December Current Events 2023: Disaster News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the Disaster news events you need to know so far for December 2023.
- 24 People Confirmed Dead As A Result Of Lightning Strike
- Heavy Flood And Rain In Tanzania Kill 47 In Hanang District
- At Least Six Dead In Tennessee Due To Severe Storm And Tornadoes
- Fumes And Fires After Volcanic Eruption In Iceland
- Fire Disaster Results From Fuel Tanker Explosion
24 People Confirmed Dead As A Result Of Lightning Strike
Photo Source: AP Photo/Channi Anand
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 – Officials have confirmed that at least 24 people were killed by lightning and intense rain and hailstorms in India. Officials also confirmed that not less than 18 out of the 24 deaths were attributed to lightning strikes. Several houses were damaged and livestock were killed in Gujarat state because of the weather.
Gujarat was hit by heavy rainfall, which was accompanied by thunderstorms and hailstorms. According to the head of the Indian Meteorological Department in Ahmedabad, the collision of the three weather systems over the state caused lightning strikes.
Home Minister of India, Amit Shah said that he was deeply saddened by the deaths and said that local authorities were engaging in relief work. According to official data, between 1967 and 2019, lightning killed over 100,000 people in India.
Source: BBC
Heavy Flood And Rain In Tanzania Kill 47 In Hanang District
Photo Source: AP Photo
Monday, December 4, 2023 – At least 47 people have been confirmed dead due to a severe flooding and landslide in northern Tanzania. 80 people were also wounded in the incident. The President of the country, Samia Hassan has deployed national security forces to help with rescue efforts.
A rainfall that was higher than usual in Tanzania last month resulted in the deaths and destruction of property in the capital Dar es Salaam and the areas of Kigoma, Kagera, Geita, and Unguja. Crops have been washed away in some parts of the country, which affects the livelihood of the people.
According to a report, flooding is said to be the greatest natural disaster in Tanzania, which affects tens of thousands of people each year. In 2023, east Africa was badly hit by floods and landslides, partly caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Source: BBC
At Least Six Dead In Tennessee Due To Severe Storm And Tornadoes
Photo Source: AP Photo/George Walker IV
Sunday, December 10, 2023 – At least six people were confirmed dead because of severe storms and tornadoes in Tennessee. According to the local emergency, the incident caused extensive damages and left tens of thousands of residents without power. The county's mayor, Wes Golden described it as a sad day for the community and offered his prayers for those affected by the incident.
Over 80,000 people in Tennessee were left without power. The Sheriff’s Office of Montgomery County said that several homes were damaged in the city of Clarksville. In addition to that, emergency services confirmed that lots of trees, power lines, and houses were also hit by storms in the rural town of Dresden.
Officials encouraged people to stay clear of the roads as emergency services were responding to the incident in different areas.
Source: The Guardian
Fumes And Fires After Volcanic Eruption In Iceland
Photo Source: AP Photo/Marco Di Marco
Thursday, December 21, 2023 – For weeks, Iceland has been bracing for volcanic activity. Since late October, the region surrounding Reykjavik has seen a spike in earthquake activity. On Monday, a volcanic eruption broke out on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland, after weeks of threatened earthquake activity.
By Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, the fumes had reached Reykjavik. Last month, some 4,000 people were evacuated from Grindavik, a fishing village threatened by the lava flow.
Volcanologist Dr Evgenia Ilyinskaya in her expert opinion said, there would not be the same level of disruption as the similar eruption from 2010, as these volcanoes in south-west Iceland were "physically not able to generate the same ash clouds"; nevertheless, the local people had been both fearful and expectant of the volcano to erupt.
Images and videos circulated on social media demonstrate lava erupting from the volcano only an hour after an earthquake swarm was discovered, but the Icelandic foreign minister assured that the event would not disrupt flight plans and activities within the country.
Source: BBC
Fire Disaster Results From Fuel Tanker Explosion
Photo Source: AP Photo
Friday, December 29, 2023 – A fuel truck burst in central Liberia, killing more than 40 people and severely burning scores more. Witnesses said people jumped onto the vehicle after it crashed and overturned into a ditch along a road in Totota, approximately 80 miles from the capital Monrovia.
Police first estimated that 15 people had died and another 30 had been injured, but the death toll has now risen. "A lot of people were burned," claimed Prince B Mulbah, deputy inspector general of Liberia's national police. The task of determining the death toll has been made more difficult by the victims' severe burns, according to Liberia's senior medical officer, Francis Kateh; and various teams have had to go door to door to ascertain the number of missing people.
President George Weah, who is set to leave office on 22 January, expressed his "deepest sympathies" to the victims' families and assured that continued emergency services will be provided to those who are fatally wounded.
Source: The Guardian
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