April 6, 2016 - INDIA - Two persons were killed by lightning in separate incidents in the district on Tuesday evening.
Shankaramma (25), a resident of Vithal Nagar village in Shikaripur
taluk, who had been to the farm on the outskirts of the village to
harvest coriander crops, was killed when she was struck by lightning.
Four other women working with her have been admitted to the government
hospital in Shikaripur town.
Lightning also claimed another life in Muddinakoppa village. Shafi
Ahmed, a resident of Bapuji Nagar in the city, was waiting below a tree
when the incident took place. Afeez, a friend of the deceased, was also
injured. - The Hindu.
Human-elephant conflicts are on the rise in India as villagers and
farmers encroach on the elephants' natural habitat (AFP Photo/Diptendu
Dutta)
April 5, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of animal attacks on humans.
Wild elephant kills five in India's northeast
A
rampaging elephant killed five members of a family including a nine-day
old infant in a remote village in India's northeastern frontier, a
local official said Tuesday.
The
elephant trampled the family to death while they were asleep in their
thatched hut in the early hours of Tuesday in Behali forest, some 256
kilometres (160 miles) from Assam state's capital Guwahati.
Both
parents, their infant daughter and two other children died during the
incident, while their three-year-old daughter survived the attack and
was being treated at a hospital for minor injuries.
"The family was asleep when the elephant attacked their hut," Rajiv Chaudhary, a divisional forestry officer, told AFP.
He
said the elephant had apparently strayed from its herd when it charged
the home. The animal reportedly left the area soon after the attack,
according to the official.
Wildlife
experts say encounters between humans and elephants are increasing in
India's rural areas due to the destruction of the animals' habitat.
Last
month a herd of wild elephants went on an hours-long rampage in
neighbouring West Bengal, killing five people and damaging vehicles and
homes before being subdued with tranquilliser darts. - Yahoo.
Radioactive wild boar overwhelms communities in the Fukushima countryside
Nuclear pigs: Radioactive wild boars have caused in £620,000 worth of damage to agriculture in Fukushima prefecture
as numbers have increased by more than 330 per cent in recent years
Radioactive wild boars are running rampage across northern Japan after being contaminated in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The animals are causing hundreds of thousands of pounds in damage to local farms, having been allowed to breed unhindered in the exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The number of boars in Fukushima has increased by more than 330 per cent in recent years, as local hunters cannot kill off the radioactive animals fast enough.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and radioactive water has been flowing from the reactors ever since..
In the years after the nuclear disaster, the number of wild boars in Fukushima prefecture increased from 3,000 to 13,000, as they spread outside the exclusion zone.
During the same time period, the animals caused £620,000 worth of damage to agriculture in the area, The Times report.
Local authorities are calling in hunters to cull the boars, but the animals are breeding so quickly that mass graves are now filled to the brim and incinerators are running out of capacity.
The boars have been contaminated through eating everything from crops to berries, roots and small animals affected by radioactive fallout.
Normally one of the healthiest red meats - high in protein and leaner than domestic pork - the Fukushima wild boars are quite the opposite.
Tests carried out on the meat of the wild boars in the area found levels of the radioactive element caesium-137 which are 300 times higher than the legal limit for human consumption.
Meanwhile, the operator of Fukushima Daiichi has switched on a giant refrigeration system to create an unprecedented underground ice wall around its damaged reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) is starting the system in phases to allow close monitoring and adjustment.
It has started with the portion near the sea to prevent contaminated water from escaping into the Pacific Ocean before expanding it to the No.1 reactor.
The decontamination and decommissioning of the plant, damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, hinge of the success of the wall. - Daily Mail.
Freak hailstorm drops several inches of ice on Darjeeling, India.
April 3, 2016 - EARTH - The following articles constitutes several of the latest reports on heavy snowfall, low temperatures and snow storms as global cooling continues across the Earth.
Freak hailstorm drops several inches of ice on Darjeeling, India
Darjeeling, the Queen of the Hills, was today enveloped in white after a
sudden hailstorm hit the town area in the afternoon continuing
relentlessly for nearly an hour. The fall was so heavy that hailstones
accumulated in many places disrupting traffic till late in the evening,
and pedestrians too had a very difficult time walking in the streets.
Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastav said, "There have been
no reports of major damage from the town area apart from traffic getting
disrupted due to the accumulation of hailstones. But the municipality
has started clearing the roads."
The only damage worth noting was the collapsing of the roof of the
basketball court of Loreto Convent School. The school's authorities said
the incident occurred after lunch when all the students were inside the
classrooms. Meanwhile, municipality officials said they were trying to
restore normalcy and the hailstones would be cleared out by late
evening. Locals were also seen helping the civic body workers in
clearing the footpaths and streets in town.
The Mall area and Chowrasta, the favourite haunt of tourists and locals
alike, were packed with people enjoying themselves. Subhojit Biswas,
from Dum Dum, Kolkata, said, "This is the first time I have been here
and had never experienced something like this. My visit to the hills has
been worthwhile."
WATCH: Hailstorm at Darjeeling.
Town resident Rajeev Lepcha said, "I've been living in
Darjeeling for almost 40 years now and I had never experienced such a
phenomenon. What happened today was simply amazing."Meanwhile,
the Darjeeling Tea Association was sombre, with an official saying the
hailstorm will affect the tea gardens. DTA principal advisor Sandeep
Mukherjee said, "The hailstones will definitely affect the tea gardens
this is the time when 10 per cent of the first flush is produced. Now,
production will likely be pushed back by two weeks although it will take
some time to assess which gardens were the most affected." - Echo of India.
Snow falls on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe for the first time in 'extraordinary weather phenomenon'
Residents film the falling flakes on Thursday.
No, it is not an April Fools Day joke, snowflakes actually fell in the neighbouring French island of Guadeloupe.
The event, which was described as 'exceptional' by a French
meteorologist took place on Thursday, March 31 in the municipality of
St. Claude.
Reports from French media indicate that a very fine snowfall blanketed the hills above the town.
French meteorologist, Alain Museleque, explained the extraordinary phenomenon on Guadeloupe Premiere TV.
"We had a mass of clouds that arrived over St. Claude," he said in
French and translated by McCathy Marie. "Accompanying this mass of
clouds was some very cold air. In this very cold air, in the mass of
clouds, we had the creation of some snowflakes which fell to the ground.
This has never before been seen in Guadeloupe. This is an exceptional event that we will never forget."
Two weeks ago in the same area, in a residential district which is just below La Soufriere Volcano overlooking the Town of Basse Terre, residents were surprised to see hailstones falling from the sky. - Dominica News Online.
Another clipper storm to sweep northeastern US with accumulating snow in April
More snow will fall across portions of the northeastern United States through Monday.
This
system will take a similar track to the storm during Saturday and
Saturday night which brought snow, rain, strong winds and a shot of
arctic air from the Midwest to the Northeast.
A line of
thunderstorms produced small hail and damaging winds from portions of
eastern Pennsylvania into New Jersey and southern New England during
Saturday night.
"There will be about a 15-hour break between the
clipper from last night and the next one on Sunday night," AccuWeather
Meteorologist Michael Doll said.
Clipper storms are fast moving storms that typically form over Alberta
and swing across the Midwest and Northeast with snow, strong winds and a
drop in temperatures.
With cold air in place, snow will fall from Michigan to southern New England.
The
steadiest snow will reach the upper Great Lakes on Sunday, southern
Ontario, New York state and Pennsylvania on Sunday night and southern
New England on Monday.
"Although snow will fall heavily at times
on Sunday across the upper Great Lakes, it will have a hard time
sticking to roads due to the high sun angle," Doll said.
Little
or no snow will fall from Detroit and Pittsburgh to New York City,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Most of the precipitation
in these areas will be in the form of rain. Should any snow showers
occur, no accumulation is expected.
Enough snow will fall to
cause travel delays on the road and in the air from Marquette, Michigan,
to Buffalo and Albany, New York and Boston.
Roads will become snow packed and slippery very quickly. Motorists
traveling along interstates 69, 75, 81, 84, 87, 88, 90, 91, 94, 95 and
96 should remain on alert for slippery road conditions and limited
visibility in the heaviest bursts of snow.
Winds will be much weaker with this storm compared to the one on Saturday night. Winds could occasionally gust near 30 mph.
Cold air more typical of winter will remain across the region through Tuesday before milder air and rain arrives by midweek.
The milder air will be short lived as another shot of cold air will arrive later this week and into the upcoming weekend.
The month of April is typically a battleground between winter and spring. Drastic temperature swings are common as warm spells can quickly be erased by arctic air diving to the south.
"[As is] typical of April, there may be a back-and-forth fight going on in the atmosphere for a time," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. - AccuWeather.
Dubai and UAE receives 50 TIMES the normal rainfall amount
Dubai and the UAE received 50X the normal amount of rainfall for the
month of March. This was followed by raging dust storms with 130 kmh
winds. Decreased solar wind pressure is allowing the jet stream to
swing out of place which will continue as the new Grand Solar Minimum
continues to intensify.
WATCH: Dubai and UAE see highest rainfall totals in recent years.
Many drivers had already mounted their summer tires – Snowplow in continuous use.
Surprising heavy snowfall has significantly impeded traffic on the motorways in Hesse and Thuringia, bringing accidents, road closures and kilometer-long traffic jams.
In Alsfeld a truck slid into two stopped trucks, fully blocking the road towards Frankfurt.
In Fulda county firefighters numerous overturned trees of many roads had to move because of the new snow and strong wind gusts.
In Thuringia, the A73 and A71 had to be partially closed because trucks were crosswise on the road or overturned. Also on all of A4 and parts of the A9 there were problems caused by the snow. According to the highway patrol, many cars were skidding because they had already installed summer tires.
The German Weather Service announced that 13 cm of fresh snow fell in Erfurt in the morning. In the crest of the Thuringian Forest there was fresh snow between seven and nine centimeters. the snowfall .
The most harmful came in the western parts of Thuringia. Eisenach, Erfurt, Gera because it was thick white. In the state capital of Erfurt were 13 cm, in the Hessian Vogelsberg there were 9 cm, 4 in the Rhön and 3 cm in Chemnitz in Saxony.
On the A5 in Central Hesse Alsfeld a truck slipped from the road in heavy snowstorm. The driver was seriously injured. The highway was completely blocked, creating a traffic jam of 10 km in length. Also on the A7 in the district of Fulda were ten centimeters of snow.
In Hesse and Thuringia start April with snow. Heavy snow caused early Friday morning on the highway 5 in North and East Hesse long traffic jams. In Alsfeld a 32 year old man slipped his truck in two standing on the ground trucks, as police said. The driver was trapped in the accident and seriously injured taken to hospital.
In Fulda county firefighters numerous overturned trees of many roads had to move because of the new snow and strong wind gusts.
Thuringia was disabled due to snow, especially in the center and south of the country, said the Regional Operations Centre. It had been surprised by the snow, said a spokesman for the highway patrol in Hermsdorf.
At the airport in Erfurt fell 13 cm of snow, said Jens Oehmichen the German Weather Service (DWD) in Leipzig. In the crest of the Thuringian Forest there was fresh snow 7-9 centimeters.
In Jermuk a snow cover height of 47 cm (18 inches) was recorded.
Sevan recorded 16 cm, Tashir and Gyumri 13 cm, Hrazdan and Aparam 15 cm , Fantan 10 cm and Arktik 9 cm.
60 % to 90 % of the monthly norm of snow precipitation was registered
during this night in Bagratashan, Tashir, Aparan, Fantan, Kapan and
Goris. - Armen Press.
April 3, 2016 - INDIA - In a saddening incident,five including three women were killed
and six injured in lightning strikes at different places in Mayurbhanj
district on Friday.
Of them two died and six were injured due to the natural calamity while
undertaking obsequies in a pond at Badapeta under Sadar block.
Three women each at Gudialabandha village under Badasahi block,
Budurubani under Udala block and Sarbana under Kaptipada block died of
the lighting strike. - Mumbai News.
April 1, 2016 - KOLKATA, INDIA -
FIVE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY officials have
been arrested by Indian police after a flyover bridge collapsed killing
at least 24 people.
Rescuers said today there was no hope of finding any more survivors
after clearing the crumbled concrete and twisted metal rods from an
overpass that collapsed onto a crowded Kolkata neighbourhood, killing at
least 24 people and injuring more than 80.
Sixty-seven people were pulled from the debris alive, and the wreckage has been was cleared.
“There is no possibility of finding any person alive,” said SS
Guleria, deputy inspector general of the India’s National Disaster
Response Force.
Engineers are being consulted about a part of the bridge still
hanging over the disaster area, after which workers will “slowly start
dismantling this particular section to avoid any collateral damage to
houses around it.” Arrests
Police arrested five officials from a Hyderabad-based construction
company contracted in 2007 to build the overpass, and sealed its Kolkata
office.
The officials from the IVRCL Infrastructure Co. are being
investigated for culpable homicide, punishable with life imprisonment,
and criminal breach of trust, which carries a prison sentence of up to
seven years, police said.
The company signed a contract in 2007 to build the overpass, and was far behind schedule for the project’s completion.
The
partially constructed overpass had spanned nearly the width of the
street and was designed to ease traffic through the densely crowded Bara
Bazaar neighborhood in the capital of the east Indian state of West
Bengal. Within hours of concrete being poured into a framework of steel
girders on Thursday, about 100 metres of the overpass collapsed.
“I heard an explosion, a solid one,” said resident Rabindra Kumar
Gupta, who had been home eating lunch. “My apartment shook. The whole
building shook. When I looked outside, there was a lot of smoke.”
Smashed yellow taxis, a crushed truck, destroyed rickshaws and the
legs of trapped people jutted from the fallen girders and concrete.
The construction company was far behind schedule for the overpass.
“We completed nearly 70% of the construction work without any
mishap,” IVRCL official KP Rao said yesterday. He was not among those
detained on Friday. “We have to go into the details to find out whether
the collapse was due to any technical or quality issue.”
Police said 39 of the more than 80 people taken to hospitals were still being treated Friday morning. Challenging
As workers in yellow hard-hats operated huge cranes, bulldozers and
other equipment to clear the rubble and pry apart the concrete slabs
this morning, crowds of people waited anxiously to see if neighbours and
friends had survived. The intersection had been a place where street
vendors and service workers regularly plied their trades.
WATCH: Sickening moment of lethal bridge collapse in Kolkata, India caught on camera.
“There used to be a tailor who sat here on this corner. We wonder
about him. A cigarettes and tobacco vendor — we knew everyone who used
to stay around this crossing,” resident Pankaj Jhunjhunwala said.
Rescuers also used dogs and special cameras to find people who were trapped, he said.
The operation was a “very, very challenging task,” said OP Singh, chief of the National Disaster Response Force.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Washington at the time of
the collapse, said he was “shocked and saddened,” according to a message
on his Twitter account. - The Journal.
The elephant that was chained by local people after it killed its mahout at Pulamanthole on Tuesday.
March 31, 2016 - INDIA - A few injured, property and vehicles damaged
An elephant ran amok during a temple festival at Pulamanthole on
Tuesday, killing its mahout, injuring a few others and destroying
property and vehicles.
The elephant's mahout, P.V. Anil from Pathanamthitta, was killed when he
attempted to control the tusker. The elephant had been brought for the
festival of Paloor Alanchery Bhagavati Temple.
The elephant ran along the road for about three kms and entered the
Government Higher Secondary School compound, panicking the children who
were taking exams.
The children were shifted to higher floors of the school building.
Local people later chained the elephant to a nearby plot. - The Hindu.
March 30, 2016 - EARTH - The following articles constitutes several of the latest reports on heavy snowfall, low temperatures and snow storms as global cooling continues across the Earth.
Snow falls in Damascus, Syria
Image above was taken in heights of Damascus area (Zabadani) at 1150 meters.
See image below of coastal area of the highlands (Cadmus) at 1,100 meters.
Thanks to Enal Hasan for these photos and this link. - Ice Age Now.
Early April to bring blasts of arctic air and snow in midwestern, northeastern US
A southward plunge of the polar vortex will direct a couple of blasts of
arctic air and potential snow toward portions of the midwestern and
northeastern United States during the first week of April.
The main thrusts of the cold air will aim at the Great Lakes, New England and the northern part of the mid-Atlantic at a time when many people are looking forward to increased outdoor spring activities.
Arctic air to deliver shocking cold, hard freezes to the Upper Midwest and Northeast
The first and most dramatic of the two blasts will roll southeastward from Canada this weekend.
The approach and passage of the leading edge of the cold air will be accompanied by gusty winds. Sunday could bring high winds to much of the Northeast, in addition to plunging temperatures. "Temperatures in the Northeast will be 10-20 degrees
Fahrenheit below normal, which will be the largest negative anomalies
since Valentines Day," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Lundberg
said. "When the wind is factored in, it will feel a whopping 40-60
degrees colder than it will late this week."
Normal highs during the first week of April are in the lower to middle
50s in Minneapolis, Chicago and Boston, the upper 50s in Pittsburgh and
New York City and the 60s in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
For MLB interests in Pittsburgh on Sunday, play could be challenging to
say the least, due to a combination of wind and cold. Fans heading to
PNC Park should dress in warm layers. Actual temperatures will be no
higher than the lower 40s.
Highs may be in the 20s and 30s during multiple days from western and
northern New York state to central and northern New England. AccuWeather
RealFeel Temperatures can be 10-20 degrees lower than the actual
temperature at times.A second press of cold air is likely during next week.
The southward extent of the cold will depend upon whether or not a storm
strengthens along the Atlantic coast. A strong storm near the coast
could pull cold air well to the south in its wake.
It is possible for frost and freezing temperatures on one or two nights
as far south as parts of the Tennessee Valley and southern Piedmont
areas at the height of the cold air outbreaks.
The penetrating cold could pose a risk for budding and blossoming fruit trees, bushes and vines.
In many cases, budding and blossoming is occurring two to four weeks
earlier than last year. For example, the cherry blossoms in Washington,
D.C., reached peak on March 25 this year, compared to April 10, 2015.
The average peak bloom date is around April 4, according to the National
Park Service.
Snow likely to accompany cold blasts
As the arctic air passes over the open waters of the Great Lakes, rounds of lake-effect snow will erupt.
Typically, by April, lake-effect snow events are insignificant.However, since the air will be much colder than the water, bands of heavy lake-effect snow can set up downwind of the lakes.
"This is the type of setup, where a couple of snow showers could be seen
east of the Appalachians to the Interstate-95 corridor of the
mid-Atlantic and New England in the depths of the cold air later this
weekend into early next week," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot
Abrams said.
The potential for snow may go beyond lake-effect and spotty snow showers.
A couple of Alberta clipper storms will swing southeastward and
could produce periods of steady snow, well away from the traditional
lake-effect snow belts.
Spanning Saturday to Sunday (April 2-3), one period of snow may swing
from northern Minnesota to New York state, northern Pennsylvania and New
England.
Another period of snow could track farther to the south in parts
of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic region spanning Sunday night to Tuesday
(April 3-5).
The second clipper storm could bring snow for the MLB game on Monday in
Cleveland. The second clipper has the potential to strengthen near the
Atlantic coast with perhaps more extensive precipitation on Tuesday. - Accuweather.
Thousands of people stranded by heavy snowfall in India
Thousands of Kargil bound passengers in Srinagar and Jammu have been stranded after heavy snowfall in Kargil district.
The Srinagar-Leh road again closed after it was opened in the first week of March after remaining closed for three months.
The administration said many patients are still waiting for AN32 Service in Jammu and Srinagar.
J&K Legislative Council Chairman Haji Anayat Ali and MLA Kargil Asgar Karbalai had earlier demanded that IL76 army aircraft may be put in service to ferry the stranded passengers from Jammu to Leh and from Srinagar to Leh.
In response to that Government of India had managed C-17 Indian Air Force aircraft to lift stranded passengers but the passengers said the arrangements need to be made on a larger scale.
Meanwhile, an additional 64 people – including women and children – were stranded by heavy snowfall at the Nasta Chhun Pass, according to an army statement.
“On 24 March 16 in late hours, 10 light vehicle carrying 64 civilians and 12 load carriers were caught in deep snow and raging snow blizzard near Nasta Chun Pass endangering the lives of the commuters.
The army detachment at Nasta Chun Pass received the SOS call at 2200 hours from the stranded civilians and the Avalanche Rescue Team from Nasta Chun Pass was immediately sprung into action to provide assistance to the stranded civilians,” Army statement said, adding, “The team reached the incident site despite strong snow blizzards and rescued all the civilians.”
Army said the stranded vehicles were provided a safe track by manually clearing the snow. The rescue operation was again launched in the early hours to pull out twelve heavily loaded trucks using dozer of GREF. - Rising Kashmir.
Video shows Mr Boyra being trampled by the elephant on his land near Baghasole village, West Bengal
March 22, 2016 - INDIA - This is the shocking moment when an elephant kills a man by throwing him in the air and trampling him to death in east India.
It is the latest deadly attack by the wild elephant herd in the rural West Bengal area in the past few days.
The wild herd has been causing havoc in the Bardhaman and Bankura
districts, where it has killed four villagers and injured two others
this weekend.
Prakash Boyra, 40, died after one of the elephants threw him into the air with its trunk and then trampled him.
Images filmed by fellow villages show the man being flung into the air
like a rag doll by the huge animal, who slams him back onto the floor as
people look on horrified and helpless.
WATCH: Elephant kills man after rampaging through village.
Boyra had gone to check on his land near Baghasole village after hearing
of the elephants' rampage, when he came in the way of the herd.
According to Divisional Forest Officer Ajay Kumar Das, the herd of five
elephants had entered the area from Dalma forest in recent days.
Personnel from the forest department personnel had pushed three of the
elephants back into the forest but they returned, 'damaging crops and
killing and injuring people.'
Anandamoyee Rai and Narayan Chandra Maji, both 60, were trampled
to death when they had gone to the fields near Nashigram village in the
early hours of Sunday.
Siraj Sheikh, 45, was working in his field when he was killed in a
subsequent elephant attack, which also left two people injured.
West Bengal forest minister Benoy Krishna Burman said the victims were
trampled after angering the elephants by throwing stones to try to scare
them off.
The male elephant died when it was hit by a tranquilliser dart fired by
forestry officials summoned to help, and the other three - a female and
two calves - ran away, Burman said.
Wildlife experts say encounters between humans and elephants are
increasing in India's rural areas due to the destruction of the animals'
habitat.
Last month a wild elephant went on an hours-long rampage in a town in
eastern India, damaging about 100 homes, shops and other buildings.
Photos showed the bewildered animal wandering around Siliguri, about 360
miles north of Kolkata, crashing into structures, as people scurried
out of the way. - Daily Mail.
The elephant Choppies Kuttisankaran turned violent and attacked its fellow elephants at the Makayiram Purappad ceremony
March 16, 2016 - INDIA - An elephant, which turned unruly during the Makayiram Purappad at the Bhagavathy temple, Thaikkattussery, near here,killed its mahout and created panic in the area for hours on Tuesday late night.
Suresh, 55, of Kallettukara, was killed when he was trying to tether the elephant. The elephant Choppies Kuttisankaran,who turned violent and attacked its fellow elephants at the Makayiram Purappad ceremony, ran around 20 kmbefore it was tethered at Marathakkara by 12.30 a.m.
The elephant attacked the mahout while he was trying to bring it under
control at Thaikkattussery. Though the mahout was rushed to hospital his
life could not be saved. The attempt to tranquilize the elephant was
not successful.
Damages railway gate
The elephant, which damaged the railway gate at Ollur, ran though the
railway line for almost six km. The Mumbai-Thiruvananthapuram Express
train, which reached Ollur, was stopped as the elephant started running
through the rail line. The train service was resumed after the elephant
was tethered.
It ran from Thaikkattussery and went through Ollur, Padavarad,
Ramanchira and Elamthuruthy and reached the National Highway at
Marathakkara. Though it started running through Marathakkara bypass, it
didn't attack any vehicles or damaged properties.
The elephant, which entered a compound near the Marathakkara bypass was tethered there.
The police had a tough time as hundreds of people also started running
after the elephant. Some people tried to stop the elephant by putting
fire on the road. As the railway gate was damaged the traffic was
disrupted for sometime. - The Hindu.
March 14, 2016 - INDIA - Five people were killed in lightning strikes after heavy rain lashed
parts of Uttar Pradesh, damaging standing crops and disrupting normal
life.
Several parts in the neighbouring state of Bihar received light to
moderate rainfall.
In Uttar Pradesh, the death toll in the rain-related incidents went up
to 10.
According to reports, rain and hailstorm lashed Mirzapur,
Varanasi, Lucknow, Chandauli, Allahabad and some other districts in the
eastern region.
The rain, which was accompanied by strong winds, damaged
standing wheat, mustard and cereal crops.
Alert in Bihar
The Met Department has issued alert for a possible hailstorm and squall,
followed by rainfall, in northeastern part of Bihar particularly in
Purnia, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj. - Deccan Herald.
March 13, 2016 - INDIA - A massive dust storm accompanied by strong winds lashed Delhi on
Saturday evening leading to trees falling in some areas and disrupting
traffic in several parts of west and south Delhi.
The dust storm, which came after showers in the morning in the city, was
again followed by rain as well as hail in some parts of Delhi. However
the minimum and maximum temperatures remained above average.
Traffic police officials said they received calls about falling of trees
in Rohini and Pitampura in north Delhi, which led to congestion on
roads. Some vehicles were also damaged when the falling trees fell on
them. The dust storm resulted in traffic snarls between 4 p.m. to 7.30
pm in many parts of west Delhi including Azadpur, Jahangirpuri and
Punjabi Bagh. In south Delhi, the affected areas included Moti Nagar and
Vasant Vihar.
Commuters tweeted about the dust storm. "Delhi, this is one big storm
coming. Get yourself in people," Shikha Gautam tweeted. "Heavy rain and
hail storm in Delhi, leads traffic chaos," Arpit Pal said.
Weather officials said that the dust storm had come due to western
disturbances and such conditions are expected to last till Monday. Power
cuts were also reported from many parts of the city.
The Met office said that the maximum temperature was recorded at 31
degrees Celsius, one notch above the season's average. "Sunday morning
will start with mist and haze while generally cloudy sky, thunderstorm
with rain is very likely to occur towards afternoon and evening," said
an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The maximum and minimum temperatures on Sunday are likely to hover around 27 and 15 degrees Celsius respectively.
Saturday's minimum temperature was 18.5 degrees Celsius, three
notches above the season's average, while the minimum and maximum
humidity ranged between 53 and 96 percent.
The IMD official said that the national capital received 9.1 mm rainfall
by 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. Showers again lashed the city in the evening.
Friday's minimum temperature was recorded at 19 degrees Celsius, five
notches above the season's average while the maximum was 33.5 degrees
Celsius, four notches above the average. - Mid-Day.
March 10, 2016 - INDIA - In a fresh case of man-animal conflict,three farmers were injured following attack by a rogue male wild boar at a village in Odisha's Kendrapara district.
The incident took place in Srichandanpur village on Wednesday when farmers were engaged in vegetable cultivation activities.
The injured farm labourers - Bichitrananda Barik (49), Sudarshan Pradhan
(42), Rankanidhi Das (40)- are undergoing treatment at Kendrapara
district headquarters hospital.
While condition of one of the injured person is stated to be critical, two others are out of danger, police said.
Mild tension has prevailed in the area following the animals attack. However, no untoward incident had occurred, they said.
Such act of trespassing and consequent attack on humans by wild boar was not earlier witnessed in the village.
The animal might haves sneaked into the village to eat crops and
standing vegetable plants though area is bereft of forest cover , said
Divisional Forest Officer, Bimal Prasana Acharya.
The forest department is bearing the cost of treatment of the injured
persons. Besides compensation grants will also be disbursed, he said.
The forest department is aware of animals intrusion into village areas.
Forest personnel have begun night watch and vigil in villages which are
marked by straying of animals.
Villagers have been advised to avoid movement during night hours when
animals mostly make their way to crop fields in village areas. Besides
steel-net-barricade is being installed shortly in villager borders to
ward off the animals intrusion into human settlements , added DFO
Acharya. - The Statesman.
March 9, 2016 - INDIA - Five persons were killed and three injured when lightning struck them
during a recent hailstorm in Rajasthan which also damaged crops in 1007
villages in many districts, Disaster Management and Relief Minister
Gulabchand Kataria said on Wednesday.
As per initial reports sent by District Collectors, the crops were
damaged in 1007 villages of 54 tehsils of Alwar, Baran, Bharatpur,
Bikaner, Churu, Dholpur, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jalore,
Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Pali, Sawaimadhopur, Sikar,
Sirohi, Tonk and Udaipur districts.
Families of the four deceased have been given a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each as per norms.
The compensation will be given to the family of the fifth deceased after completing verification process, he said. - The Hindu.
March 5, 2016 - INDIA - As many as three people were killed, including two minors, while two
others sustained severe burns and 42 cattle lost their lives after being
struck by lightning in separate incidents today, police said.
Manisha Marawi (16) and Semsingh Tekam (18) were struck by lightning in
this districts Chhivli village this morning. Both died on the spot.
A report from Shahdol said that a girl, identified as Sujata Rathore
(16), also became the victim of natures wrath in Rampur village.
On the other hand, 42 cattle were killed as lightning struck them when
the bovines took shelter under a tree in Shahdol districts Kamat village
today. The incident took place when the owner of the cattle went home
for lunch.
A report from Shivpuri said that two people, including a woman,
suffered critical injuries after being struck by lightning at Sujawani
village.
The incident occurred when Suman Vishwakarma and Angadpal were going to
their field last night. They were rushed to local hospital and from
there, they were referred to Uttar Pradeshs Jhansi for further
treatment, police added. - Web India123.
March 4, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Southern right whale found dead on beach in Cape Town, South Africa
A 10 metre long southern right whale has washed up on Melkbosstrand Beach.
The carcass was spotted early this morning.
The City of Cape Town's Gregg Oelofse said, "The has initiated and
mobilised its whale removal protocol and all teams are heading in that
direction and we'll try and remove the carcass as effectively and
efficiently as we can.
"The national government from the department of Environmental Affairs is also on their way take samples from the carcass."
#BeachedWhale Oelofse says it's unclear how the whale died. Image: Facebook - Louise Geldenhuys pic.twitter.com/n7uAYUnIbX
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) March 4, 2016
The City asked the public to stay away from a section of beach where the whale carcass washed up.
Teams from the City and the national Environmental Affairs Department were at the scene.
Oelofse said the carcass would be removed as quickly as possible.
"We will update the public as the day progresses, but we would ask
people to keep clear because we'll be bringing in heavy machinery." - EWN.
Rare albino whale spotted off coast of Mexico
A rare, albino grey whale has been spotted off Mexico's Pacific coast.
Marine biologists from the National Commission of Natural Protected
Areas (CONANP) captured footage of the magnificent, white mammal
swimming with her normal-coloured calf during an annual census off the
coast of Baja California.
The bright white whale, which actually belongs to the grey whale species, or Eschrichtius robustus, has
been given the nickname Gallon of Milk. Gallon of Milk was first
spotted during the 2008/09 season as a juvenile with characteristics of
albinism, hence the name. The whale and her calf were sighted in the
area known as Isla Alambre, in la Laguna Ojo de Liebre.
WATCH: Rare albino whale spotted.
Albinism is a genetic disorder caused by mutations, resulting in a
reduction or complete absence of the pigment melanin. This condition has
been recorded in different mammals, birds and reptiles, both in
wildlife and in captivity. However, there are few documented records of
albino marine mammals.
Researchers have been conducting biological monitoring of the Biosphere
Reserve El Vizcaino for 20 years. They have recorded the annual
migration of grey whales off the coast of the Mexican Pacific during
mating and reproduction season.
During the seventh census carried out this season, 2,211 specimens of
grey whales were seen in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon in the Biosphere
Reserve El Vizcaino. Of these, 1,004 correspond to calves born in
Mexico. The monitoring activities carried out by CONANP have documented
the successful recovery of grey whale populations, ensuring the survival
of this species for future generations. - IBT.
Whale shark found dead at Palghar, India
Dead whale shark
A 7.3 metre long whale shark washed ashore off the Palghar coast, near
Mumbai today. The Maharashtra forest officials rushed to the site to
take measurements of the dead fish which attracted many curious locals
to the area.
"The whale shark was found dead near the Palghar shore. We will have to ascertain the cause of its death.
It is a matter of concern that so many big sea creatures like whales,
dolphins and now whale shark are being found dead on the coasts so
frequently," said the chief conservator of forests (mangrove cell) N
Vasudevan.
He added that two days ago, a 10 feet long dolphin was found at
Vasai, while on Tuesday this week, an over six feet long dead dolphin
was found at the Gorai coast of Mumbai."So far in the last two years we have found at least six dead whales in and around Maharashtra coast.
The latest whale shark found near Shirgaon village in Palghar was
apparently in a decomposed state. We have asked for a post-mortem to
know more about it," said Vasudevan.
Environmentalist D Stalin of the Mumbai based NGO Vanashakti, said:
"There can be multiple reasons why such large marine animals are being
spotted dead along our coasts. It could do be the increasing sea
pollution, and also hectic trawler fishing activities near the shore,
which may directed injure dolphins, sharks, whale sharks and also large
turtles."
Stalin added that it is sad and tragic that no proper policy is being
drafted by the central and state governments to prevent such unfortunate
incidents.
"It is a matter of high concern and priority that proper steps are
enforced, with the help of expert guidance to see that such lovely
marine creatures like whales, whale sharks and dolphins are protected in
the sea. Also, a proper research should be carried out in this regard,"
said Stalin. - Times of India.
Unknown 'ghostly' octopod discovered
Scientists with NOAA found an unknown species of octopod on the ociean
floor while mapping uncharted waters off the coast of Hawaii.
March 3, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Three dead dolphins found in two days along Mumbai coast in India
Bodies of three Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins have been found at
different locations along Mumbai's coast in the past two days.
A 10-foot-long dolphin was found on Wednesday morning at Bhuigaon beach
at Vasai. Residents from the area spotted the mutilated carcass around
6.30am and informed local municipal authorities and the forest
department.
"The dolphin had several injuries on its head, body and tail," said Mecanzy Dabre, a local.
"The carcass remained on the beach even in the evening since nobody took it away."
On Tuesday, the body of a six-and-a-half-foot dolphin was washed ashore at Gorai beach and was seen by locals around 10am.
While officials from the forest department were clueless about
the incident at Vasai, they sent the carcass found at Gorai for an
autopsy at the Bombay Veterinary College.
Officials from the forest department said the dolphin weighed nearly 100
kg and was found stranded at the fishing area close to the beach.
"We reached the spot on Tuesday around 11.30am and saw no visible external injury on the carcass," Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forest, state mangrove cell, said.
Sources in the forest department said a third dolphin had washed ashore at Girgaum Chowpatty at 5.30pm on Wednesday.
A 40-foot whale had washed ashore at Juhu beach last month and last year
at least three dolphins too were found dead on various beaches in
Mumbai.
4,000 miles from home, rare pelican turns up on Sanibel Island, Florida
A great white pelican extends its wings near smaller American white pelicans on Sanibel
We live on the Nile. The Nile we love.
By night we sleep on the cliffs above;
By day we fish, and at eve we stand
On long bare islands of yellow sand
— From "The Pelican Chorus," by Edward Lear
Sanibel Island's a long way from the Nile, but a great white pelican has appeared at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge there — a good 4,000 miles from its home range, and the first time the Old World species has been recorded in North America.
Unlike the more common brown pelicans seen in Southwest Florida, which
max out around 11 pounds and have a 6 1/2-foot wingspan, or even the
larger American white pelican, which winters here, these birds can tip
the scales at 33 pounds, with an almost 12-foot wingspan.
First spotted Sunday, the stray pelican immediately made waves in the
birding community, including among "Ding" Darling staff, who promptly
made it the refuge's Facebook cover photo."
WATCH: Great White Pelican Ding Darling.
A magnificent bird," declared refuge wildlife biologist Jeremy Conrad.
Low-tide birding at 'Ding' is always excellent this time of year, "but
this sighting just adds another level of excitement here at the refuge,"
says supervisory ranger Toni Westland.
Because the bird's facial skin is yellowish, it's likely a female. Males
have pinker skin. It appeared healthy and getting along well with the
other pelicans nearby, said Fort Myers pediatrician and passionate
birder Jose Padilla-Lopez, who quickly hustled out to see and photograph
it.
"Birders are avid 'tickers' — you keep a list of birds you see, and
birds that appear out of their usual range (like this one) are a big
deal," Padilla-Lopez says.
Yet the very bigness of the deal has already created some controversy,
he says. "Birding has rules, so you can't count birds in some
situations. Dead birds, caged birds, birds in zoos or aviaries are not
countable," he says, and there's a debate on social media about whether
this pelican is, in fact, countable. "It could be an escapee from a zoo
or a private owner," though this bird has no identifying tags or bands,
Padilla-Lopez says. "Some are dismissing it off the bat as an escapee,
others — rightly so in my view — want to give it time and consider that
it may be a vagrant (and countable) bird."
Countable or not, the extraordinary bird's presence underscores the importance of places like "Ding" Darling, Westland says.
"We know national wildlife refuges are critical places for wildlife and
this justifies why we need them - safe places for all species to rest
and feed. Even if this is just a stopover for a visiting rare bird like
the great white pelican, refuges are critical." - News Press.
Dozens of sharks gather close to shore at New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Visitors to a Florida beach said they were surprised to discover the water filled with dozens of baby lemon sharks.
Beach-goers in New Smyrna Beach said they first spotted the shark pups
Monday. The sharks have since been swarming near the shore, surprising
swimmers and surfers.
"They went under me and it like hit my board and I was like 'oh my gosh!'" surfer Ava McGowan, 10, told WKMG-TV.
Photographer Kem McNair estimated there could be up to 40 baby sharks swimming around the beach.
"Them being babies, maybe a year old, they're very curious about
all of their environment. So they come up and check things out and
basically, if you move your little toe or any kind of movement you make
it scares them, and they just dart away I mean like 100 miles an hour,
just incredibly fast," he told WMFE-AM.
Mike Fischer used his camera drone to capture video of dozens of the sharks swimming close to shore.
"They're just curious. They just want to know what we're about. I think
we're more scared of them than they are of us," Fischer said. - UPI.
A woman dressed
all in black and holding what is thought to be a child's severed head
has been arrested near a metro station in Moscow.
February 29, 2016 - HUMANITY - The following stories are clear evidence that people are losing their moral values and codes, devolving and resorting to violence, when by any measure of practical utility, non-violent means would be more effective and humane.
Woman in black holding severed child's head near Moscow metro station detained
A woman dressed all in black and holding what is thought to be a child’s severed head has been arrested near a metro station in Moscow. She was shouting, “I am a terrorist,” and reportedly threatened to blow herself up.
According to LifeNews, the victim was a girl, identified as Nastya M. After the murder, the female suspect went to a metro station, where she was stopped by a local police officer. She immediately took the severed child’s head from her bag and started shouting that she had killed the child. The suspect is currently being detained by police authorities, Russian media reported.
“The end of the world is coming in a second…I’m your death,” the woman is heard shouting in the video released online. “I hate democracy. I’m a terrorist.”
She is heard shouting that she has been “cursed” and “destroyed” “so many times.”
“I'm your suicide bomber… I'm going to die in a second…The end of the world…,” she shouted.
The woman appeared near Oktyabrskoye Pole metro station in northwest Moscow.
Eyewitness Artur Manzhesov told RT he couldn’t believe that the decapitated child’s head being carried by the woman was real.
“I saw her coming out with the head in her hands. I thought, wow, it must be a replica,” he said.
The man says he heard the perpetrator shouting: “Allahu Akbar… The Russians will be hanged like this. The Russians will be slaughtered.”
The woman was dressed in black “like Muslims,” but her face was open, Manzhesov recalled.
“I thought she just went mad… When I saw the head I started shaking… I saw the child’s face and blood coming from it. It was very scary,” he said.
Russia’s Investigative Committee later released a statement that rescuers have found a body of a three or four-year-old child after extinguishing a fire in a Moscow apartment block. A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a children’s nanny in her late 30s, who is a citizen of a “Central Asian country.”
WATCH: GRAPHIC - Woman waves child's head in Moscow.
The suspect waited until the child’s parents left the apartment with an older child, then killed the child and set the apartment on fire, the Investigative Committee said.
The mother of the murdered child was taken to hospital in unconscious after she learned the news, Russia’s Zvezda TV channel reported.
Earlier on Monday, reports emerged that police had found a child’s headless body while extinguishing a fire at a Moscow apartment block. The child was about three or four years old, Interfax reported, citing sources.
The woman, identified by LifeNews as Gulchekhra Bobokulova from Uzbekistan, committed the murder because of her husband’s betrayal. According to LifeNews sources, she failed to explain how the child was connected to her husband. The woman was reportedly drugged, a source in police authorities told Interfax.
People in shops near the Oktyabrskoye Pole metro station have been evacuated, TASS reported, adding that police have sealed some exits from the station.
Indian accountant drugs and kills 14 family members, then commits suicide
Indian man has wiped out his entire family, including seven children, before hanging himself. Police sources report that the assailant added a sedative to the meals, so the drugged victims would not wake up during the bloodshed.
Hasnin Anwar Warekar, 35, has brutally murdered 14 of his relatives in the Indian city of Thane, 20 miles from Mumbai, police report. The carnage is believed to have taken place overnight Sunday, when all the residents of a single-story house were asleep after a family party.
“Prima facie evidence suggests that the accused bolted all the doors of the house and murdered his family while they were asleep with a knife that we found near his body. The accused then hung himself after killing his family", said Ashutosh Dumbare, spokesman for Thane police, as cited by the Indian Express.
The attacker reportedly first killed his wife and two daughters who were sleeping on the first floor and then butchered his own parents and sisters on the ground floor.
Man killed 14 members of his family in Thane, later committed suicide (In pic: sole survivor admitted in hospital) pic.twitter.com/TAq0ExnzgF
His younger sister Subia Bharmar, 21, managed to escape the family’s gruesome fate. She survived her brother`s first attack which left her with cut upper throat and cried for help. Luckily for her, relatives residing nearby heard her shouting and rushed to help.
"One of the sisters was shouting 'Please save me.' We went there and tried to break the door but she said don't come inside as he has a knife and he might kill you too. So we ran and called the police for help," said one of the witnesses, according to IBN live news site.
The only survivor, who has been treated in a local Thane hospital for sustained injuries, has already spoken to police, but her statement shed little light on the motives of the murderer.
“As of now, she is in a shock. It is quite possible that this is an internal family matter, but it is difficult to confirm anything at this point," said Dumbare, as cited by IBN live.
“The exact cause that triggered her brother to kill her family and himself is still unclear. Our investigation is still under way,” the spokesman said.
"It is a very sad incident. Nobody knows why he killed the members but the man was a very nice guy,” commented one of the locals on the deadly incident, pointing out that the suspect “had no quarrel or fight ever."
Warekar used to work as a chartered accountant for a private company, according to police, as reported by the Indian Express. The initial probe into the case hasn`t indicated that any conflicts within the family could have triggered the killings.
However, it has been speculated in the Indian media that an argument over property issues could have led to the massacre.
‘Ax-wielding’ Palestinian in brutal attack on Israeli guard
A Palestinian has brutally attacked an Israeli security guard in a shopping mall with something that resembled an ax, a CCTV video shows. The assailant, who was a mall employee, is seen striking the father of four multiple times near an elevator.
The incident took place in Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, 7km from Jerusalem.
The suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Abu Hammad, approached the guard, Tzvika Cohen, and reportedly asked him to open the elevator door. Cohen wasn’t suspecting the attack as he knew Hammad and the pair worked together at the mall, Channel 2 reported.
Hammad attacked the guard without warning, striking him several times with a metal object that resembles an ax, as seen in security camera footage which is circulating online.
The guard is currently in serious condition at the Hadassah-University Medical Center on Mount Scopus, northern Jerusalem.Two days after the incident the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), police and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) managed to find Hammad, who is a resident of the Palestinian village of Eizariya, located near Maale Adumim.
Hammad confirmed that he “implicated himself into a terrorist attack,” the Shin Bet said, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
Following the attack, the Israeli government moved to ban all Palestinians from Maale Adumim until Thursday, a spokesman for the settlement said, as cited by AFP. He added that about 500 Palestinian laborers are affected by the ban.
A new wave of violence between long-standing opponents Israel and Palestine erupted in October when Israel attempted to restrict access of Palestinian men to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City area of Jerusalem.
Since then, Israeli security forces have killed at least 168 Palestinians, 111 of whom allegedly initiated attacks. Palestinian assailants have killed 28 Israelis, as well as one US citizen.
6 cases of child 'good luck' sacrifice reported in run-up to Uganda elections
Several children were murdered and mutilated as ‘good luck’
sacrifices in the run-up to the recent Ugandan elections, a charity has
announced. It stated that many locals believe such acts bring wealth and
power.
Six cases of mutilation and murder were reported in the lead-up to the elections, Shelin Kasozi of Kyampisi Childcare Ministries (KCM), a charity that cares for survivors of attempted child sacrifice, told Reuters.
"Child sacrifice cases are common during election time as some people believe blood sacrifices will bring wealth and power," Kasozi said.
She said the cases were reported from October to February in the districts of Ssembabule, Mukono, Buikwe and Mubende, all located in central Uganda.
Moses Binoga, coordinator of the anti-trafficking task force at the Ugandan Interior Ministry, acknowledged that children had been reported missing during the election period, but could not confirm KCM's reports. He said investigations are ongoing.
He did, however, acknowledge that seven child and six adult sacrifice cases were reported in Uganda in 2015, compared to nine child and four adult cases in 2014.
Referring to the past cases, Binoga said the mutilated bodies of children and adults had been found, some of whom had their hearts or livers ripped out. In two cases reported last year, the victims' heads were missing, he said.
In 2012, 82-year-old grandmother Hanifa Namuyanja was sentenced to 15 years in jail for taking part in the sacrifice of her granddaughter Shamim Nalwoga. The child was found with her tongue and eyes cut out and genitals mutilated.
The United Nations said last year that attacks on albino people in Africa were on the rise, linked to a growing demand from political hopefuls seeking body parts retrieved in black magic.
The February 18 election saw President Yoweri Museveni extend his 30-year rule, in a vote slammed by the US and the European Union. Ugandans also took part in municipal and parliamentary elections.
Referred to as Uganda's 'President for Life’, Museveni was described in a 2001 UN report as one of the “godfathers of the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the continuation of the conflict in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo).”
- RT News.
10 schoolchildren stabbed in China; assailant kills himself
A man in southern China stabbed 10 schoolchildren before killing himself Monday morning, state-run media reported.
All of the children survived and were hospitalized, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The incident took place in Haikou, the capital city of the southern island province of Hainan.
An initial investigation suggested that attacker was upset that his daughter was not allowed to attend the school after failing to complete a summer homework assignment, Xinhua said.
Police said that attacker was driven to commit the attack by "doomsday" rumors, Xinhua said at the time. Authorities also said Min testified he was inspired by TV reports about a kindergarten killing in 2010. - CNN.
