

Brazil dam burst forces thousands from homes

 

Brazilian authorities are trying to evacuate several thousand people after a dam burst in northern Rio de Janeiro state.

 

Water broke through the dam protecting the town of Campos de Goytacazes, opening up a big crater in a highway.

 

Rio and other parts of south-eastern Brazil have been battered by floods and landslides, with several people killed.

 

Some 66 towns and cities in Minas Gerais state have declared a state of emergency.

 

On Thursday, a dam protecting Campos de Goytacazes ruptured, sending floodwaters from the River Muriae towards the small community of Tres Vendas some 30km (19 miles) away.

 

Officials said it was a race against time to get the people out before the area was flooded.

 

"Practically all the families are leaving," civil defence official Henrique Oliveira told the G1 website.

 

"The river might rise three and half metres, four metres. Only the roofs will be visible."

 

Flooding is common in south-eastern Brazil during the rainy season.

 

Nationwide, more than two million people have been affected by this year's rains, Brazil's civil defence force says.

 

Floodwaters are also threatening hillside communities in Rio de Janeiro state that were devastated a year ago.

 

Many roads have been blocked, making it difficult to get help and supplies to affected areas.

 

Last year floods killed more than 800 people, in what officials said was the worst natural disaster ever to befall Brazil.

 

Most of the deaths were in towns in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro such as Nova Friburgo, which are again suffering from intense rains.

 

Since then, the Brazil government has set up an early warning system to monitor weather rainfall and ensure people evacuate before floods strike.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 6 JANUARY, 2012

 

 

CHILE: 6 FIRE FIGHTERS KILLED AND 4 INJURED WHEN TRYING TO EXTINGUISH A FOREST FIRE

 

For more than 1 week, several fires have ravaged the central and southern part of Chile. 10 firefighters were trapped / caught by the fire at a mountain side in the Araucania region. A helicopter managed to save 4 injured fire fighters.

 

"Due to the wind, they were suddenly surrounded by fire. They moved together to protect each other. Probably, the survivors were lying at the bottom", says the governor of the region, Miguel Mellado.

 

According to president Sebastian Pinera, criminals have started the fires.

 

"We have reliable information that makes us believe that criminal elements are behind these fires.

 

We are not only to fight the fires, but also the criminals". So he said after the tragedy on Thursday.

 

Source: Danish Text-TV (DR1 and TV2)

 

 

 

Danish text-TV (DR1 and TV2): Fear of dike breach in the Groningen region in the Netherlands. Several people evacuated or recommended to leave their houses / farms. Also cattle to be evacuated. The Netherlands has had a lot of rain recently.

[nancyk58]

http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/sea-levels-rise-maldives-president-may-move-his-entire-island-nation-australia.html

 

To Escape Rising Seas, Maldives President May Move His Entire Island Nation to Australia

 

Brian Merchant

Science / Climate Change

January 6, 2012

 

 

Climate change may continue to seem like a semi-ambiguous, far-off phenomenon to many Americans, even despite the extreme weather than wracked the nation last year. But to millions of people around the world, those on the front lines of global warming, I assure you: it is a real and imminent threat.

 

Take the Maldives, for example. The small island nation may be the first country in the world to be entirely swallowed up by rising sea levels caused by climate change. Those rising sea levels are already endangering the nation's cherished beaches, and will before too long render many parts of the country inhospitable. As Andrew Marantz described in his great dispatch from the island for Harper's Magazine (subs. req'd), the approaching end times for the Maldives has given rise to a strange blend of doomed apathy and anxious resignation among the citizenry there.

 

And now, the issue is reaching a boiling point. The president of Maldives has recently announced that he is considering moving his entire country to Australia before it disappears beneath the waves. The Sydney Morning Herald reports (via TP Green):

 

THE President of what could be the first country in the world lost to climate change has urged Australia to prepare for a mass wave of climate refugees seeking a new place to live. The Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed, said his government was considering Australia as a possible new home if the tiny archipelago disappears beneath rising seas.

 

''It is increasingly becoming difficult to sustain the islands, in the natural manner that these islands have been,'' he told the Herald in an interview ... ''If nations won't do good for themselves, they really must do good for everyone around, simply in your self-interest as well ... I think it's really quite necessary for Australians and for every rich country to understand that this is unlike any other thing that's happened before.''

 

And the Maldives have already begun preparing for what is now looking like the inevitable: "The country has established a sovereign wealth fund, drawn from its tourist revenue, to be used to buy land overseas and finance the relocation of the country's population of 350,000," SMH reports.

 

Climate change is nothing less than an existential threat to Maldives, as it is for many other nations. Not just other island nations like Tuvalu, but poor, unprepared ones that face devastating floods or drought – think Bangladesh, Pakistan, and East African nations.

 

In other words, while millions of Americans are watching news reports about climate change on the evening news and shaking their heads, or nodding along with influential naysayers like Fox News or Rush Limbaugh – millions of others are staring down its barrel, and some are already packing their bags.

[chuck kottke]

I can't stop the madmen here from disseminating their lies, but we could all get more honest governments that put into motion rapid measures to reduce and eventually reverse the trends in greenhouse gas emissions.

I agree - we all should welcome in climate immigrants, those who's lands have gone underwater from all that we have set forth in this modern world. I know it was suggested by a Bangladeshi on TV that the US ought to do this, I think he mentioned that Wisconsin should take in those displaced by rising waters, I haven't a clue why we got singled out in this!:laugh3: I think they would be more comfortable in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Maybe they could be relocated to Palm Beach, Florida, where Rush Limbaugh lives! ;) Or how about Salt Lake City - after all, they took in some Hurricane Katrina victims from New Orleans, why not some Maldivians and some Bangladeshis? It's time to open the door to those most affected by climate change, I agree.