Earth ChangesS


Doberman

Man killed by his own rottweilers in Nicaragua - 2nd fatal dog attack in a week for country

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On a fateful Monday, a 21-year-old Nicaraguan man, Augusto José García, was brutally attacked by his five Rottweiler dogs at his home in Managua, Nicaragua, leading to his untimely demise. The tragic incident occurred when García attempted to enter his house via the patio after forgetting his key. The dogs, unchained and agitated, failed to recognize him, leading to the horrific onslaught.

Unfortunate Chain of Events

García, who had returned from his mother's house early in the morning, was living with his brother and sister-in-law, both of whom were not at home during the shocking incident. The attack is the second fatal dog-related incident in Nicaragua within a week, marking a concerning trend.

Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods ravage eastern Australia following heavy summer rainfall - 20 inches in 48 hours

The flooded Coomera river on the Gold Coast,
© Dave Hunt/AAPThe flooded Coomera river on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The region’s popular theme parks were closed on Tuesday due to rain.
Eastern Australia is grappling with the repercussions of heavy rainfall that has sparked flash flooding in parts of Southeastern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Over the past 72 hours, these regions have endured an intense deluge, with some areas witnessing more than two months' worth of rainfall. In a startling report, the town of Springbrook in Queensland recorded a staggering 514 mm (20 inches) of rain in a span of 48 hours, significantly overshooting the average for January.


Attention

Man, 60, killed by bear in Uttarakhand, India

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A 60-year-old factory worker died after he was attacked by a bear on Monday morning on his way back home from the Sitarganj industrial area in Udham Singh Nagar district.

Ravin Sardar, a resident of Surendra Nagar village of Shaktifarm town, was walking home with his friend, Prashant Sarkar, around 8.30am when a bear attacked them. While Sarkar narrowly escaped, the bear dragged Sardar into the nearby forest, causing severe injuries.

Alerted by Sardar's distress call, family members and villagers rushed to the scene.

Attention

Man killed in shark attack off Hawaii

Great white shark
A man in his thirties has died after a shark encounter at Paia Bay on the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials have said.

The Maui Police Department said that it responded to the scene at about 11.19am local time on Saturday.

"Upon arrival, Ocean Safety Officers were transporting a male who sustained injuries from a shark encounter via jet ski to shore," they said in a statement.

"Once onshore, life-saving measures were performed by first responder personnel until medic personnel arrived to transport the male to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for further treatment" before he "later succumbed to his injuries and died," the local agency added.

The man's identity has not yet been announced to give time to notify extended family and friends. An investigation into the incident continues.


Fire

Large strombolian explosion at Semeru Volcano in Indonesia

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The camera is situated about 8km southeast of the volcano. The view is looking northwest. The sound is live from the camera source.

Semeru, the highest volcano on Java (3,676m 12,060ft), and one of its most active, lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera. The steep-sided volcano, also referred to as Mahameru (Great Mountain), rises above coastal plains to the south. Gunung Semeru was constructed south of the overlapping Ajek-ajek and Jambangan calderas. A line of lake-filled maars was constructed along a N-S trend cutting through the summit, and cinder cones and lava domes occupy the eastern and NE flanks. Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from NW to SE. Frequent 19th and 20th century eruptions were dominated by small-to-moderate explosions from the summit crater, with occasional lava flows and larger explosive eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic flows that have reached the lower flanks of the volcano.

This volcano is located within the Bromo Tengger Semeru-Arjuno, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve property.


Arrow Down

British mother & son killed in French avalanche while skiing with ski instructor

Search and rescue efforts by PGHM
© PGHM CHamonixSearch and rescue efforts by PGHM
A British mother and son have lost their lives in an avalanche at the iconic Mont-Blanc massif in France on Thursday, December 28, 2023. The pair were traveling together with three other family members in a guided group with a ski instructor. In total three of the six skiers were swept away by the avalanche and buried. The third skier that was swept away and buried by the avalanche was the instructor who was the only skier wearing an avalanche beacon. He survived with mild injuries.

The avalanche occurred around 3:40 p.m. in a popular off-piste area in the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains ski area of the Mont-Blanc massif. The avalanche started at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) near the Mont-Joly chairlift and went down around 400 meters (1,312 feet).


Snowflake

South Korean capital records heaviest one-day snowfall in December for 40 years

Visitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
© Jung Yeon-je / AFPVisitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
South Korea's capital received the biggest single-day snowfall recorded in December for more than 40 years on Saturday.

The country's weather agency said on Sunday that 4.8in (12.2cm) of snow fell on Seoul the previous day, the heaviest since 1981.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said a heavy snow advisory was issued for the entire Seoul entire area on Saturday before it was lifted later in the day.

It said other parts of South Korea also received snow or rain on Saturday.

South Korea's safety agency said Saturday's snow in Seoul and other areas caused traffic congestion, but no snowfall-related deaths or injuries have been reported.

Source: AP


Comment: Also for the same month: South Korea gripped by record-breaking cold wave and snowfall


Seismograph

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Papua, Indonesia

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A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The quake was at a depth of 39 km (24.23 miles) the EMSC said.

EMSC earlier pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.2, with a depth of 46 km (28.58 miles).

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami after the quake.

Cloud Precipitation

At least 21 dead after floods in Ladysmith, South Africa (UPDATE)

Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the
Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, bursting its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town. Six people are dead and 10 are missing.
Six people have died and 10 people are missing following floods that swept through Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas Eve.

KZN department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs said search and rescue teams who worked on Christmas day to find those missing, will resume on Tuesday,

Heavy rains on December 24 resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, to burst its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town.

This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, and several vehicles were swept away.


Comment: Update December 30

The Associated Press reports:
Flash floods killed over a dozen people in the small town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal province, South African officials said Saturday.

"As of Friday, 29 December 2023, a total of 21 bodies have been recovered," said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.

The floods hit the town on Christmas Day, destroying about 1400 homes, with the death toll expected to rise as an unconfirmed number of people are still missing, he said.

Search and rescue teams have been scouring rivers to recover bodies, Netshiunda added. The operation is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Tragedy hit one family in Ladysmith set to bury seven of its members who were killed when floods swept their vehicle into the river. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Vincent Msimango, his wife, two children, brother and niece, and nephew earlier this week, local news outlet Eyewitness News reported on Saturday.

KwaZulu-Nata province has witnessed devastating floods lately.

In June, heavy rainfall triggered deluges that killed seven people, and another seven went missing, in and around the city of Durban.

In April last year, devastating floods hit the coastal province killing more than 440 people.



Fire

Santiaguito volcano erupts in Guatemala

Eruption of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. December 28, 2023.
Eruption of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. December 28, 2023.
The Santiaguito Volcano, situated in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, has witnessed a considerable explosion, underscoring the volatile yet fascinating nature of volcanic regions.

The volcanic activity at Santiaguito is ongoing, with the recent eruption forming a part of its moderate explosive activity.

The event's significance lies in the fact that the volcanic activity is more prevalent in regions like Central America, making the monitoring of these events crucial for the safety and well-being of nearby communities.