Earth ChangesS


Doberman

Elderly woman dies after being attacked by her 4 dogs in Limpopo, South Africa

dog attack
Limpopo police have opened an inquest after an elderly woman was attacked by her four dogs while trying to protect a visitor from the animals.

The incident happened on Friday, 19 January, and the woman died on Monday, 22 January.

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson in Limpopo, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, on the said day, the elderly woman was at her home with her daughter when they had a visitor and the dogs tried to attack him.

In the process, the woman interjected, trying to protect the man, but her dogs turned to her and bit her. Her daughter then assisted her, and the dogs turned away. However, she sustained injuries on her lower body.

Acting Police Commissioner in Limpopo, Major General Jan Scheepers, has strongly advised community members, especially owners of pets, to be careful with dogs around them and not to relax fully.

In 2023, there was a spate of incidents where people were mauled by their dogs, which caused some to die or left them seriously injured.

Attention

Wildlife officer killed in elephant attack in Botswana

mmmmmm
A night out with colleagues ended tragically for a Kasane wildlife officer when he was trampled to death by an elephant minutes after arriving at their camp.

None of the colleagues of the 52-year-old native of Thamaga witnessed the incident which happened while they were sleeping on Saturday.

They only discovered his lifeless body in the morning at about 8am.

The incident was confirmed by Superintendent James Maabong who said the man sustained serious injuries in the elephant attack.

Doberman

Dog owner charged with manslaughter after pit bulls attack, kill intoxicated man in Guyana

PIT BULL ATTACK
The owner of several pit bulls that mauled a man to death last week appeared in the New Amsterdam Magistrate's Court on Monday and was charged with the offense of manslaughter.

Rabindranauth Jaikissoon, an Auto Electrician of Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh where the charge was read to him he was subsequently granted bail in the sum of $250,000.

The police Prosecutor did not object to bail.

Latchminen Permaul called 'Blackboy' of lot 249 Hampshire, Topoo, Corentyne, Berbice was killed after three pit bulls attacked him on Tuesday January 16.

Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain causes flooding in Baja California, Mexico

nnnnnnn
Emergency service workers had a busy day in Baja California on Monday as heavy rain caused flooding in Tijuana and other parts of the northern border state.

South of Tijuana in the municipality of Playas de Rosarito, 10 people were rescued after their vehicles became submerged in water when a canal overflowed and flooded two main roads, said local Civil Protection chief Arturo García Ames.

In Tijuana, firefighters rescued a woman on Monday morning when her vehicle was swept away by floodwaters on the city's southside.

The news website Zeta reported that people were rescued in various parts of the northern border city, where many roads were affected by flooding. Two people, one an elderly man, were rescued by firefighters when they got into trouble attempting to cross swollen streams in Tijuana.


Seismograph

6.3 magnitude earthquake hits off Vanuatu capital: USGS

MMMM
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu early Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake had a depth of 37 kilometres (23 miles) and struck about 44 kilometres southwest of the capital Port Vila at 1:33 am (1433 GMT), said the USGS, which initially reported a magnitude of 6.5.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat from the quake, and there were no immediate reports of damage.

Vanuatu's Meteorology and Geohazards Department did not issue a tsunami advisory, according to its website.

Cloud Precipitation

Flash flooding sparks emergency in San Diego, California after 4 inches of rain in 6 hours - cars swept away

A woman walks by cars damaged by floods during a rainstorm in San Diego on Monday
© APA woman walks by cars damaged by floods during a rainstorm in San Diego on Monday
Flash flooding has sparked an emergency declaration in San Diego after four inches of rain fell in six hours on Monday.

San Diego mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency after homes were inundated and cars were overturned as torrential rain swept through southern California over a roughly six-hour period on Monday.

Flood waters swept away vehicles and caused cars to pile on top of each other, while several feet of water inundated the Mountain View, Shelltown and Southcrest neighbourhoods, as well as multiple highways.


Fire

Indonesia's Mount Merapi unleashes lava as other volcanoes flare up, forcing thousands to evacuate

NNNNNNN
Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted Sunday, spreading searing gas clouds and avalanches of lava down its slopes as other active volcanoes flared up across the country, forcing the evacuation of thousands.

On the densely populated island of Java, Merapi unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, and lava that traveled up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) down its slopes, said Agus Budi Santoso, the head of Indonesia's Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center. A column of hot clouds blasted 100 meters (about 109 yards) into the air as ash blanketed several villages without casualties, he added.


Snowflake Cold

Nearly 100 dead in US winter storms as snow and ice hit multiple states

A truck sits abandoned in Iowa.
© Nick Rohlman/The GazetteA truck sits abandoned in Iowa.
Freezing conditions have brought widespread disruption to the Midwest, coastal states and parts of the South over the past week - and more is forecast in the coming days.

Dozens of people have now died in winter storms across the US following days of freezing conditions.

At least 95 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past week, with many killed by hypothermia or car crashes, according to US media.

Weather warnings in place on Monday cover areas where a total of 57 million people live, Sky's US partner NBC News reported.

With snow and ice coating many regions, 27 people have died in Tennessee alone, with Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas among the other states affected.

The victims include three people - among them a pregnant woman - who were fatally electrocuted after slipping on ice next to a power line that fell on a car in Portland, Oregon.


Seismograph

Mega 7.0 magnitude shallow earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border - 3 killed, at least 50 injured (UPDATE)

NNNN
At least fifty people were injured after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the mountainous China-Kyrgyzstan border on Tuesday, authorities said.

The major quake was registered just after 2:00 am (1800 GMT Monday) at a depth of 13 kilometres in China's Xinjiang region, about 140 kilometres (85 miles) west of the city of Aksu.

Local authorities dispatched a team to the quake's epicentre, Beijing's Xinhua state news agency said, while around 800 people were on standby for any large disaster relief mission.

The health ministry in Kazakhstan said that 44 people suffering "various" injuries had sought medical help in the city of Almaty, the country's largest city.


Comment: Update

Reuters reports:
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border region on Tuesday, leading to the collapse of homes and killing at least three people and injuring five, Chinese state media reported.

China's Earthquake Administration said rescue efforts were underway, coordinated with the Office of the Earthquake Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management.

A security video shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed passengers scrambling for safety as the quake rattled a railway station.

The Xinjiang railway department suspended operations and 27 trains were reportedly affected by the quake, Xinhua News reported.

The earthquake was felt strongly in Urumqi, Korla, Kashgar, Yining and surrounding areas, according to posts from users on China's Weibo social media platform.

The epicentre of the quake was struck at 2:09 a.m. (1809 GMT) at a depth of 22 km (13 miles) in the mountainous border area of Wushi County in northwest China's Xinjiang region, according to the China Earthquake Administration.



Cloud Lightning

Lightning kills bather on beach in Brazil

mmmmmmm
A lightning strike killed a woman on Saturday and injured seven, including members of her family, on the coast of Sao Paulo state amid heavy rains that hit southeastern Brazil, authorities reported.

"There was a series of electric shocks between the water and the sand at Vila Caiçara beach, Playa Grande, resulting in four victims, all from the same family," reported the state Civil Defense.

"One of them, a 60-year-old woman, died; others are in serious condition but stable," he added.

Authorities indicated that four other people were electrocuted, but not seriously.