100+ TONS of clams have died in central Vietnam

PHOTO: AFP

More than 100 tonnes of clams have perished in central Vietnam, state media reported on Thursday (April 28), as public outrage mounts over a possible toxic leak into the sea near an industrial zone.

 

Piles of dead molluscs have been found in the same coastal region where dead fish began washing up on beaches earlier this month, sparking alarm and hammering the local fishing economy.

 

Clam farmers in Ha Tinh province wept over their staggering losses that occurred just ahead of harvest time, state-run Tuoi Tre News reported.

 

Courtesy of straitstimes.com

http://tinyurl.com/homhytf

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80,000 Chickens killed from fire at a farm in Connecticut, USA

A fire at a Connecticut egg farm that killed an estimated 80,000 chickens was likely caused by an overheated electric motor.

 

Fire Marshal Scott Schuett said the official cause of the fire Tuesday at Kofkoff Egg Farms in Lebanon will likely remain undetermined, but it appears to have started in a motor that powers conveyor belts that move chicken waste, food, water and eggs in and out of the coops.

 

No people were reported injured in the blaze, which drew about 125 firefighters from 25 departments across the region.

 

Schuett says the blaze was limited to one of the farm’s 13 roughly 32,000-square foot coops.

 

It could not be determined which motor inside the coops was the one that started the blaze, given the damaged conditions of the building, the Hartford Courant reported.

 

A blaze at the same farm 27 years ago to the day killed 216,000 chickens. That was also ruled an accident.

 

According to the Courant, the egg farm is home to around a million chickens.

Courtesy of newyork.cbslocal.com

http://tinyurl.com/zb5rxyv

MAGNITUDE 4.8 ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA REGION

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10005ctx#general

Subject To Change

Depth: 20 km

Distances: 63.0 km (39.1 mi) NNE of Codrington, Barbuda
118.0 km (73.3 mi) NNE of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
154.0 km (95.7 mi) NE of Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
202.0 km (125.5 mi) N of Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe
203.0 km (126.1 mi) N of Le Moule, Guadeloupe

MAGNITUDE 3.5 WESTERN KENTUCKY, USA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=503906

Subject To Change

Depth: 16 km

Distances: 528 km S of Chicago, United States / pop: 2,695,598 / local time: 01:12:10.0 2016-05-01
229 km NW of Nashville, United States / pop: 530,852 / local time: 01:12:10.0 2016-05-01
24 km W of Metropolis, United States / pop: 6,537 / local time: 01:12:10.0 2016-05-01
15 km N of La Center, United States / pop: 1,009 / local time: 01:12:10.0 2016-05-01

MAGNITUDE 3.3 KANSAS, USA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=503902

Subject To Change

Depth: 5 km

Distances: 500 km N of Dallas, United States / pop: 1,197,816 / local time: 00:37:39.8 2016-05-01
195 km N of Oklahoma City, United States / pop: 579,999 / local time: 00:37:39.8 2016-05-01
14 km NE of Anthony, United States / pop: 2,269 / local time: 00:37:39.8 2016-05-01

MAGNITUDE 2.7 PYRENEES

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=503879

Subject To Change

Depth: 6 km

Distances: 201 km NW of Andorra la Vella, Andorra / pop: 20,430 / local time: 04:17:49.1 2016-05-01
106 km NE of Pamplona, Spain / pop: 198,491 / local time: 04:17:49.1 2016-05-01
24 km NW of Pau, France / pop: 82,697 / local time: 04:17:49.1 2016-05-01
3 km NW of Mourenx, France / pop: 8,109 / local time: 04:17:49.1 2016-05-01

MAGNITUDE 2.1 LONG VALLEY AREA, CALIFORNIA, USA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=503889

Subject To Change

Depth: 1 km

Distances: 400 km N of Los Angeles, United States / pop: 3,792,621 / local time: 20:59:03.8 2016-04-30
187 km SE of Carson City, United States / pop: 55,274 / local time: 20:59:03.8 2016-04-30
91 km E of Mariposa, United States / pop: 2,173 / local time: 20:59:03.8 2016-04-30
5 km SE of Mammoth Lakes, United States / pop: 8,234 / local time: 20:59:03.8 2016-04-30

Increased seismic activity at Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia

Photo: El Nuevo Dia

The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Manizales reported two moderate earthquakes after a swarm of minor quakes in the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.

 

The quakes are related to rock fracturing and demonstrate a significant increase in the volcanic activity of the volcano.

Photo: SGC

The earthquake swarm started at around 5pm on April 29, 2016, before two moderate tremors (both M3.4 on Richter’s scale) occurred at the 8:26 and 8:46 pm on April 29, 2016.

 

The two stronger quakes were located in the northeastern sector of the volcanic structure at a depth of 3.78 kilometers.

 

Ash falls has also been reported in Murillo, a small city near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which shows increased seismic activity.

 

Officials say, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano is emitting ash since already 17 months, but due to the particular weather conditions it has started falling around.

Photo: SGC

Courtesy of strangesounds.org

http://tinyurl.com/zfcsbnz

Severe Heatwave Breaks Record In Thailand

AUTHORITIES in Thailand have urged the public to stay indoors to avoid the hot weather as the country was facing the longest heatwave in over half a century.

 

In the wake of the situation, animals at Bangkok’s zoo were being fed special frozen fruit pops while people are flocking to shopping malls just to soak up the air-conditioning.

 

Although Thailand is typically hot and sweaty in April, this year’s scorching weather has set a record for the longest heatwave in at least 65 years.

 

The average peak temperature each day this month has been above 40 degrees Celsius, with the mercury spiking one day to 44.3 degrees Celsius – just short of the all-time record.

 

The heatwave has also fueled a new record for energy consumption and prompted health warnings on everything from food-borne illness to drowning, both of which rise every April when Thailand’s hottest month coincides with school summer break.

 

“As of now we can say we’ve broken the record for the highest temperatures over the longest duration in 65 years – and the season isn’t over yet,” said Surapong Sarapa, head of the Thai Meteorological Department’s weather forecast division.

 

He added that 1960 – the year Thailand began keeping national weather records – was the last time the weather was this hot.

 

On this very day (April 27) in 1960, Thailand posted its hottest day ever recorded with 44.5 degrees Celsius in the northern province of Uttaradit.

 

Countries across Southeast Asia are also feeling the heat, which scientists say is triggered by El Niño, a warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide and tends to push global temperatures up. El Niño has also been blamed for causing the worst drought in decades across the region.

 

Neighboring Malaysia is predicted to endure another two months of hot as the El Niño phenomenon is expected to only dissipate in June, based on an analysis by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States.

 

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control has warned people to beware of food poisoning and other food-related illnesses that typically increase during hot weather when bacteria can thrive on unrefrigerated food.

 

“Stay indoors, try to limit activity outdoors. Wear sunglasses, wear hats with large brims. Drink more water than usual,” the disease control center said in a statement this week.

 

It also reminded the public of the increased risk of drowning in hot weather as children flock to Thailand’s beaches, ponds and lakes to take a swim.

 

“Do not let young children out of your sight for even a brief moment,” the statement said, noting that an average of 90 children die every month in Thailand from drowning, but that number increases to about 135 in April.

Courtesy of asiancorrespondent.com

http://tinyurl.com/z7wc62g