Indonesia's economy at mercy of disasters

The Mentawai islands tsunami in West Sumatra and Mount Merapi's multiple volcanic eruptions have left a question mark as to whether Indonesia, located in the Ring of Fire, is able to properly tackle natural disasters and the ramifications this has for its continued economic growth.

With the tsunami death toll now at more than 400, the main question still to be answered is why the tsunami alarm did not sound. According to a meteorology and geophysics official, it began malfunctioning in 2009 and stopped working last month due to alleged poor maintenance. This is unacceptable.

There have also been problems concerning transportation in and around the disaster area, including South and North Pagai islands. It is proving difficult to help victims as it is about a four-hour journey by boat, and dangerous in rough seas. Furthermore, road conditions are poor or lacking.

"We're very confused on how to deliver the aid. We have the logistics aid and hundreds of volunteers who are ready to lend their hands to the disaster sites. But we can't transport them,'' Mentawai Natural Disaster Mitigation Agency's co-ordinating unit officer, Masrizal, told local media last week.

Indonesia disaster toll hits 377 as volcano erupts again

(Reuters) - Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted on Thursday for the second time in a week, blasting vast plumes of ash into the sky, as the death toll from the initial eruption and a tsunami that hit remote western islands reached 377.

There were no immediate reports of new casualties after Merapi's second eruption. More than 40,000 people had fled or been evacuated from Merapi's slopes earlier in the week, but many started to return after the volcano appeared to become calmer.

Officials said the death toll from a tsunami that hit the remote western Mentawai islands on Monday had reached at least 343. The tsunami was triggered on Monday by a 7.5 magnitude quake. A day later, Mount Merapi on the outskirts of Yogyakarta city on Java island erupted, killing at least 34.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who had been due to take part in a summit of Asian leaders in Hanoi from Thursday to Saturday, flew back to Indonesia after the twin disasters.

Indonesia Disaster Survivors Get Aid as Planes, Vessels Arrive

October 28 (Bloomberg) -- Tsunami survivors in Indonesia’s remote west will receive tents, medicine and other supplies today, and aid workers are feeding and providing necessities to evacuees from a volcanic eruption on another island.

The number of missing after the October 25 tsunami that hit the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra fell to 378 from 400 as rescuers found people alive, Harmensyah, head of the West Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency, said by telephone today. The death toll remained at 311, he said.

“Today we will send food and supplies to the areas by Hercules,” Ferry Faisal, an official at the Sumatra agency, said by phone, referring to the Lockheed Martin Corp. C-130 transport plane. “We will drop them from the air as this is the fastest way to reach them while we’re also preparing to send clothes, medicines and tents by vessel.”

In Central Java, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Jakarta, Red Cross Indonesia workers are treating people who were burned or otherwise injured after the Mount Merapi volcano erupted three times October 26, spewing superheated ash.

Indonesia disaster death toll rises

A volcanic eruption and a tsunami have killed scores of people hundreds of miles apart in Indonesia - reactions from the Pacific "Ring of Fire" which spawns disasters from deep within the Earth.

The eruption of Mount Merapi on Tuesday killed at least 25 people, forced thousands to flee down its slopes and spewed burning ash and smoke high into the air on the island of Java.

Meanwhile, off the coast of Sumatra, about 800 miles west of the volcano, rescuers battled rough seas to reach the remote Mentawai islands, where a 10ft tsunami triggered by an earthquake swept away hundreds of homes, killing at least 113 villagers, said the health ministry's crisis centre. Up to 500 others are missing.

The twin disasters happened hours apart in one of the most seismically active regions on the planet.

Scientists have warned that pressure building beneath Merapi's lava dome could trigger its most powerful explosion in years. But Gede Swantika, a government volcanologist, expressed hope the 9,737ft mountain, which sent rocks and debris cascading down its southern slope, could be releasing steam slowly.

1960s space disaster honoured

RUSSIA has marked the 50th anniversary of the world's most horrific, and least publicized, space catastrophe, when 126 people died in a launch pad explosion.

In the 1960 disaster - known in the West as the Nedelin disaster after a Russian commander who perished - victims were burned alive or vaporized altogether, while others died of noxious fumes or later succumbed to burns.

Authorities and relatives of victims held a memorial service at the weekend at the Baikonur cosmodrome in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan and laid flowers at their mass graves.

On Oct. 24, 1960, the Soviet Union was scheduled to launch a prototype intercontinental ballistic missile when it exploded on the launch pad.

The testing crew had accidentally initiated the 2nd stage of the rocket, which ignited the 1st stage, causing the disaster.

"People died in horrific pain, essentially burning alive, but the country and the rest of the world practically never learnt anything about that terrible catastrophe and its heroes-victims," Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

"To this day, it is considered the most horrific (tragedy) in the history of space exploration."

Haiti on precipice of cholera disaster

“Yes, I’ve confirmed that today,” says Claude Surena, conveying the grimmest possible news. “There are five cases confirmed in Port-au-Prince.”

Over the course of a very long day Saturday Surena, president of the Haitian Medical Association, had repeatedly asked for more time in answering the question everyone wanted answered: has the cholera epidemic breached the Artibonite region, moving south of Saint-Marc and into Haiti’s overcrowded, often fetid and tent-cluttered capital?

By Saturday night there was no other answer.

“Be careful, be careful,” has become a watch phrase. Drink only bottled water. SMS messages are being sent by the Red Cross through cellphone providers Voila and Digicel on how to identify “kolera” (grey diarrhea, vomiting) and how to prevent against its spread (bottled water, hand washing). Do not panic is the main message. Followed by get yourself to a clinic within four hours should you experience the signature symptoms.

Gold Coast prepares for cyclone disaster

DOZENS of Gold Coast tourism operators will next month be trained in disaster management ahead of what is predicted to be Queensland's worst cyclone season in 40 years.

The safety of staff and customers in severe weather events will be the main focus of the training, which coincides with predictions that as many as 6 cyclones will form off the Queensland coast this summer -- a number not predicted since the 1970s.

The training will also help tourism operators reopen their businesses as soon as possible following a major weather event or disaster.

Tourism Queensland Gold Coast and Hinterland zone director Mary Mourgelas said the training was aimed at encouraging operators to be proactive and have a plan in place in case of emergency.

Bangkok on alert as Thailand’s flooding claims 15 lives

BANGKOK, October 21 – Thailand's disaster response service reports that 15 persons have died from flooding affecting the country in the past 10 days, but the capital has not yet been affected.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, 15 deaths occurred from October 10 through October 20, but Bangkok has not been affected by the northern run-off.

The Thai capital is prepared for possible flooding during the upcoming high tide.

The deaths were reported in 8 provinces, with highest number of casualties being four each reported in Lopburi and Buriram provinces followed by three in Nakhon Ratchasima.

One person missing in Nakhon Ratchasima.

We can learn how to tackle disasters from other states

The positive side of disasters is that they offer lessons from which others can learn and prevent future recurrences.

If the lessons are not put to good use, we miss opportunities to make the world a better place.

This year started with a horrific earthquake in Haiti which had devastating consequences.

The world was quick to respond with assistance and even quicker to get fatigued — eventually leaving Haitians to their fate.

Immediately thereafter, there was another earthquake in Chile which the country seems to have addressed fairly quickly and effectively.

Chile has permanent institutions and a sufficient annual budget to address disasters.

Disaster-reduction body: 'Juan' leaves 7 dead, 9 injured

UPDATED 9:30 a.m. — Super typhoon "Juan" (international name: Megi) has left 7 people dead and 9 others injured on Tuesday morning, a day after it made landfall in Northern Luzon.

In its 6:00 a.m. report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the latest fatality, Andres Realina, 36, of Irisan, Baguio City, died after being pinned down by a tree.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said the other fatalities were from Pangasinan.

“Pito na ngayon ang confirmed dead, apat sa Pangasinan ... Kagabi namatay pero ngayon na-recover ang katawan. Ang isa tinamaan ng kidlat sa Mangatarem, patay. Ang tatlo sa San Fabian caused by falling tree ," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

(At least 7 have been confirmed dead, 4 of them in Pangasinan. One was hit by lightning in Mangatarem while 3 were killed after a tree fell on their house in San Fabian.)

Little hope for miners in latest China disaster

BEIJING (Reuters) - There is little hope of finding alive eleven missing coal miners trapped after a gas leak in central China that already killed 26 people, state media said Monday of the country's latest mining disaster.

The accident occurred early Saturday morning in a pit owned by Pingyu Coal & Electric Co Ltd based in Yuzhou city, although 239 people escaped.

The remaining eleven are probably buried in coal dust and unlikely to be alive, the official China Daily said.

Another gas leak in 2008 at the same mine killed 23 people, the report added.

The accident occurred after Chile's dramatic rescue of 33 miners trapped for more than 2 months underground.

China's mines are the deadliest in the world, due to lax safety standards and a rush to feed demand from a robust economy. More than 2,600 people died in coal mine accidents in 2009 alone.

N.C. receives FEMA assistance

Gov. Beverly Purdue received a federal disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the flooding that devastated homeowners in 6 eastern North Carolina counties following Tropical Storm Nicole earlier this month.

“These floods impacted hundreds of families across eastern North Carolina,” said Perdue, who pushed for the FEMA assistance.

The declaration makes available low-interest loans or grants to storm survivors to help them repair their homes in Beaufort, Bertie, Craven, Hertford, Onslow and Tyrrell counties, according to a release from the N.C. Office of the Governor.

Residents in those 6 counties can apply for low-interest federal loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration in the following amounts: homeowners up to $240,000 and renters up to $40,000.

Any who don't qualify for loans may be eligible for FEMA assistance.

County, state, and federal emergency management teams spent most of last week assessing damages in 21 counties.

Gondo marks tenth anniversary of disaster

10 years ago 13 people were killed by a landslide in the Swiss village of Gondo. Commune president Roland Squaratti tells swissinfo.ch how life has changed.

On Oct. 14, 2000, the tiny village on the Swiss-Italian border was sliced in two by a 40-metre-wide swathe of mud and rocks loosened by three days of torrential rain.

The heart of the village was destroyed and almost all the 165 surviving inhabitants were evacuated. The landslide swept away 10 houses, the school, shops and the road. It also reduced most of the Stockalper Tower to rubble, leaving only the very oldest part of the building standing.

The tower was built by a noble Valais family in the 17th century. At the time, the Simplon road – on which Gondo stands – formed part of an important trading route between northern and southern Europe. Even today, up to 100,000 trucks pass through the village a year.

Indonesia denies deforesting caused Papua floods

JAKARTA — Indonesia denied on Thursday that flash floods in the remote area of Papua that killed at least 148 people were caused by rampant deforestation.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the flooding in West Papua province's Teluk Wondama district last Monday was caused by a natural dam bursting in the area after heavy downpours.

"The dam was formed by landslides, and the landslides were caused by heavy rains and probably triggered by earthquakes," Hasan said.

"Yes, there is logging in Papua. But the logging concessions are far away and not connected to the disaster area," he said.

Officials said more than 100 people were still missing and about 700 people were injured after the floods.

FEMA denies state disaster ruling after Hermine

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied Gov. Rick Perry's request for a major disaster declaration for Texas following Tropical Storm Hermine.

The storm caused major flooding when it hit Central Texas last month.

The governor requested individual and public assistance for a total of 13 counties, including 5 in Central Texas. He also applied for hazard prevention statewide.

In its response, FEMA said the damage from the storm was not so severe or large, that the state shouldn't be able to handle it with state, local and nonprofit resources.

Rick Perry can submit an appeal within 30 days.

Malaysia log-jam threatens disaster in Sarawak

Logs and wood debris flowing down a river in Malaysia have blocked river transport and are threatening major flooding downstream.

The town of Kapit on the Rajang River in Sarawak has already been cut off, state media reported.

Heavy rains have forced millions of cut logs at a timber depot into the river.

The combination of a heavy monsoon season with extensive logging, both legal and illegal, is creating a dangerous situation, local media said.

A major environmental disaster was unfolding in Sarawak, which is heavily forested and logged, The Star newspaper reported.

Hungarian villagers demand compensation over toxic sludge

Authorities have ordered a criminal inquiry into the accident, which killed at least 4 people, injured 120 and left three people missing.

After bursting from the reservoir and flooding three villages on Monday, the sludge - a waste product of aluminium production that can contain heavy metals - ended up in the Marcal River, part of the tributary system feeding the Danube, some 45 miles to the north.

It is feared it could contaminate the Danube, one of Europe's biggest rivers.

Angry villagers gathered outside the mayor's office in Kolontar, as they berated a senior official of MAL Rt., the Hungarian Aluminium Production and Trade Company that owns the Ajkai Timfoldgyar plant, demanding compensation.

Local officials said 34 homes in the village were uninhabitable. However, furious residents said the disaster had destroyed the whole community by making their real estate valueless.

Pakistan's flood fund tops £60m

More than £60million has been raised for the victims of the devastating floods in Pakistan, it was announced yesterday.

So far £60,800,000 has been donated and fund raising will continue until Jan. 2011. The 2004 tsunami and the Haiti earthquake are the only 2 disasters to top this figure.

Brendon Gormley of the Disasters Emergency Committee said: "We’re hugely grateful to everyone who has shown their support. Donors to the DEC can be proud of the work they’re helping to fund.

"The sheer scale of the flooding, however, means that there is an enormous amount of work still to be done."

Slow response from parts of the international community means twenty million people still need urgent assistance.

An estimated 1.9 million homes were damaged or destroyed in the tragedy, and efforts are now needed to help rebuild lives.

Weather Warning: Disasters Ahead

Jakarta. Meteorological authorities have raised the red flag for natural disasters in the country following recent extreme weather events.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said on Monday that most parts of the country were currently experiencing torrential rains, strong winds, high waves and flooding.

Though heavy rains are common at this time of year, “everything is stronger than normal,” said Sri Woro Harijono, the BMKG chairwoman.

“The sea temperature is one degree Celsius higher than it should be, and this is causing high waves,” she said following a meeting that included officials from the home affairs and environment ministries and the National Council on Climate Change.

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Pakistan’s distinct disasters

A logician knows you can’t compare disasters. They also know that most people do. This week will be no exception.

On October 8, 2005, humanitarian aid crews responded to a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. 5 years later, we mark the grim anniversary with more crews in the country attending to people displaced by flooding.

Logo-emblazoned rations and emergency tents serve as reminders of the earthquake. Not that people need any. In January, a bus containing the remains of 18 people was unearthed from rocks at the side of a road. They were identified through documents they carried and the Kashmir region mourned once more.

There are more than just physical reminders. Last month a new study detailed attitudes of Pakistanis in Kashmir towards Americans. In the areas most hard-hit by the earthquake, more than 60 % people said they trust Europeans and Americans. Just 40 kilometers out, attitudes more reflect the national average of one in six Pakistanis describing the U.S. as an enemy.