Deadly magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits northwestern Turkiye
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has rocked the Turkish town of Sindirgi in Balikesir province, causing more than a dozen buildings to collapse. At least one elderly man, who was pulled from the rubble, has died. In February 2023, twin quakes killed more than 53,000 people in Turkiye.
Video Duration 00 minutes 51 seconds 00:51
Video Duration 01 minutes 52 seconds 01:52
Video Duration 02 minutes 44 seconds 02:44
Video Duration 00 minutes 36 seconds 00:36
Video Duration 02 minutes 31 seconds 02:31
Video Duration 02 minutes 30 seconds 02:30
Video Duration 01 minutes 49 seconds 01:49
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
13 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Rescuers search for missing after devastating Kashmir cloudburst
Published On 15 Aug 2025 15 Aug 2025 Rescuers scoured debris in a remote village in Indian-administered Kashmir searching for missing residents on Friday after devastating flash floods triggered by the previous day's torrential downpour killed at least 60 people, according to officials. Teams of disaster management officials, police and soldiers, aided by local villagers, combed through the devastated Himalayan village of Chositi on Friday. Rescue operations paused overnight after successfully evacuating at least 300 people on Thursday following a powerful cloudburst that triggered devastating floods and landslides. Officials reported that many missing persons were likely swept away by floodwaters. Additional rescue teams were en route to bolster relief efforts. At least 50 severely injured individuals received treatment in local hospitals after being rescued from a stream filled with mud and debris. Disaster management official Mohammed Irshad warned that the number of missing people could rise. Meteorologists have predicted more heavy rainfall and flooding for the region. Chositi, a remote village in Kashmir's Kishtwar district, serves as the last vehicle-accessible point for an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine situated at 3,000 metres (9,500 feet) elevation, approximately 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the village. The pilgrimage, which began July 25 and was scheduled to continue until September 5, has been suspended. The floods destroyed the main community kitchen established for pilgrims, along with dozens of vehicles and motorcycles. More than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen when the flood struck, which also damaged or washed away numerous homes clustered in the foothills. Images and videos shared on social media reveal extensive destruction, with household belongings scattered among damaged vehicles and homes throughout the village. Authorities have constructed makeshift bridges to help stranded pilgrims cross muddy water channels. Cloudbursts – sudden, intense downpours over small areas – have become increasingly frequent in India's Himalayan regions, which are vulnerable to flash floods and landslides. These events can cause devastating flooding and landslides, affecting thousands in mountainous areas. Experts attribute the increased frequency of cloudbursts partly to climate change, while noting that unplanned development in mountain regions has amplified the resulting damage. Kishtwar district hosts multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have consistently warned endanger the region's delicate ecosystem.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Spain suffers third wildfire death as thousands remain displaced in Europe
Spain has recorded its third death from wildfires this week while Greece began beating back a blaze threatening its third-largest city as a heatwave that began last week continues to sweep through Southern Europe. Spanish authorities reported the death on Thursday of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns while battling flames in the northwestern Castile and Leon region, taking the toll to three after earlier reported deaths there and near Madrid this week. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his condolences in an online post. 'The wildfire situation remains serious, and taking extra precautions is essential. Thank you, once again, to all those working tirelessly to fight the flames.' The extreme summer heat, which scientists say human-driven climate change is lengthening and intensifying, has fuelled blazes and stretched firefighters across Southern Europe, including in Portugal and the Balkans. The fires have particularly scorched Spain, devouring more than 157,000 hectares (388,000 acres) this year – more than triple the area burned during the same period in 2024. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes this week in Spain because of the fires, mostly in Castile and Leon. Spanish investigators said Thursday they had arrested four people suspected of starting forest fires, taking the total number of accused this season to 30. France announced it would send two water bombers to Spain, which has also appealed to the European Union for aircraft to reinforce hard-pressed firefighting teams battling on several fronts, notably in the northwest. Greece, which had requested assistance from the EU to battle its wildfires, gained ground against a major blaze that had closed in on the western port city of Patras. Firefighters faced 'scattered' pockets of flames, but the fire was 'still active' in the eastern outskirts of Patras, fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. At least 15 firefighters had been hospitalised or received medical attention for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion, he added. Some 600 ground crews and nearly 30 water bombing aircraft were deployed from dawn in all locations, said Vathrakogiannis, but gentler winds were helping the firefighting effort. Major outbreaks also stretched emergency services on the tourist island of Zante, the Aegean island of Chios and near the western town of Preveza. Citing data from the EU's Copernicus satellite monitoring programme, the National Observatory of Athens said those fires and the Patras blaze had burned more than 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres). Authorities said three men, aged 19 to 27, had been detained on suspicion of starting some of the fires around Patras on Tuesday. EU assistance sent to several countries Portugal mobilised more than 1,900 firefighters against four major blazes, with one in the central area of Trancoso having razed an estimated 14,000 hectares (34,595 acres) since Saturday. Another front that broke out on Wednesday in the mountainous central Arganil area occupied more than 800 firefighters. 'The flames were enormous … it was frightening,' a woman in the village of Mourisia told Sic Noticias television as she gazed at a slope enveloped in thick smoke. The Balkans appeared to have overcome the worst of an exceptionally strong heatwave that worsened its traditional fire season, destroying homes and prompting the evacuation of thousands. Greece sent assistance to neighbouring Albania, joining an international effort to combat dozens of wildfires. An 80-year-old man died in a blaze south of the capital, Tirana, officials said on Wednesday. Residents of four villages were evacuated in central Albania near a former army ammunition depot. In the southern Korca district, near the Greek border, explosions were reported from buried World War II-era artillery shells. Authorities said dozens of homes were gutted in a central region of the country. In Turkiye, a forestry worker was killed on Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in a southern region, officials said. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire truck that left four others injured. Turkiye has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. The EU's civil protection agency said it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania, sending firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states. The agency said it had already activated assistance 16 times amid wildfires this season, as European countries have been hit by 'a high number of catastrophic wildfires.' The number of activations for 2025 already matches the total for wildfires during the entire 2024 fire season, it said.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Dozens feared dead in Kashmir flash floods
Dozens feared dead in Kashmir flash floods NewsFeed Video Duration 02 minutes 46 seconds 02:46 Video Duration 01 minutes 18 seconds 01:18 Video Duration 03 minutes 30 seconds 03:30 Video Duration 00 minutes 46 seconds 00:46 Video Duration 01 minutes 37 seconds 01:37 Video Duration 00 minutes 59 seconds 00:59 Video Duration 01 minutes 44 seconds 01:44
