· August, 2012

Stories about Disaster from August, 2012

Trinidad & Tobago: State of the Nation

  29 August 2012

Comedienne Rachel Price used the first anniversary of the State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago -which was declared on Sunday August 21st 2011 and ended on December 5th that same year- to reflect on the current of affairs in the country.

Senegal: 18 Dead as Floods Paralyse the Country

  27 August 2012

Heavy rains led to catastrophic flooding in many regions of Senegal on August 26, 2012 with 18 dead and 42 injured so far. The Senegal government has launched a rescue plan with the help of French organisation Orsec to assist victims. Many locals on the ground feel rescue efforts have not been started quickly enough, leading to angry demonstrations on the streets of Dakar.

Iran: Blogger Arrested in Earthquake Zone

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, an Iranian blogger, his father and several volunteers who had gone to East Azarbaijan province to help earthquake‘s victims were arrested [fa] by security forces last week. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki was previously released on a $500,000 bail in July 2012.

Venezuela: Fires Still Burning at Amuay Oil Refinery

  27 August 2012

I don’t think PDVSA [Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company] will learn anything from this explosion — just as the company failed to learn anything from its past errors. Blogger and journalist Steven Bodzin from Setty's Notebook writes about the Amuay oil refinery explosion.

China: Collapsed Highway In Harbin

  27 August 2012

On August 24, 2012, a highway suddenly collapsed and killed three people in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. Acitizen journalist video backed up and translated by Beijing Cream at Youtube shows what the disaster scene looked like.

Venezuela: Chaos in Amuay After Oil Refinery Explosion

  25 August 2012

'The action radius for the propane spheres explosion is devastating. The entrance to Judibana and everything surrounding it is destroyed.' A gas tank explosion in Judibana, Falcón state, has left at least 24 dead and 86 injured. The reasons behind this accident are still unclear.

Venezuela: 19 Killed in Blast at Amuay Oil Refinery

  25 August 2012

An explosion in the Amuay oil refinery, one of the largest in the world, has left at least 19 dead and 53 injured, according to the latest reports [es] from the Governor of the state of Falcón. Follow reactions and reports through the hashtag #Amuay on Twitter.

Ecuador on Alert Over Spewing Tungurahua Volcano

  24 August 2012

The Tungurahua volcano has been spewing pyroclastic material and ash throughout this month, affecting thousands of families, crops, and animals. Scientists and citizens use Twitter and Facebook to inform about the Tungurahua's activity.

Mauritania: Landslides Leave Residents Homeless

Landslides resulting from recent heavy rain left hundreds of families homeless in different parts of Mauritania at the end of July. After destroying their homes, the landslides left hundreds of families in Kaedi (Southern Mauritania), Makta'a Lahjar and Aleg (Central Mauritania), and Nema (Eastern Mauritania), without roofs over their heads. Ahmed Jeddo reports on what happened and some of the reactions.

Hong Kong: Citizens Lead Clean-Up of Typhoon Plastic Pellet Spillage

  21 August 2012

More than 150 tons of plastic pellets manufactured by SINOPEC were spilled into the sea when Typhoon Vicente hit Hong Kong this July. However, the government neither announced the incident to the public nor took action to clean-up the pollution until citizens found the plastic pellets on local beaches.

Iran: Mourning for earthquake's victims

16 August 2012

A video film was posted in You Tube where a series of earthquakes’ photos are exposed and people are invited to stop all activities in all places including economic, educational and trade centers on Thursday, 16th of August.Two earthquakes hit the northwest region in Iran, East Azarbaijan province on Saturday,...

Iran: When Earthquakes Kill, “TV Broadcasts Prayers”

Two powerful earthquakes hit the northwest region in Iran, East Azarbaijan province on Saturday, killing 250 people and injuring around 1,800. Iranians flocked to the Internet to mourn the victims and to appeal for blood donation and help. They also expressed their anger at the Iranian national TV, which broadcast religious programmes, instead of providing viewers with information about the earthquakes and how to help.

Trinidad & Tobago: Dark Cloud, Gold Lining

  12 August 2012

Heavy floods pounded the northwestern part of Trinidad yesterday morning, as two rivers burst their banks following torrential rains from a tropical depression. But the nation's spirits were to be lifted - at least for a while - as the country won Olympic gold for the second time in its history, thanks to the efforts of Keshorn Walcott in the Javelin Throw.

Philippines: Floods Hit Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces

  7 August 2012

Strong rains caused huge floods in many parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the Luzon Island of the Philippines. Manila-based Global Voices editor Mong Palatino gathers photos from social media platforms which show the extent of flooding in the country's capital

Bhutan: Trending On Twitter For Helping India

  6 August 2012

Last week, power grids across Northern India collapsed and neighboring Bhutan's hydroelectricity was used to run the Delhi Metro. Indian Twitterati were bemused by this fact and reacted on Twitter so much that ‘Bhutan’ ended up in the top ten trending hashtags on Twitter, reports Boaz Shmueli.