A strong and shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 has struck the Pacific Ocean near Tonga, according to seismologists, but no tsunami warnings were issued.
The earthquake, which struck at 9:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday, was centered about 154 kilometers (96 miles) southeast of Neiafu, a town on Vavaʻu island.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.6. It struck about 10 kilometers (6 miles) below the surface, making it a very shallow earthquake.
"Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement. No tsunami alerts were issued.
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey.
With a depth of 588 kilometers (365 miles), the epicenter of earthquake was in Banda Sea, some 262 kilometers (162.7 miles) off Baubau city of southeastern Sulawesi province.
There was no immediate report of losses or tsunami warning.
Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes as it is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes.
A magnitude 6.2 quake jolted Sulawesi island in January 2021, killing over 100 people and leaving thousands homeless.
Some 2,200 people were killed after a separate magnitude 7.5 quake and subsequent tsunami in 2018.
A powerful typhoon was lashing the northernmost islands of the Philippines Monday, prompting officials to evacuate villagers, shut down schools and inter-island ferries and warn of "potentially very destructive" damage to coastal villages.
Typhoon Krathon was last tracked over the coastal waters of Balintang island off the provinces of Cagayan and Batanes with sustained winds of up to 175 kph (109 mph) and gusts of up to 215 kph (133 mph), according to government forecasters.
The slow-moving Krathon was blowing westward and could strengthen into a super typhoon when it veers northeastward Tuesday toward Taiwan, they said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Two people are dead after former Hurricane John barreled into Mexico's southern Pacific coast, blowing tin roofs off houses, triggering mudslides and toppling scores of trees, officials said Tuesday.
John grew into a major hurricane in a matter of hours Monday and made landfall about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of the resort of Acapulco before declining to a tropical storm after moving inland.
John came ashore near the town of Punta Maldonado late Monday night as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (190 kph). It weakened back to tropical storm status early Tuesday with maximum sustained wind speeds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was expected to weaken rapidly.
Evelyn Salgado, the governor of the coastal state of Guerrero, said two people died when the storm sent a mudslide crashing into their house on the remote mountain of Tlacoachistlahuaca (TLAH-ko-chis-tla-waka), further from the coast.
'Zombie' Hurricane John regains strength in Pacific, flooding parts of Mexico's southwestern coast
Towns along Mexico's southwestern coast are dealing with torrential rain, flooding and landslides after tropical storm John strengthened back into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
John is considered a "zombie" storm - a term referring to systems that dissipate before strengthening back into a storm. After slamming into Mexico as a deadly Category 3 hurricane on Monday night, it dissipated before returning as a hurricane, battering Mexico's Pacific coast. Even after initially dissipating, remnants of the storm continued to move along the coast, bringing continuous rainfall.
In the resort city of Acapulco, which still hasn't fully recovered from the destruction of Hurricane Otis last year, several neighborhoods were flooded and residents in at-risk areas were told to evacuate to temporary shelters. Parts of the city have received over 500mm of rain this week,and 431mm over just the past 24 hours.
Hurricane John, which made landfall in Mexico twice last week, claimed 29 lives in three Pacific coast states, including more than 20 in Guerrero, according to news reports.
The EFE news agency and other media outlets reported that the death toll from John rose to 29 on Sunday after authorities confirmed four additional hurricane-related fatalities in Guerrero.
The hurricane made landfall for the first time last Monday as a powerful Category 3 storm, slamming into the coast of southern Guerrero near the state's border with Oaxaca.
After weakening and drifting offshore, John regained strength in the Pacific Ocean before making landfall for a second time last Friday as a tropical storm on the coast of the neighboring state of Michoacán.
According to reports, 23 of the 29 fatalities linked to Hurricane John occurred in Guerrero. Five deaths reportedly occurred in Oaxaca — where at least 80 landslides were reported — and one fatality was reported in Michoacán.
Some of the victims were killed in mudslides while others were swept away by raging floodwaters. The storm also caused significant damage to homes, commercial establishments and other structures, including bridges.
Three people were injured on Monday when their car and a motorcycle fell into a sinkhole at Khayaban-i-Firdausi, caused by a rupture in a decades-old trunk sewer line.
"The road has become extremely dangerous for motorists, as sinkholes can emerge at any time, putting lives at risk. Look at this incident - the car fell in, injuring the driver and his friend," said a bystander.
Last year in October, a major sinkhole had appeared at the same place (in front of the main entrance to the Revenue Cooperative Housing Scheme), injuring three family members after their car fell into it.
A rescue official reported that the two persons in the car were injured after being trapped when the sinkhole suddenly appeared. The vehicles following narrowly avoided falling into it.
On June 25, 2009, John Kerry said the Arctic would be ice-free by 2014.
"You have sea ice which is melting at a rate that the Arctic Ocean now increasingly is exposed. In five years, scientists predict we will have the first ice-free Arctic summer"
Oman authorities urged residents to stay away from low-lying areas, as well as overflowing wadis.
Heavy rains lashed the northern parts of Oman on Sunday, disrupting normal life and throwing traffic out of gear in some areas. Temperatures were lower across much of the country.
Parts of Dhahira, Dhakliyah and South of Sharqiyah and Buraimi governorates received medium to heavy rains, due the heavy rain, according to the Meteorology Department at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA).
Wadis in the provinces of Ibri, Yanqul, Dhank, Mahada, Buraimi, Bahla, Nizwa, Samayil, Mudhaibi, Dima wa Tayeen, Awabim and Izki were flooded. No causalities have been reported, an official at the PACA told Gulf News.
Long queues of vehicles were reported stuck for hours, as the motorists were waiting for the water level to go down in wadi Bani Ghafar of Rustaq province on Sunday. Videos of the over-flooding wadis have been widely circulated in social media platforms.
Matthew Sockol cbs17.com Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:12 UTC
A Durham man was found dead inside his home from an apparent dog attack Friday morning, police said.
According to the Durham Police Department, officers responded to a call for cardiac arrest in the 2500 block of Fairlawn Road. Upon arriving, they found a deceased man inside the residence.
Police say the man "had injuries consistent with being attacked by a dog".
According to Durham police, a dog lived in the same home as the victim. The dog was seized by animal control.
Nakul Ahuja India Today Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:27 UTC
Man-eating panther kills seventh person in 11 days
A man-eating panther claimed another life in a village in Udaipur on Monday, making it seven deaths in the last 11 days. The victim, a priest, was reportedly picked up by the panther in the early hours of Monday and his body was found in the jungle.
Due to the fear of the panther, police, along with forest officials, set up traps in several locations. While a few panthers have been caught in the last few days, the number of deaths due to panther attacks have been increasing.
Locals had been living in fear due to the increasing cases of panther attacks. Several schools had been ordered shut, people had been informed to not leave their houses in the evening and to only go out in groups. Police, through social media, has also warned people about leaving their houses at night. Villagers have been asked to carry sticks or other items that can be used as weapons when venturing out.
An official claimed that it is unclear whether the same animal has been involved in all the cases. However, in all the cases, the movement of the animal and the nature of the attack has been similar.
A video surfaced, showing police recovering the body of the victim from the middle of the jungle. The video shows villagers gathered around the forest.
Ratnadip Choudhury NDTV Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:13 UTC
In a video that has gone viral now, locals can be heard shouting to scare off the animal
A biker died after being chased and attacked by a rhino near the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam's Morigaon district on Sunday. The victim, Saddam Hussain, was a resident of the Kamrup Metropolitan district, about 30 kilometers from the place of the incident.
The 37-year-old was traveling on his two-wheeler when the rhino, which had strolled out of the wildlife sanctuary, approached him.
In a video that has gone viral, he can be seen quickly getting down from his bike and running into an open field as the animal, which can run up to 55 kilometers an hour, chases him.
Locals can be heard shouting to scare off the rhino, which can weigh up to 2,800 kilograms.
Hussain was later found with his head smashed in the field.
Comment: Update September 26
CNN reports: Update September 30
The EFE news agency reports: