2024 Disasters in Numbers
<p>In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95
Natural Disasters
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Storm winds of 94 kmph kill 3 in city
At severely affected even as civic authorities received numerous complaints of water-logging from various parts of the city. The rains drenched the city for about two hours, measuring up to 6.2 mm and bringing the temperature down to 22
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China Warns Of Burst Dams As Quake Death Toll Rises
The death toll from China's deadliest earthquake in decades climbed to nearly 15,000 on Wednesday, as officials warned of calamities downstream from broken rivers and dams strained to bursting point. Tens of thousands of troops, fire-fighters and civilians raced to save more than 25,000 people buried across a wide swathe of southwest Sichuan province under collapsed schools, factories and hospitals after Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake. Many schoolchildren were buried as they were taking an afternoon nap. One body of a boy was found clutching a pen.
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Burma at risk of disease, starvation
The 1.5 million people left destitute by Burma's cyclone are in increasing danger of disease and starvation, experts said on Wednesday, but its ruling junta said no to a Thai request to admit more aid workers. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej met his Burma counterpart Thein Sein in Rangoon for 2 hours trying to convince him the former Burma should open up for international relief operations and ease visa rules for aid workers.
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Disasters, natural and man-made
HONG KONG: On the day of the Sichuan earthquake, I happened to be in Bengkulu, the province of Sumatra, Indonesia, which has been experiencing almost weekly quakes that measure about 5 on the Richter scale, following one that measured 8.5 last September. Despite its magnitude, that earthquake killed just 25 people. This raises the question: What combination of nature, chance, human activity and government competence determines the death toll when a cyclone, earthquake or tsunami strikes?
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Aid at the point of a gun
More than 60,000 people may have died as a result of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, and at least 1.5 million are homeless or otherwise in desperate need of assistance. The Burmese military junta, one of the most morally repulsive in the world, has allowed in only a trickle of aid supplies. The handful of United States Air Force C-130 flights from Utapao Air Base here in Thailand is little more than symbolic, given the extent of the need.
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Relief stepped up as quake toll touches 20,000
China today rushed more troops and air-dropped relief supplies in areas cut off near the epicentre of the devastating earthquake in southwest Sichuan province as the toll mounted to nearly 20,000 with thousands of people still buried, trapped or missing. As troops reached the quake-battered areas, the state media reported that the death toll in Mianyang city alone rose from 3,629 to 5,540 with 18,486 more buried and 1,396 missing. In Yingxiu of Wenchuan County, only 2,300 persons were believed to have survived out of 10,000 residents, official Xinhua news agency said.
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Three Gorges Dam unaffected
Operations at the Three Gorges Dam, China's water conservancy project on the Yangtze River, was not affected despite Monday's quake. In the dam area, about 1,000 km from the epicentre, the quake measured about 4. The dam was designed to withstand quakes up to 7 on the Richter Scale, said a spokesman with China Three Gorges Project Corporation.
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A race against time
Rescuers are racing against time in the search for survivors on Tuesday, a day after a quake struck China's south-western province of Sichuan. The death toll has surpassed 12,000. Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to Sichuan on Monday, urged the public to have "composure, confidence and courage' in the face of the catastrophe. Mr. Wen is heading a temporary disaster relief headquarters.
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Myanmar accused of hoarding aid
Yangon: The United Nations said on Tuesday that only a tiny portion of international aid needed for Myanmar's cyclone victims is making it into the country, amid reports that the military regime is hoarding good-quality foreign aid for itself and doling out rotten food. The country's isolated military regime has agreed to accept relief shipments from the UN and foreign countries, but has largely refused entry to aidworkers who might distribute the aid.
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29,000 are still buried in China quake debris
Official Figure Of Dead Stands At 12,000 Saibal Dasgupta & Agencies Beijing: The full scale of Monday's earthquake began to emerge even as rescuers managed to get to the epicentre of the quake and other uncovered areas in southwest Sichuan province. Official sources confirmed 12,000 deaths and said that 29,000 more people were buried in the debris of fallen buildings.