· April, 2013

Stories about Disaster from April, 2013

China Earthquake Donation Protected by Spell

  29 April 2013

Hong Kong based inmediahk.net's Facebook page shared an image circulated widely on Chinese social media which shows spells written on money, that says, “This is a donation for a Ya'an earthquake victim, those who dare to misuse this money will go to hell.”

Red Cross’ China Scandal – This Time About Sex

  27 April 2013

While Chinese people still remember Red Cross China's corruption scandal during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, a new scandal has exposed, this time it also involves Guo Meimei, a then “manager at China Red Cross”, showed off her fancy sports cars and luxury handbags on Sina Weibo in 2011. This time...

Chernobyl: “The Most Horrifying Phone Talk of the Century”

  26 April 2013

April 26, 2013, marks the 27th anniversary of the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster. Andriy Pryimachenko of peredova.com has created a video transcript [ru] of the audio recordings of the conversations that took place shortly after the blast between the dispatchers of the plant's firefighting unit and other firefighting...

Live Updates on Bangladesh Factory Tragedy

  26 April 2013

The death toll of the factory collapse in Savar, Bangladesh has risen to 290. Here is a live blog [bn] maintained by the Muktaangon blogging platform curating social media updates on the latest on the relief and rescue effort of the trapped workers inside the collapsed building.

Saudi-American View on Boston Bombings

Nora Abdulkarim shares a Saudi-American perspective on the Boston Bombings. She explains: I won't try to simplify what is inherently complex. I will simply present and reflect, and nothing more. No fancy theorizing, no overarching message. This post is only meant to be a glimpse at personal identity – that...

Hundreds Killed and Trapped in Bangladesh Garment Factory Collapse

  25 April 2013

Yet another factory disaster in Bangladesh, this time a nine story building collapsed killing more than 142 and injuring close to a thousand people. Many more are still trapped, and rescue operations continue. The tragedy is man-made as the factory management forced labors to work in an unsafe building.

Social Media’s Role in the Sichuan Earthquake

  24 April 2013

ChinaFile and TeaLeafNation analyzed the important role social media has played in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake that has killed 208 people. Social media's instant reactions to the quake has made a difference when compared to the coverage of the 2008 earthquake dominated by China's state media.

Bhutan's Alcohol Problem

  22 April 2013

Rikku Dhan Subba is concerned about the growing alcoholism in Bhutan, which is creating problems in many families and societies.

Chinese Earthquake as Seen on Weibo

  22 April 2013

Offbeat China looks into the distribution and discussion on China's social media on the recent 7.0 earthquake in Sichuan Ya'an: Unlike many of China’s typical disaster reporting from traditional media that focuses more on government officials’ whereabouts and works, these netizens who are at the front line of disaster relief...

Netizens Tell Red Cross China to Get Lost

  20 April 2013

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 AM local time today. The Red Cross Society in China posted in its official micro-blog [zh] expressing its concern over the disaster. However, many Chinese netizens who still remember the organization's corruption scandal...

Indonesia: Relief Still Needed for Rokatenda Refugees

  20 April 2013

The impact of the Rokatenda volcanic eruption in Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia is still felt by some 3,000 refugees from Sikka District. Rokatenda erupted last February and following the natural disaster, residents are still hesitant and afraid to return to their houses.

The Boston Bombings Come Home to Russians

RuNet Echo  19 April 2013

Initially a distant story of bombs and American blood, the Boston Marathon bombings came home to Russians today. The RuNet had been following the investigation into the attacks with great interest, even before the news that the two suspects turned out to be ethnic Chechens. Now that Russia is directly involved, passions burn white hot.

Saudi Account of Boston Marathon Bombings

Saudi student Wael Omar Moathen shares this eyewitness account [ar] of his experience at the Boston Marathon bombing. Ahmed Al Omran offers a translation here:  Like any human being who lives in this city, I picked up my camera and headed to Mile 26, the last mile in the race....

Children Back in Guinea Bissau After Senegal Fire

  18 April 2013

The blog of the Association of Friends of Children (AMIC) reported [fr] that 20 ‘talib’ children from Guinea-Bissau who had been caught in a raging fire at an Islamic school in the capital of Senegal, Dakar, in early March, have now been handed back to their families. As Rising Voices reported back in...

Chinese React to Boston Marathon Explosions

  16 April 2013

US's quick reaction to the Boston Marathon explosions have Chinese netizens imagining how the Chinese government would react to such a situation in China. Offbeat China has translated some comments from Sina Weibo.

Christian Colony Attacked In Pakistan

  14 April 2013

Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House describes how another Christian colony had been attacked in Gujranwala, Punjab in Pakistan using the same rhetoric – revenge for alleged “Insult to Islam”.