Stories about Disaster from May, 2012
Kazakhstan: 12 Border Guards Found Dead After a Blaze
Following reports that 12 border guards have been found dead in a burnt-out frontier post in southeastern Kazakhstan [ru] and the lack of immediate reaction from the authorities, local blogger Almazinho1978 writes [ru]: “At the very least, they could have declared a period of official mourning… My condolences to the relatives...
Qatar: Deadly Blaze in Shopping Mall
On May 28 a fire broke out at Doha's Villaggio Mall, leaving 19 dead, 13 of whom were children. The children were trapped in a nursery within the mall, and they and four teachers died of smoke inhalation. Two firefighters died as they attempted to rescue them.
Palestine: Remembering the Nakba
May 15 is Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate the displacement and dispossession that took place at the time of Israel's establishment in 1948. In this post we look at how the day was marked by Palestinians on blogs and Twitter this year.
Peru: Iquitos Faces Aftermath of Record Floods
Reported floods swept the Amazon region in Peru for more than a month, reaching and bypassing the record height of floods recorded in the past. They have now slowly begun to recede. In this post we share citizen videos, photos and reports about the after effects of these floods.
Yemen: Suicide Blast on Eve of Unification Anniversary
Nearly 100 people were killed and at least 200 injured when a suicide blast targeted a military parade rehearsal in Yemen's capital Sana'a on May 21. The bomber detonated his explosives in the middle of soldiers rehearsing for the celebrations of the anniversary of the country's unification.
Bulgaria: The Strongest Earthquake Since 1917
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the strongest since 1917, shook Bulgaria's capital Sofia and the perimeter zone of around 100 km last night, followed by a number of strong aftershocks. No victims have been reported so far. The website Earthquake Reports has published live updates and social networks such as Twitter...
Yemen: Millions Go Hungry in Ongoing Food Crisis
In Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, millions of people are facing a severe humanitarian crisis, widespread hunger and chronic malnutrition. New figures from the World Food Programme indicate that 45 percent of the population do not have enough to eat.
Mayotte: Capsizing Boat Kills at Least 5 Economic Refugees
Malango Actualité provides the social context [fr] related to the sinking of a boat that killed at least 5, including 3 children and an infant. The fishing boat was carrying 43 people from Comoros to the French territory of Mayotte. It is the third disaster of such kind in 2012 for Comoran...
India: Crackdown on Tamil Nadu Anti-Nuclear Plant Protests
Activists are protesting the commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu, India. The government has cracked down on demonstrators, detained many and had given prohibition orders for further protests.
Georgia: Five Dead in Flash Flood
The Young Georgians posts video of this weekend's flash flood in Tbilisi, Georgia. Five people, including two children, are reported dead.
Paraguay: How the Media Silenced the Chaco
“The media flew over the drama and didn't land over the human stories that were waiting below.” Carlos Rodriguez from the blog Rescatar [es] writes about the media's lacking coverage of the floods that hit the Paraguayan Chaco.
Armenia: Chaos as Balloons Explode at Election Campaign Rally
Disaster struck a parliamentary election campaign rally in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, on Friday 4 May, when a cigarette apparently caused gas-filled balloons to ignite. Reports indicate that over 140 people were injured in the blast.
