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Survivors Say Over 60 People Buried Alive in Philippines’ Landslide
“PANTUKAN, Philippines, April 24 (Xinhua) — Survivors of the avalanche of mud in Philippines said Sunday over 60 people were buried alive in Friday’s landslide, and the number could be higher than what authorities had thought of.
Lambert Detros, 47, a small scale miner who suffered bruises and was confined at a local hospital, told Xinhua on Sunday that more than 60 people sleeping in tents were on site when the tragedy occurred.
‘More than 60 people were in the area when the landslide happened. I saw them before night time,’ Detros said in Filipino.
‘Stones rolling from hill woke me up. I look from my tent’s window and saw mud everywhere. I hurriedly ran but I was trapped. Later, my relatives pulled me from the mud,’ Detros added.” Read more.
St. Louis Airport Closes Indefinitely After Tornado Rips Through Busiest Terminal
“The international airport in St. Louis closed indefinitely Saturday after a tornado swept through a terminal, injuring several people.
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport said in a statement Saturday that it will remain closed pending the return of electric power but is working to resume up to 70 percent of airline service by Sunday if power can be returned to Airport facilities.
The airport’s busiest terminal sustained heavy damage from fierce winds that blew out a majority of windows and sections of the concourse roof, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport spokesman Jeff Lea said.” Read more…
Somalia Suffering ‘Worst Drought in a Lifetime’
“NAIROBI, 20 April 2011 (IRIN) – Officials and aid workers in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region have raised the alarm over the plight of drought-stricken villagers urgently needing food and water.
‘We are experiencing the worst drought we have seen in decades; since the beginning of March, we have buried 54 people who died from the effects of the drought, seven of them today [20 April],’ said Ali Barow, leader of the small town of Guulane, 220km northeast of Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
Barow said Guulane and the surrounding villages of Eil Barwaaqo, Hirka Dheere and Hagarey, with an estimated population of 20,000-25,000, were suffering the effects of a prolonged drought.” Read more.
Texas Governor Calls for Prayers for Rain Amid Fires
By Elliott Blackburn – “(Reuters) – Texas Governor Rick Perry called on Texans to pray for rain as cooler temperatures on Thursday helped firefighters contain wildfires that have charred more than 1.5 million acres across the state.
Perry, a Republican, sought increased federal help in combating the blazes last weekend and urged Texans to ask the same from a higher power over the Easter holiday weekend.
‘Throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer,’ Perry said in a statement.
‘It is fitting that Texans should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this ongoing drought and these devastating wildfires.'” Read more.
Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance Causes WHO to Declare: “The World is on the Brink…”
By Peter Murray – “Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The widespread misuse of antibiotics is rapidly rendering them powerless against infection. Common infections that are easily cured today are going to become deadly, and it’s going to happen sooner than you think.
The World Health Organization reports:
* Each year there are about 440,000 new cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, resulting in at least 150,000 deaths.
* Resistance to antimalarial drugs chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is now widespread in most malaria-endemic countries, leading to the resurgence of malaria in areas where the disease had previously been eradicated.” Read more.
Texas Wildfires Scorch 1.6 Million Acres in Drought-Stricken Texas
By April Castro and Lindsay Wilcox – “Wildfires have spread across about 1.6 million acres in drought-stricken Texas, including a massive fire in North Texas that is still burning out of control.
Four wildfires around and south of Possum Kingdom Reservoir have burned about 150,000 acres as of Tuesday and destroyed as many as 50 homes and three churches.
The Possum Kingdom fire is the fifth of at least 100,000 acres around Texas reported in the past two weeks. Most of the state is in extreme drought, and wildfires in the past week alone have burned more than 1,000 square miles of parched Texas ranchland — an area that combined would be the size of Rhode Island.” Read more.
‘Texas is burning from border to border’ – “Wildfires raging for more than a week in Texas have so far burned through a million acres of land and show no signs of dying down.
Firefighters continue to battle some 22 separate blazes throughout the state, with some dangerously close to the Oklahoma border. Homes have been gutted, animals killed and hundreds of residents have been forced to leave their homes because of the advancing flames.
One of the wildfires in PK West, Stephens County, increased in size by a staggering 87,238 acres in just one day – a 144 per cent increase.” Read more.
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Video of Tornado as it Brushes by Walgreens in Wilson NC
“Video from Steven Hoag, who took it from the Fred’s Food Club parking lot next to Walgreens in Wilson, NC, AS THE EF2 TORNADO is hitting Walgreens and nearby businesses on Forest Hills Road & Wooten Blvd. Video taken Saturday, April 16, 2011 in the late afternoon.
ABC11-TV asked Steven how was he so calm: ‘I was a Marine, and I love Jesus!'”
Storms Rip Into Central, Southern Illinois
“Severe storms raked portions of southern and central Illinois late Tuesday, damaging homes, blowing rail cars off of tracks and leaving thousands of people without power.
Several tornadoes were reported, but there were no reports of injuries. The storm also pelted the region with golf ball-sized hail and driving rain.
More than 48,000 electric customers in central and southern Illinois are without power.
In northern Illinois, torrential rainfall and hail forced the cancellation of about 450 flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Midway International Airport was reporting delays of up to 30 minutes.” Read more.
Philippines: Taal Volcano Showing Signs of Activity, Government May Implement Forced Evacuation
“MANILA, Philippines – Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said today that the government is prepared to implement a forced evacuation of residents living near restive Taal volcano.
‘The government will implement a forced evacuation if and when necessary,’ Soliman said in a statement.
Soliman said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) regional office has already distributed 400 food packs and 400 non-food items to the affected families.
She said that at least 88 families, composed of 344 persons, have been affected by the Taal Volcano’s increased activity.” Read more.
Tens of Thousands of Fish Killed in Lake Champlain, Vermont
“Quite a sight along the shores of Lake Champlain– there’s been a massive fish kill.
Alewives have washed ashore at the sandbar in Milton.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologists estimate that tens of thousands of the nonnative species have died due to stress caused by frigid temperatures.
Ice fishermen have been noticing Alewives popping through the ice in recent months. Now that the ice is melting, they’re washing ashore. They’ve also been spotted in Georgia, Vt.
‘Never seen nothing like this,’ said George St. Amour, a fisherman from Colchester…” Read more.
World Bank President: The World is ‘One Shock Away from a Full-Blown Crisis’
“It’s the fourth year of the global financial crisis, and the world economy is slowly picking up. But there are still great vulnerabilities and uncertainties. That’s the message world financial leaders are sending out from their spring meeting. World Bank President Robert Zoellick says the surge in food prices is the biggest threat to the world’s poor, pushing 44 million more people into poverty over the past year.”
Hailstones, Thundershowers Leave At Lead 12 Dead in Southern China
“BEIJING: At least 12 people died and 27 were injured as hailstones, thundershowers and gales hit south China’s Guangdong Province on Sunday, Xinhua quoted the ministry of civil affairs as stating.
The natural disasters, which began to savage cities including Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan and Zhongshan since 12 am Sunday, affected 506.7 hectares of farmland and caused about 50 million yuan ($7.65 million) in direct economic losses, the ministry said.” Read more.






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