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Two killed in separate avalanches in the Rockies, Alberta

Bill Kaufmann
Calgary Herald
Sat, 15 Mar 2025 13:46 UTC
Emergency crews respond to an avalanche near the Lake Louise Ski Resort on Friday, March 14, 2025.
© Alberta RCMPEmergency crews respond to an avalanche near the Lake Louise Ski Resort on Friday, March 14, 2025.
A 34-year-old Calgary woman was one of two people killed in separate avalanches Friday in the Rockies west of Calgary.

RCMP say they received an alert at 4:16 p.m. about an avalanche that occurred near Mount Black Prince in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park of Highway 742, impacting four backcountry skiers.

"An avalanche occurred which carried a 34-year-old female resident of Calgary, a distance before she was buried in the snow," RCMP said in a press release.

"An SOS beacon was sent out, notifying emergency responders, and despite diligent best efforts of the other three skiers to provide medical attention, the female was declared deceased by first responders.

"RCMP send their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."

In an incident report, Avalanche Canada said the woman was caught in a snow slide she might have triggered that was 100-metres wide, carrying her 50 to 80 metres down the slope.

Friends and family identified the woman killed in the avalanche as Minetta Norrie, a Calgary Board of Education elementary school teacher who they described as an extremely experienced backcountry skier and outdoor enthusiast.
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Snowflake

Great Wall of China blanketed in March snow

huaxia
Xinhua
Sun, 16 Mar 2025 13:36 UTC
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Snowflakes blanketed the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall on Saturday in Chengde, north China's Hebei Province, as the region experienced a sharp temperature drop in early Spring.

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Attention

Australian surfer feared dead after shark attack, police say - 8th such fatality globally within 3 months


NBC News
Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:35 UTC
Great white shark
A 30-year-old man was reported missing after witnesses saw a struggle and heard screams at Wharton Beach, about 500 miles from the capital of Western Australia.

A surfer is feared dead after being attacked by a shark in shallow water on a remote beach in Western Australia, police said Tuesday.

A 30-year-old man from Melbourne was reported missing Monday after witnesses saw a struggle and heard screams at Wharton Beach, a remote area about 500 miles from the state capital, Perth.

A surfboard with bite marks was later recovered from the beach.

Police believe the man was killed during the attack after failing to locate his body.

Comment: Details of the other recent deaths:

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Tornado2

At least 32 dead after severe weather swept across the US Midwest


Al Jazeera
Sun, 16 Mar 2025 11:48 UTC
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Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms have torn through at least six states in the US Midwest, killing at least 32 people.

Buildings collapsed, roofs were torn off, and vehicles overturned.

Hundreds of thousands have been left without power.

Al Jazeera's Joel Evans reports.


Comment: Related: At least 3 dead in dust storm crashes in West Texas

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Ice Cube

Spanish holiday hotspot is flooded by river of ICE after hail storm as torrential rain batters region

Georgie English, Natalia Penza
Sun (UK)
Sat, 15 Mar 2025 14:03 UTC
Cars had to smash through sheets of ice floating on the water
© SolarpixCars had to smash through sheets of ice floating on the water
This is the shocking moment a popular holiday hotspot in Spain is left severely flooded by a river of ice.

Devastating footage shows the swamped streets of a town in Costa Blanca after a hail storm and days of torrential rain left cars trapped in deep waters.

Concerned tourists and residents of Santa Pola were forced to stay inside as they watched on as the weather took a nasty turn this week.

A massive hail storm ended up mixing with heavy rain before it created a terrifying number of icebergs travelling down the street.

The neighbouring town of Rojales was also battered by the weather as a yellow alert was issued across Alicante.

Pictures show how cars were left fighting to make it past flood water which in some areas had managed to make it to the height of the wheels.

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Butterfly

Huge decline in US butterfly populations mirrors UK Butterfly Emergency - 22% drop in just 20 years


butterfly-conservation.org
Sun, 09 Mar 2025 13:23 UTC
The Empress Leilia, Asterocampa leilia,one of the six fastest-declining species.
© Katja Schultz/ Wikimedia CommonsThe Empress Leilia, Asterocampa leilia,one of the six fastest-declining species.
The abundance of butterflies across the United States fell by an alarming 22% in just 20 years, a new study has concluded.

Between 2000 and 2020, 33% of species (114 of 342) showed significantly declining trends in abundance, according to the research led by Collin B Edwards of Washington State University and published this week in Science.

The results mirror the picture in the UK, where 80% of butterfly species have decreased in abundance, distribution or both since the 1970s.

It comes after Butterfly Conservation recorded the worst-ever results of its annual Big Butterfly Count in 2024 and declared a Butterfly Emergency in the UK, calling on the Government to take tougher action to save wildlife, starting with a total ban on butterfly-killing neonicotinoid pesticides.

Comment: Related: Lowest number of UK butterflies ever recorded during summer of 2024 due to wet weather

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Doberman

'Aggressive' sausage dog kills baby in Seversk, Russia

Ryan Fahey
Mirror
Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:50 UTC
Dachsunds may look cute, but they're actually bred for hunting and flushing out badgers
© GettyDachshunds may look cute, but they're actually bred for hunting and flushing out badgers
A newborn baby was killed by an aggressive sausage dog after vets ignored its owner's concerns and refused to euthanise.

The dachshund clamped its jaws around the tiny baby in her crib in the Russian city of Seversk in Siberia. The newborn had been brought home from the hospital just a month earlier when the dog gripped tightly around her neck and strangled her to death while her parents were asleep.

The vicious dog dispatched the baby without making a sound by barking or growling, meaning the parents woke up the following day to the horrific discovery of their second child dead in her crib. A relative claims the dog had been more aggressive since they welcomed the baby back home.

They called on a vet to euthanise the pooch, but they refused because it was healthy. Instead, the owners kept the dog leashed during the night, hoping it would keep the dog away from their baby - but on the night in question they forgot to tie it up.
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Windsock

At least 3 dead in dust storm crashes in West Texas


WesternMassNews.com
Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:22 UTC
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Strong winds swept through the Texas panhandle on Friday, causing crashes that killed at least three people.

Dust clouds covered the sky, leading to low visibility and dangerous driving conditions.

State authorities say at least three people in two counties died in car crashes from the dust storm.

In Canyon, multiple injuries were reported in an incident involving approximately 38 vehicles on Interstate 27.

The wind also exacerbated grass fires and caused some damage.

The town of Kress reported that the gusts ripped the roof from its fire department.


CNN
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Seismograph

6.0 magnitude earthquake hits off the South Sandwich Islands


Earthquake Track
Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:09 UTC
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6.0 magnitude earthquake

UTC time: Friday, March 14, 2025 23:42 PM
Your time: Friday 14 March 2025 at 23:42 GMT
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.0 - South Sandwich Islands region
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people

35 km depth
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Earthquake

Earthquake hits Naples: 'Whole city is awoken by huge roar'

Elena Salvoni
The Daily Mail
Thu, 13 Mar 2025 21:19 UTC
earthquake naples
© Alessandro Garofola/LaPress/ShuRubble falls from buildings crushed a vehicle below, after the powerful quake hit the Naples area March 13, 2025
City is rocked by strongest quake in 40 years, sending people rushing into the streets

Naples has been rocked by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake, the strongest to hit the area in the last 40 years.

The tremors were preceded by a 'huge roar', local media reports, sending people running into the streets at around 1.25am. The powerful quake lasted about 20 seconds and awoke the entire city and large parts of the surrounding region.

The epicentre was recorded at a depth of 2.5 kilometers beneath the municipality of Pozzuoli, a city along the coast from Naples, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

It triggered a seismic swarm which saw a series of less powerful tremors shake the city for two more hours as panicked residents huddled in the street.

Comment: Activity near Naples continues:



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