· August, 2012

Stories about Disaster from August, 2012

Trinidad & Tobago: State of the Nation

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-...

29 August 2012

Senegal: 18 Dead as Floods Paralyse the Country

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.

27 August 2012

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....

27 August 2012

China: Collapsed Highway In Harbin

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...

27 August 2012

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.

22 August 2012

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

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.

21 August 2012

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.

12 August 2012

Trinidad & Tobago: Dark Cloud, Gold Lining

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.

12 August 2012

Philippines: Floods Hit Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces

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

7 August 2012

Bhutan: Trending On Twitter For Helping India

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...

6 August 2012