landslide
Over 2,000 evaluated as landslide blocks India river
Authorities on Friday evaluated some 2,000 people from over a dozen villages in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh after a landslide triggered by torrential rains blocked the flow of a river posing a flood threat.
The landslide occurred in the hilly district of Lahual-Spiti district, bordering the district of Kinnaur where a similar tragedy a couple of days back claimed at least 14 lives.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur tweeted to inform people about the evacuation in Lahual-Spiti district, claiming that the idea was to ensure that "no one is harmed" in case of a sudden flood.
Read: India landslide death toll rises to 14
"Based on information received, now the flow of the river is opening. We have given instructions to the district administration to ensure no one is harmed due to this. I also humbly request local people not to go near riverbanks and landslide-prone areas," Thakur tweeted.
On Wednesday, another landslide in neighbouring struck a passenger bus and few other vehicles on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in Kinnaur, some 200 kms from state capital Shimla.
"A total of 14 bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue operations are still on," a senior government official told the media.
Read: 11 die in India landslide
"At least 20 to 30 people are still feared buried at the site."
Himachal Pradesh is experiencing the heaviest monsoon rains in recent decades. Just last month, another landslide claimed the lives of nine tourists visiting the state.
Not only Himachal Pradesh, the western Indian state of Maharashtra also witnessed heavy monsoon rains in July. More than 100 people lost their lives in the state in last month alone due to rain-related incidents like floods and landslides.
India landslide death toll rises to 14
The death toll in the northern India landslide has risen to 14, with the recovery of three more bodies from the hilly site in the past 24 hours.
"The three bodies were recovered during the day as rescue operations had to be halted last night due to the fear of more landslides in the state of Himachal Pradesh," a senior government official said on Thursday.
"At least 20 to 30 people are still feared buried at the site," he added.
Read: 5 of a family killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide
The huge landslide struck a passenger bus and few other vehicles on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in Kinnaur district, some 200 kms from Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla, on Wednesday afternoon.
Apart from the local police, the para-military Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) was soon pressed into rescue operations.
The Indian Prime Minister's Office later tweeted to say that Narendra Modi had taken stock of the situation.
Read: Landslides hit Chattogram, no casualties reported
"PM @narendramodi spoke to Himachal Pradesh CM @jairamthakurbjp regarding the situation in the wake of the landslide in Kinnaur. PM assured all possible support in the ongoing rescue operations."
Himachal Pradesh is experiencing the heaviest monsoon rains in recent decades. Just last month, another landslide claimed the lives of nine tourists visiting the state.
Not only Himachal Pradesh, the western Indian state of Maharashtra also witnessed heavy monsoon rains in July. More than 100 people lost their lives in the state in last month alone due to rain-related incidents like floods and landslides.
11 die in India landslide
At least 11 people were killed and more than 30 others feared buried after a huge landslide struck a passenger bus and few other vehicles in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday.
The tragedy occurred on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in the state's Kinnaur district, some 200 kms from Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla.
Apart from the local police, the para-military Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) was soon pressed into rescue operations. So far, 13 people have been rescued, officials said.
Read: 5 of a family killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide
"A landslide reported on Reckong Peo- Shimla Highway in #Kinnaur District in Himachal Pradesh today... One truck, a HRTC Bus and few vehicles reported came under the rubble. Many people reported trapped," the ITBP tweeted.
"The bodies of the deceased have been sent to a nearby hospital. Those rescued were also taken to the same medical facility for treatment," a police official told the media.
The Indian Prime Minister's Office tweeted to say that Narendra Modi had taken stock of the situation.
Read: Landslides hit Chattogram, no casualties reported
"PM @narendramodi spoke to Himachal Pradesh CM @jairamthakurbjp regarding the situation in the wake of the landslide in Kinnaur. PM assured all possible support in the ongoing rescue operations," it said.
Himachal Pradesh is experiencing the heaviest monsoon rains in recent decades. Just last month, another landslide claimed the lives of nine tourists visiting the state.
Not only Himachal Pradesh, the western Indian state of Maharashtra also witnessed heavy monsoon rains in July. More than 100 people lost their lives in the state in last month alone due to rain-related incidents like floods and landslides.
5 of a family killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide
Five members of a family were killed in a landslide at Villager Para in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Abdus Shukkur, 16, Mohammad Zubair, 12, Abdur Rahim, 5, Kohinur Akter, 9 and Joynaba Akter, 7—all children of Syed Alam.
Read:Landslide kills 5 at Cox's Bazar Rohingya camp
Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, said a chunk of mud from a hill collapsed on the house of Syed Alam early in the morning, leaving five people dead.
The landslide occurred due to heavy downpour for the last several days.
However, the local administration is working to shift people living on the slope of hills to avoid such incident.
Read: 20,000 families living in Cox's Bazar hills amid landslide risk
Earlier on Tuesday, five Rohingyas including children were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy downpour in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
Japan searches for 24 unaccounted for in mudslide; 4 dead
Rescue workers dug through sludge and debris Monday looking for more than 20 people who may be trapped after a torrent of mud, trees and rocks ripped with a roar through a Japanese seaside resort town, killing at least four people.
Atami Mayor Sakae Saito said 24 people were still unreachable Tuesday morning, after the city late Monday released the names of more than 60 registered residents who were unaccounted for and the majority of them responded for the contact request. Officials were double checking the number because many of the apartments and houses in Atami are second homes or vacation rentals.
Initially, 147 people were unreachable, but officials confirmed many safely evacuated or were simply not at home. In addition to the four people found dead, officials said 25 people have been rescued, including three who were injured.
The disaster is an added trial as authorities prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, due to start in less than three weeks, while Japan is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with cases steadily climbing in the capital and experts suggesting a need for another state of emergency.
Read:Japan searches for dozens missing in resort town mudslide
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters that rescue workers are doing their utmost “to rescue those who may be buried under the mud and waiting for help as soon as possible.” Three coast guard ships, and six military drones were backing up hundreds of troops, firefighters and others toiling in the rain and fog.
The landslide occurred Saturday after days of heavy rain in Atami, which like many seaside Japanese towns is built into a steep hillside. It tore through the Izusan neighborhood, known for its hot springs, a shrine and shopping streets. The town has a registered population of 36,800 and is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu, who inspected the area Monday where the mudslide was believed to have started, said rain soaked into the mountainside apparently weakening the ground under a massive pile of soil at a construction site that then slid down the slope.
The prefecture is investigating. Media reports said a planned housing development in the area was abandoned after its operator ran into financial problems.
Witnesses described a giant roar as a small stream turned into a torrent, and bystanders were heard gasping in horror on cellphone videos taken as it happened.
Read:2 dead, 20 missing after mudslide rips through Japan town
Naoto Date, an actor who was visiting Izusan, was awakened by sirens. His neighborhood is now awash in muddy water with rescuers wading through knee-deep sludge. Just blocks from his home, some houses have been completely washed away, with only their foundations still visible. Mangled traffic signs stick out from the mud. At the seafront, he saw cars floating along with debris from destroyed homes.
“I grew up here, and my classmates and friends live here. I’m so sad to see my neighborhood where I used to play with my friends is now destroyed,” Date told The Associated Press by videocall from his home in Atami.
While Date’s mother, who was staying next door, has moved to a hotel along with other evacuees, the actor said he was staying away from evacuation centers because he is concerned about the coronavirus.
The Izusan area is one of 660,000 locations in Japan identified as prone to mudslides by the government, but those designations are not widely publicized and public awareness is low. Early July, near the end of Japan’s rainy season, is often a time of deadly flooding and mudslides, and many experts say the rains are worsening due to climate change.
With other parts of the country expecting heavy downpours, authorities were urging people near hillsides in areas at risk to use caution. Public broadcaster NHK carried a program Monday about risk factors and warning signs that might precede a landslide.
Read:Companies give vaccines to workers, boosting Japan’s rollout
A year ago, flooding and mudslides triggered by heavy rain in Kumamoto and four other prefectures in the Kyushu region in southern Japan left nearly 80 people dead. In July 2018, hillsides in crowded residential areas in Hiroshima collapsed, leaving 20 dead. In 2017, mudslides and flooding in the Kyushu region killed 40.
Miyoko Okamoto, an employee at a care home for the elderly, said the mudslide came close to but narrowly missed her house. She and her son ran out of the house, while her husband, a community association leader, escorted neighbors to safer ground.
Okamoto said she hasn’t been back home since fleeing because she is helping residents at the care home. “We were lucky to have survived, and that’s most important,” she said.
But her neighbor is still looking for his wife. “They are good friends of ours,” she said, “and that pains my heart.”
Hurricane Elsa races toward Haiti amid fears of landslides
Hurricane Elsa raced toward Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Saturday, where it threatened to unleash flooding and landslides before taking aim at Cuba and Florida.
The Category 1 storm was located about 395 miles (635 kilometers) east-southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic and was moving west-northwest at 29 mph (46 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), with the hurricane expected to become a tropical storm after hitting Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The long-term forecast track showed it heading toward Florida as a tropical storm by Tuesday morning, but some models would carry it into the Gulf or up the Atlantic Coast.
Also read: Biden doubling spending to prepare for hurricanes, storms
In Haiti, authorities used social media to alert people about the hurricane and urged them to evacuate if they lived near water or mountain flanks.
“The whole country is threatened by this hurricane,” the Civil Protection Agency said in a statement. “Make every effort to escape before it’s too late.”
Haiti is especially vulnerable to floods and landslides because of widespread erosion and deforestation.
Also read: Indonesia landslides death toll rises to 126, dozens missing
A hurricane warning was issued for for Jamaica and from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to Punta Palenque in the Dominican Republic. A hurricane watch was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba. Some of those provinces have reported a high number of COVID-19 infections, raising concerns that the storm could force large groups of people to seek shelter together.
In the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, authorities opened more than 2,400 shelters as forecasters warned of heavy rains starting Saturday before dawn.
Also read: Haiti fights large COVID-19 spike as it awaits vaccines
Elsa is forecast to brush past the southernmost point of Hispaniola by early Saturday afternoon and then take aim at communities in southern Haiti. The storm already ripped off roofs, destroyed crops and downed trees and power lines in the eastern Caribbean on Friday, with damage reported in Barbados, St. Lucia and in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are struggling to recover from massive volcanic eruptions that began in April.
Elsa is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and the earliest fifth-named storm on record. It is forecast to drop 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain with maximum totals of 15 inches (38 centimeters) across portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica.
Landslide warning: People urged to evacuate foothills in Rangamati
Rangamati district administration issued a landslide warning and urged people to evacuate the risky areas around foothills on Saturday.
District administrative Md. Mizanur Rahman said more than lakhs of people live in the foothill areas of Rangamati as the city itself is located over hills.
Also read: 2 Rohingyas killed in landslide at Rohingya camps
To avoid casualties and losses, the warning was issued as heavy rain starting from early June can cause landslides.
"Accidents due to landslides have become an annual event here. Administration is spreading awareness by installing signboards, banners, miking and distributing leaflets," he said.
Also read: Landslide in Gazipur’s Kapasia: Traffic movement suspended
On June 13, 2017 at least 120 people including members of armed forces got killed in a landslide caused by heavy rain in Rangamati. The number was more according to non-government sources. The landslide also disrupted connectivity in Rangamati-Chattogram highway, Rangamati-Khagrachari and Rangamati-Bandarban roads for days.
Indonesia landslides, floods kill 55 people; dozens missing
Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia have killed at least 55 people and displaced thousands, the country’s disaster relief agency said Monday. More than 40 other people were missing.
Mud tumbled down from surrounding hills onto dozens of homes in Lamenele village shortly after midnight on Adonara island in East Nusa Tenggara province. Rescuers recovered 38 bodies and at least five people were injured, said Lenny Ola, who heads the local disaster agency.
Also Read: Heavy rains trigger landslide, floods in Indonesia; 44 dead
Flash flooding killed at least 17 people elsewhere and at least 42 are missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Relief efforts were hampered by power cuts, blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris as well as the remoteness of the area on an island surrounded by choppy seas and high waves, said the agency’s spokesperson, Raditya Jati.
The bodies of three people were recovered after being swept away by floods in Oyang Bayang village, where 40 houses were also destroyed, Ola said. Hundreds of people fled submerged homes, some of which were carried off by the floodwaters.
In another village, Waiburak, three people were killed and seven missing after overnight rains caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water into large areas of East Flores district, Ola said. Four injured people were being treated at a local health clinic.
The death toll reached 55 by Monday morning after the rains caused cold lava to tumble down the slopes of Ili Lewotolok volcano and hit several villages, Jati said.
Also Read: Monsoon landslides: Death toll rises to 113 in Myanmar
That disaster on Lembata island killed at least 11, while at least 16 others were still buried under tons of cold lava, Jati said. The lava was left after the volcano had erupted in November.
Hundreds of people were still involved in the rescue efforts as of late Sunday, Jati told a news conference. At least six villages have been affected by flash floods and a landslide that cut five bridges on the island, he said.
Photos released by the agency showed rescuers and police and military personnel taking residents to shelters.
Authorities were still collecting information about the full scale of casualties and damage in the affected areas, Jati said. Severe flooding also has been reported in Bima, a town in the neighboring province of West Nusa Tenggara, forcing nearly 10,000 people to flee.
Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.
Heavy rains trigger landslide, floods in Indonesia; 44 dead
Landslides and flash floods from torrential rains in eastern Indonesia killed at least 44 people and displaced thousands, a disaster relief agency said Sunday. Several others were still missing.
Mud tumbled down onto dozens of house in Lamenele village from the surrounding hills shortly after midnight on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province. Rescuers recovered 38 bodies and five injured, said Lenny Ola, who heads the local disaster agency.
The bodies of three people were found after being swept away by flash floods in Oyang Bayang village as 40 houses were destroyed, she said. Hundreds of people fled submerged homes, some of which were carried off by the floodwaters.
Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and floods and kill dozens each year in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.
Also read: Suicide bomb hits Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 20 wounded
In another village, Waiburak, three people were killed and seven remained missing when overnight rains caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water into large areas of East Flores district, Ola said. Four injured people were being treated at a local health clinic.
Hundreds of people were involved in rescue efforts, but distribution of aid and relief was hampered by power cuts, blocked roads and the remoteness of the area that’s surrounded by choppy waters and high waves, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson, Raditya Jati.
Authorities were still collecting information about the full scale of casualties and damage in the affected areas, Jati said.
Photos released by the agency showed rescuers and police and military personnel taking residents to shelters, bridges cut while roads were covered by thick mud and debris.
Also read: Indonesia bus plunges into a ravine, killing 27 pilgrims
Severe flooding also has been reported in Bima, a town in the neighboring province of West Nusa Tenggara, forcing nearly 10,000 people to flee, Jati said.
In January, 40 people died in two landslides in West Java province.
Landslide in Gazipur’s Kapasia: Traffic movement suspended
Parts of the Kapasia-Sreepur link road and nearby areas collapsed into the River Banar in Gazipur on Friday, bringing the vehicular movements to a halt.