Earth Changes

800,000 stray dog attacks in the Indian state of Kerala over past 5 years with 42 people killed

Toby Antony
New Indian Express
Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:11 UTC

Image used for representational purposes

The stray dog menace was a matter of wide discussion when a 65-year-old died after being attacked by a pack while out on an evening walk last December in Kuttippuram. But even after the state government and the respective local self-governing bodies announced ambitious projects to tackle the menace, government records reveal that the number of stray dog attacks has hardly come down.

Data sourced by RTI activist Raju Vazhakkala from the health department shows that 8,09,629 incidents of stray dog attacks were reported in the state from January 2016 to July 2021. As many as 42 persons lost their lives after they were attacked by strays. This year alone, 68,765 stray dog attacks have been reported. Stray dog attacks comprise nearly 50% of all animal attack cases -- which totals 16,95,664 - reported since January 2016.

Boy mauled to death by granny's pet rottweiler in Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:57 UTC

© Angelo Marcelle
Mother of Amaziah Lewis 4, is comforted by a relative as she leaves K. Allen and Sons Funeral Directors, Arima on Sunday.

What was supposed to be a happy visit to a house where his grandmother was housesitting in Tacarigua on Sunday took a tragic and deadly turn for the Lewis family when their youngest member Amaziah Lewis, 4, was mauled to death by the grandmother's pet rottweiler.

Police said Lewis was at the Savannah Drive, home at around 11 am when he was attacked by the dog and killed.

Residents called the police who went to the scene and shot and killed the dog.

Newsday visited the home on Sunday afternoon and spoke with Lewis' aunt Rechaeline Stewart who is also the daughter of the dog's owner who said while she was not at home at the time of the incident, she was told what happened.

Spain wildfire: More towns evacuated on Costa del Sol as soldiers deployed

Sky News
Sun, 12 Sep 2021 10:40 UTC

The wildfire has been raging since Wednesday

Two more towns have been evacuated and soldiers are being deployed as a wildfire continues to burn on Spain's Costa del Sol.

The battle is being made more difficult by "complicated terrain and the virulent behaviour of the fire", officials said.

The blaze - in a mountainous area above the resort of Estepona, popular with British tourists - has killed one emergency worker since it started on Wednesday.

2 killed in floods as Storm Conson dumps up to 908mm of rain on Vietnam

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Mon, 13 Sep 2021 09:54 UTC

Storm Conson brought heavy rainfall to Vietnam from 10 September 2021.

Storm Conson brought torrential rain to parts of Vietnam from 10 September, triggering flash floods which resulted in 2 fatalities and hundreds of homes damaged.

According to figures from the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA), in a period from 10 to early 13 September, Storm Conson dumped 908 mm of rain in Binh Tan, Quang Ngai Province. During the same period Tra Hiep in Quang Ngai recorded 807 mm of rain; Thuong Lo in Thua Thien Hue saw 772 mm; Tam Tra in Quang Nam saw 772mm; and Tra Kot in Quang Nam recorded 685 mm.

VDMA said the worst of the flooding was in Quang Ngai, where 775 houses were damaged. Flooding also affected Quang Tri (10 houses damaged), Kon Tum (07 houses), Gia Lai (03 houses). Around 750 people from 215 households were evacuated from low-lying areas in Tra Bong, Ba To and Binh Son districts in Quang Ngai province. Over 8,000 hectares of rice and crops were flooded or damaged.

Argentina shaken by 6.2 magnitude earthquake

wbrz.com
Mon, 13 Sep 2021 09:38 UTC

SAN ANTONIO DE LOS COBRES, Argentina- According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Argentina was shaken by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 early Monday.

The quake also impacted nearby countries such as Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay.

Preliminary data reveals the quake was occurred at a depth of about 180 km, and its strength may have been tempered by its depth below the surface, which makes it feel weaker in absolute terms.

Experts say the quake was likely felt by many in the area but probably did not cause any injuries, deaths, or significant damage.

17 cattle killed by lightning bolt in Odisha, India

Ommcom News
Mon, 13 Sep 2021 09:28 UTC

As many as 17 cattle were killed while the three persons grazing them had a narrow escape after a lightning strike at Sudhakhunta village under Telerai gram panchayat in Kalimela block of Malkangiri district.

Reportedly, Erma Kabasi, Shanti Kabasi, and Rama Madkami of the village were returning home from a nearby hill after grazing the cattle yesterday evening when lightning fell on them.

As a result, around 17 cattle were killed and the three fell unconscious. After regaining their senses, they rushed to the village and informed their family members and villagers about the incident.

Immediately, villagers rushed to the spot and found the cattle, including nine cows and eight bulls, dead. Four more cows were also found missing.

Eruption at Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico on September 11

YouTube
Sat, 11 Sep 2021 19:02 UTC

The same plume from three different cameras. Popo gearing up. Thank you to Webcamsdemexico! https://www.youtube.com/user/webcamsd...

Severe flooding hits Guizhou in southwest China

Shanghai Eye
YouTube
Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:25 UTC

Zunrong Highway partly closes due to severe flooding in Zunyi.

Drought, frost takes a massive toll on coffee crops in Brazil

Michael Fox
pri.org
Fri, 10 Sep 2021 14:36 UTC

Coffee plants destroyed by frost during extremely low temperatures

It's a typical weekday afternoon at Red Emma's coffee shop in Baltimore, Maryland. A handful of people sit chatting over wooden tables in the large open dining area.

Behind the counter, barista Najee Haynes-Follins makes an iced Americano at the machine. She's a member of the worker's co-op that owns and runs the coffee shop, restaurant and bookstore.

"What do I love about coffee?" Haynes-Follins asked. "I have ADHD, so stimulants are useful to me and so if I'm gonna focus in the morning, I'm usually drinking a cup of coffee in order to keep me a little bit in line."

She said Red Emma's coffee prices have stayed roughly the same recently. But that it might not be for long, due to a major glitch in the global coffee supply. Brazil, the world's largest coffee exporter, was hit by unprecedented extreme weather that seriously damaged coffee crops — which may ultimately drive up the cost of coffee around the world.

In late July, southern Brazil was hit by uncommon freezing temperatures. Snow blanketed many hillsides. In coffee-growing regions, frost covered the fields. In one video shared online, a farm worker inspects coffee plants that have been devastated by the frost in the state of Minas Gerais. The leaves are dead and brown. The coffee beans are black and encased in ice.

Heavy rain and floods throw life out of gear in Amritsar, India

Charanjit Singh Teja
The Tribune (India)
Fri, 10 Sep 2021 14:22 UTC

An inundated road outside the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Inter-State Bus Terminal in Amritsar on Friday

Rain for around six hours on Friday not just left the entire holy city flooded, but also exposed monsoon-ready claims of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. Irked residents raised questions on crores of rupees spent in the name of desilting.

Not just low-lying areas, the Heritage Street, Katra Jaimal Singh, Katra Ahluwalia, Outer Ring Road, GT Road, BRTS lanes, bus stand, Mall Road, MM Malvia Road, Majitha Road, Batala Road, Mall Road, Putlighar, Khalsa Collage lane, SSSS Chowk and several areas of the walled city remained inundated.