Breaking News -- Earthquakes, Famines, Pestilence and Disasters
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8.3-magnitude earthquake in Sea of Okhotsk, in Russia’s Far East Earth Sky A powerful 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Far East with tremors felt as far away as Moscow, which was about 7,000 kilometers (4,400 miles) west of the epicenter. The earthquake took place in the Sea of Okhotsk, the western Pacific Ocean. Emergency agencies in the Far East issued a tsunami warning for Sakhalin and the Kuril islands, but lifted it soon afterwards. Details of the quake, from the USGS, are below: Event Time 2013-05-24 05:44:49 UTC 2013-05-24 15:44:49 UTC+10:00 at epicenter 2013-05-24 00:44:49 UTC-05:00 system time Location 54.874°N 153.280°E Depth=608.9km (378.4mi) Nearby Cities 362km (225mi) WSW of Esso, Russia 383km (238mi) WNW of Yelizovo, Russia 400km (249mi) NW of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 406km (252mi) WNW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia 2374km (1475mi) NNE of Tokyo, Japan This area – located on the Ring of Fire – is one of the most seismically active in the world. According to the Huffington Post: Russian news agencies reported that residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Okhotsk Sea felt the tremors for about five minutes. Residents ran out of the buildings. School children were evacuated. Bottom line: 8.3-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s Far East with tremors felt as far away as Moscow. Tsunami warning issues then rescinded. http://earthsky.org/earth/8-3-magnitude-earthquake-in-sea-of-okhotsk-in-russias-far-east Magnitude 6.3 quake jolts a vigilant Taiwan, kills two by Ralph Jennings Taiwan’s strongest earthquake so far this year killed two and injured 80 on Sunday, jolting an island that is already hyper-aware of the potential for temblors given its position on the Pacific Rim's ring of fire. The magnitude 6.3 quake hit at a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) underground in a rural mountain area, setting off rock slides that killed both victims and left others hurt. A collapsed road injured one person. Separately, local news reports showed one fractured road blocked by a rock slide. In a scenic area with a landmark suspension bridge known called "Ladder to Heaven,” 300 tourists were stranded for more than three hours, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported. Sunday’s epicenter in central Taiwan’s Nantou county approximates that of an infamous quake that struck on Sept. 21, 1999. About 2,400 people died from that quake, and the number “921” remains a household term among Taiwanese. Taiwan gets minor quakes almost every day, usually in rugged, rural Nantou county or off the Pacific Ocean east coast. As earthquake construction codes have prepared much of the island, Taiwan’s quakes seldom kill or injure people. The worst quake on record occurred in 1935, killing about 3,200 people. Many Taiwanese fear a repeat and following any natural disaster expect fast reactions from the government that some found too slow after a deadly typhoon in 2009. On Sunday, disaster authorities warned central officials to ensure that roads and bridges in the quake zone were sound, likewise that students could safely attend classes on Monday. Taiwan might not be finished shaking, the authorities said. One person is also still reported missing. “The June 2 quake could still generate aftershocks,” the Central Disaster Response Center said in a statement. “Offices in charge should stay on alert and do everything possible to respond.” http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2013/0602/Magnitude-6.3-quake-jolts-a-vigilant-Taiwan-kills-two-video 6.1-magnitude quake strikes off Solomon Islands: USGS AFP SYDNEY: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, but there was no immediate tsunami warning issued. The tremor, at a depth of 64 kilometres (39 miles), hit in the Santa Cruz Islands, some 89 kilometres south of the remote town of Lata, where a tsunami left at least 10 people dead in February. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-05/rest-of-world/39762997_1_usgs-solomon-islands-immediate-tsunami-warning |
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