A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Philippines has displaced more than 32,000 people, killed at least 37, and injured nearly 500, as widespread panic over possible tsunami forced thousands to flee coastal and inland communities. Rescue teams continued search and recovery operations on Wednesday across damaged areas in Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island, […]
disaster
Flash floods kill dozens and paralyse Kenya’s capital
At least 23 people have died after overnight flash floods swept through Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, leaving widespread destruction, authorities said on Saturday. Torrential rains triggered sudden flooding that submerged roads, swept away vehicles and disrupted flights at the country’s main international airport. Read More: Flash floods in Morocco kill at least 37 Emergency teams and aid […]
Tesla’s governance autopilot heads for disaster
NEW YORK, May 17 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Portraying a CEO as a father figure is one way to tell there’s a lack of judicious oversight. Backing the company’s board despite obvious shortcomings is another. Tesla shareholders did both on Tuesday, with one of them playing the part of boss Elon Musk’s “son,” a robot the electric-car maker […]
Meet Japan’s cyborg cockroach, coming to disaster area near you
Meet Japan’s cyborg cockroach, coming to disaster area near you. If an earthquake strikes in the not-too-distant future and survivors are trapped under tonnes of rubble, the first responders to locate them could be swarms of cyborg cockroaches. That’s a potential application of a recent breakthrough by Japanese researchers who demonstrated the ability to mount […]
At least 76 killed in India heavy monsoon rains: govt
At least 76 people have died in multiple monsoon-related accidents, Indian officials said Saturday, as heavy rains lashed the western state of Maharashtra, triggering landslides, flooding and a building collapse. “Torrential rainfall in various parts of the state often coinciding with high tides and also discharge from dams led to various regions… getting inundated thereby […]
Japan landslide toll rises to 15
The death toll in a landslide that hit the Japanese resort town of Atami has risen to 15, a local official said Sunday, as hundreds of rescuers continued the search for over a dozen missing residents. “Two more people were confirmed dead during the weekend, with the number of victims now totalling 15,” disaster-management spokesman […]
Rescuers struggle to locate dozens in landslide-hit Japan town
Authorities in a landslide-hit Japanese holiday town were trying to locate 80 residents on Monday as rescue teams trawled through the muddy debris looking for survivors. Soldiers and emergency workers used hand-held poles and mechanical diggers in the desperate search, two days after a torrent of earth slammed down a mountainside and through part of […]
Second volcano erupts near DR Congo’s battered Goma city
A second volcano erupted Saturday near the eastern DR Congo city of Goma, a week after Mount Nyiragongo roared back into life, causing devastation and sparking an exodus. “Today the Murara volcano near an uninhabited area of Virunga erupted,” government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, referring to a wildlife reserve that is home to a quarter […]
Sri Lanka facing marine disaster from burning ship: official
Sri Lanka is facing its worst beach pollution crisis as tones of plastic waste from a burning container ship wash ashore, a senior environment official said Saturday. Fishermen have been banned from an 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of coast near the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl as an international firefighting operation went into a 10th day. “There […]
Siberia forest fires spark potential ‘disaster’ for Arctic
MOSCOW: Gigantic forest fires have regularly raged through the vast expanses of Russia’s Siberia, but the magnitude of this year’s blazes has reached an exceptional level with fears of a long-term impact on the environment. As fires sweep across millions of hectares enveloping entire cities in black smoke and noxious fumes, environmentalists warn of a […]