Stories about Disaster from September, 2007
Uganda: Bloggers respond to massive flooding
The top thing on many Ugandan bloggers' minds in the past two weeks has been the massive flooding across sub-Saharan Africa. The floods hit particularly hard in northern and eastern Uganda, where 250 people have died and up to 150,000 have been displaced.
Trinidad & Tobago: Oil Spill
“If it takes the Environmental Management Authority a week to take notice of an oil spill, how can we trust them to monitor the daily emissions coming from a plant?” asks Rights Action Group T&T, as it calls for “an immediate introduction of proper emergency response mechanisms to be put...
Peru: Dangerous Construction
The Peruvian government has relaxed norms for the construction of buildings arguing that the deregulation will speed up construction and reduce bureaucracy. However, Desde el Tercer Piso [ES] counters that it might make buildings less safe especially in regards to earthquakes.
Lebanon: Explosions Depressing
“It’s really gotten to a point where there isn’t much more that can go wrong. I’ve honestly lost count on how many politicians have gotten assassinated in the past couple of years and its depressing and sickening,” writes Lebanese blogger Mark.
Ukraine: Surviving Kyiv Roads
Petro of Petro's Jotter offers tips on how to survive on Kyiv's roads: “… drive a big car with air bags, stay out of the left lane when there is an opposing traffic lane and no guard rail, and don't drive fast.”
Ukraine: Radiation Reconnaissance Mission
MoldovAnn visits the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone again, on the first Radiation Reconnaissance Mission, and writes about it, and also posts lots of photos.
Ukraine: Serhiy Kalinovskyi's Escape
Foreign Notes writes about Serhiy Kalinovskiy, “a member of Kyiv's ‘gilded youth'” and a reckless driver, who killed his girlfriend and a police officer, and then escaped from a private hospital: “Much has been made of stripping criminal immunity from VR deputies recently, but everyone knows that in reality, if...
Thailand: North Korean Refugees in Thailand
Bangkok Pundit responds to the criticism that Thailand is singling out North Korean detainees for harsh treatment. North Koreans fleeing the desperate conditions in their country are increasingly using Thailand as a transit point to South Korea.
Ukraine: Car Accidents
Petro of Petro's Jotter writes about car crashes that he sees regularly during his morning commutes in Kyiv.
Thailand: Crash Update
Bangkok Pundit rounds up more information about Sunday's air crash in Phuket.
Trinidad & Tobago: Disaster Preparedness
“We're well into the 2007 hurricane season, and all I got was a lousy brochure…”: KnowProSE.com blogs about disaster preparedness in the Caribbean.
Thailand: Phuket Plane Crash
Bloggers in Thailand and the region are posting about the air crash at Phuket airport this afternoon. Phuket is a popular tourist destination in Thailand and many locals and foreigners visit the city for its beaches. Flight OG269, operated by a budget airline, was flying in from Bangkok with both...
Indonesia: Photos from Indonesia Quake
Unspun has posted latest photos from Bengkulu, Indonesia after quake.
Nicaragua: Photos of Post-Hurricane Felix
Musings on Society posts photographs of the destruction left behind by Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua.
Mexico: Coahuila Explosion
Ocho Cuartos [ES] posts a video to put the recent explosion in Coahuila into perspective, in which a truck with 25 tons of Ammonium Nitrate was detonated.
Russia: High-Ranking Officials and Reckless Driving
Russia Blog writes about a deadly car accident caused by the motorcade of the head of Russia’s Supreme Court: “And as always when we hear about another preventable death on Russia's highways, we ask the question: is all of this insane driving by Russian officials justified, or is it just...
Singapore: How Singaporeans Got Quake News
Leafmonkey blogs about how the news of earthquake in neighbouring Indonesia spread in Singapore – a country with very good internet infrastructure.
Indonesia: Quake Hits Indonesia, Felt in Singapore and Bangkok
An earthquake measuring 7.9 struck near Sumatra Island in Indonesia. Officials in Malaysia, Indonesia and India have issued tsunami warnings. South East Asians are already blogging about the tremors they felt.
Yemen: Locust Invasion
Hadhramout in Yemen is being invaded by swarms of locust, writes Omar Bursawad. “For the last few weeks I have been hearing of how swarms of locusts have descended here and I have seen too – the great, unbelievable damage done to the crops and fields around,” he explains. Click...
Paraguay: Forest Fires as a Result of Climate Change?
R.E.S.C.A.T.A.R [ES] writes about uncontrollable forest fires in Paraguay and whether climate change is responsible for this disaster.
Honduras: After Hurricane Felix
David Moran of El Catracho [ES] writes that after Hurricane Felix, that Hondurans “should not lower their arms during these times, I think that the season for countries in development to be at mercy of Hurricanes do not end here.”