MAGNITUDE 5.5 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000qsz7#summary

Subject To Change

Depth: 106 km

Distances: 55km (34mi) NNW of Visokoi Island,
2540km (1578mi) ESE of Ushuaia, Argentina
2739km (1702mi) ESE of Rio Gallegos, Argentina
2754km (1711mi) SE of Puerto Deseado, Argentina
2032km (1263mi) ESE of Stanley, Falkland Islands

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MERS Virus Infects Another in Illinois, USA

The deadly MERS-CoV virus has spread to a third United States citizen and officials believe the man was infected while in the U.S.

Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control believe an Illinois man likely contracted the disease from an Indiana man, who became infected with the disease while working as a health care worker in Saudi Arabia. CDC officials said the two men met on two occasions before the original patient was found to be infected with MERS Co-V.

According to the CDC, the Illinois man did not develop any symptoms of the disease and didn’t seek medical treatment.

“This latest development does not change CDC’s current recommendations to prevent the spread of MERS,” said Dr. David Swerdlow, who is leading CDC’s MERS-CoV response. “It’s possible that as the investigation continues others may also test positive for MERS-CoV infection but not get sick.”

The newly reported patient actually tested negative for an active MERS infection on May 5, but a follow up blood sample tested on May 16 found that he had antibodies to the virus, suggesting he had been infected with the disease.

In addition to the two men in Illinois and Indiana another man in Florida was found to be infected with the disease, after traveling to Saudi Arabia as a health care provider.

The outbreak of the MERS-CoV virus, which stands for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, has been concentrated in Saudi Arabia, where it was first reported. According to the CDC as of May 16 the virus has been found in 15 countries and a total of 572 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported. Of those infected, 173 people have died.

The disease can lead to acute respiratory illness, fever cough and difficulty breathing. The virus spreads from person-to-person though close contact, but might also be transmitted to humans from animals, according to the CDC. There is no known cure or vaccine.

http://tinyurl.com/lhjhk5v

Massive landslide strikes Georgia – 5 people are missing

A landslide in Dariali Valley in northern Georgia has severed the only road across the Caucasus Mountain Range. Five people are still missing

Locals say three Turkish construction workers died who were working on the Dariali hydro power station.

The pipeline that ships gas from Russia to Armenia is damaged. Rescue workers have now started to evacuate locals. Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze says the top priority is to reopen the road and get the pipeline back online.

 

The landslide happened in Dariali Valley in northern Georgia, on the Caucasus range near the Russian border. It severed the road connecting Georgia and Russia and the rock masses that tumbled down blocked off the Tergi river and may flood Larsi border crossing, a joint Georgian-Russian checkpoint, and adjacent areas of the Russian republic North Ossetia.

 

A rescue operation is underway. The government stated that 15 people had been rescued. Information about the death of three people, presumable Turkish workers working on construction of the nearby Dariali hydro electric station, has yet to be confirmed by officials.

 

The Georgian prime minister and president, as well as the energy minister and other officials are present on the ground.

 

Kaladze, the energy minister, told journalists that up to 1 million cubic meter of land crumbled into the river Tergi, thus blocking the water flow and severing the main road across the Caucasus, the Georgian Military Route, which was built in early 1800s by the Russian Empire to strengthen its hold over South Caucasus.

After the Abkhazian War in the early 1990s that severed main route connecting Georgia and Russia, and war with Russia in August in 2008 that blocked Roki tunnel for transportation from Georgia proper, the GMR is the sole artery connecting Georgia and Armenia with North Caucasus.

 

An unknown number of light vehicles and trucks are stuck in the road.

 

Locals say 3 Turkish construction workers working on the Dariali hydro power plant have died. Border guards and other workers found shelter in monastery, because the landslide destroyed their homes and the places they work.

 

Nugzar Kipiani, governor of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, said rescue teams, police and emergency workers are at the site of the accident.

http://tinyurl.com/mht7fx8

Devastating floods displaces residents in Penn Yan village, USA

Water levels still high, hope dwindled for people as the magnitude of the damage Friday afternoon. Two devastating floods in about 72 hours were just too much for the village and its people to handle. “I looked up and saw the clouds and in the pit of my stomach I felt fear and scared and sick.” Next to Jacob’s Creek, Pam Whitford’s home made it through Wednesday’s flood but Friday another powerful surge of water tore into her house. “I just feel like I’m fighting an uphill battle right now, it’s never going to end…It feels hopeless.” Defeated and displaced, Whitford said the second round of rain took everything. “This made it worse, now we got sewer that broke and the walls got moved for the creek so it doesn’t seem safe,” Whitford said. The water raged with so much force it took out sections of the foundation, her home now sliding into Jacob’s Creek. “I went to a house on Clinton Street and there is a dumpster out front, pickup trucks and it’s all gone, they lost everything,” Whitford said. After seeing Whitford’s home, Ron Dailey said he is lucky. Near Sucker Brooke, a strong force of water left behind a wider, deeper path of destruction. Flooding Friday totaled cars and destroyed basements– water heaters, furnaces, electrical wiring all need to be replaced. “This is sad and it stinks but it can fixed you know, we can still stay here…these people they got to rebuild,” Dailey said. More condemned signs were posted Friday– Whitford’s house was the third home on Clinton Street to be declared unsafe. Packing up her stuff, Whitford cried when she asked what she planned to do next. “I’m just numb right now. I don’t know my brother is looking for a storage unit right now, I don’t know,” she said.

 

http://tinyurl.com/nu95rme

Plane crashes on Purdue Airport runway, USA

A small plane carrying two men crashed on the runway at Purdue University Airport in West Lafayette Saturday morning.

 

Purdue Police and Purdue Fire departments responded to the 9-1-1 dispatch call, which came in at 10:37 a.m.

 

The two male passengers were not injured.

 

The men were traveling from Lafayette Aviation, a full-service Fixed Base Operation (FBO) located in West Lafayette. One of the passengers was a student there, said Purdue Police Lt. Pete Wislocki.

 

Purdue Fire controlled a small fuel leak before it combusted, Wislocki said.

 

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Runway 23 will be closed until the plane is removed.

 

It is unknown at this time whether the crash was due to a plane malfunction or pilot error, he said.

 

Once the investigation is over the plane will be towed back to Lafayette Aviation.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Purdue Airport director have been notified of the incident, Wislocki said.

http://tinyurl.com/pglgbx9

Video: thousands evacuated as record flood stuns Serbia

Thousands evacuated as record flood stuns Serbia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfTWNeVIxKI&feature=em-uploademail-ctrl

MAGNITUDE 4.2 GERMANY

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=378753

Subject To Change

Depth: 10 km

Distances: 184 km E of Luxembourg, Luxembourg / pop: 76,684 / local time: 18:46:27.3 2014-05-17
33 km SE of Mainz, Germany / pop: 184,997 / local time: 18:46:27.3 2014-05-17
2 km S of Darmstadt, Germany / pop: 140,385 / local time: 18:46:27.3 2014-05-17
6 km NE of Pfungstadt, Germany / pop: 25,084 / local time: 18:46:27.3 2014-05-17

Wildfire breaks out near Mount Madonna, USA

A wildfire burned at least 5 acres Friday afternoon near Croy Road and Uvas Canyon County Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Black smoke was reported first about 4 p.m. near Eureka Canyon Road and Ormsby Cutoff in Santa Cruz County, according to emergency dispatches. The blaze continued to burn at 5:30 p.m. near the Santa Clara County line.

Cal Fire responded with at least one helicopter and other equipment. Authorities have not yet said if anyone was injured or if buildings were burned in the fire.

http://tinyurl.com/pmhycsp

Landslide hits Kg Baru Subang shop, Bangladeshi worker killed, Malaysia

A 43-year-old factory worker was buried alive in a landslide while he was answering nature’s call at a furniture factory in Kampung Melayu Subang, today

In the 10.40am incident, the victim, a Bangladeshi, was buried in two metre deep soil, after a slope behind the factory came crushing down during this morning’s rain.

 

The back portion of the furniture factory was also badly damaged. 

 

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Mohd Sani Harul said ten other workers, however managed to escape unhurt in the incident. 

 

Sani said upon arriving at the scene, they were told of the worker trapped under the rubble.

 

He said search and rescue operation was immediately mounted and excavators were also brought in to help in the search.

 

“We dug through the thick soil for about three and a half hours before we could locate the victim, due to the depth of the soil,” he said. 

 

Sani said the man was found buried in more than two metres of soil in the toilet at 2.35pm, at the back portion of the factory. 

 

“Based on our initial investigation, we believe the landslide which measures 50 metres in height was contributed by rain and ongoing construction work of a retaining wall at the top of the slope,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, a co-worker of the victim, Muhammad Isman, 26, said the victim had complained of stomach pain and left for the toilet, just before work started. 

 

“In just a few minutes, we heard a loud noise and I immediately called out his name, while running toward the front but it was too late,” he said.

 

Isman said the victim had been working at the factory for five years and was due to return to Bangladesh next month, after his permit expired. 

 

“It is a tragic incident for all of us,” he said. 

 

Sungai Buloh district police chief Superintendent Junaidi Bujang said the case had been classified as sudden death and the victim’s body had been sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for a post-mortem. 

http://tinyurl.com/lf6mzoo

MAGNITUDE 5.9 PACIFIC-ANTARCTIC RIDGE

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000qsfc#summary

Subject To Change

Depth: 10 km

Distances: 2284km (1419mi) ENE of Scott Island Bank, Antarctica
3151km (1958mi) SE of Masterton, New Zealand
3156km (1961mi) ESE of Dunedin, New Zealand
3166km (1967mi) SE of Christchurch, New Zealand
3183km (1978mi) SE of Wellington, New Zealand