Boats bring Philippine flood victims to safety as death toll rises
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a day ago
- RTHK
100 missing after flash flood hits Indian town
100 missing after flash flood hits Indian town Flash floods triggered a mudslide that left houses partially buried in Dharali. Photo: Reuters A flash flood driving a torrent of mud smashed into a town in India's Himalayan region on Tuesday, killing at least four people with around 100 others missing. The roaring waters tore down a narrow mountain valley, demolishing buildings as the flood barrelled into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state. "It is a serious situation," Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. "We have received information about four deaths and around 100 people missing. We pray for their safety." Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multi-storey apartment blocks in the tourist region. Several people could be seen running before being engulfed by the dark waves of debris that uprooted entire buildings. Uttarakhand State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue teams had been deployed "on a war footing". India's army said 150 troops had reached the town, helping rescue around 20 people who had survived the wall of freezing sludge. "A massive mudslide struck Dharali... triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," the army said. Images released by the army, taken from the site after the main torrent had passed, showed a river of slow-moving mud. A wide swath of the town was swamped by deep debris. In places, the mud lapped at the rooftops of houses. State Disaster Response Force commander Arpan Yaduvanshi said the mud was 15 metres deep in places, swamping some buildings entirely. "Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with all available resources being deployed to locate and evacuate any remaining stranded persons," army spokesman Suneel Bartwal said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a statement, and said that "no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance". Chief Minister Dhami said the flood was caused by a sudden and intense "cloudburst", calling the destruction "extremely sad and distressing". The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning for the area, saying it had recorded "extremely heavy" rainfall of around 21cm in isolated parts of Uttarakhand. Deadly floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with urbanisation, is increasing their frequency and severity. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a "distress signal" of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable. (AFP)
RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
Japan swelters through its hottest day ever
Japan swelters through its hottest day ever People in Tokyo try to find relief amid the heatwave. Photo: AFP Japan recorded its highest-ever temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, prompting the government to advise residents to stay indoors and promise steps to ease weather-related damage to rice crops. Readings in the eastern city of Isesaki, in Gunma prefecture, surpassed the previous high of 41.2 degrees Celsius last week in the western city of Tamba in Hyogo prefecture, the country's meteorological agency said. So far this summer, more than 53,000 people have been taken to hospital for heat stroke, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. "Today is murderously hot," said 63-year-old auto worker Takeshi Ishikawa, who was filling his water bottle at a fountain in central Tokyo. "If it gets to 42 degrees, it would be hotter than my bath that I prepare at 40 degrees." Average temperatures across Japan have continued to climb after marking a record high in July for the third year in a row, while the northeastern region along the Sea of Japan has registered critically low levels of rainfall, raising concerns over the rice harvest. High temperatures have caused a proliferation of stink bugs in some rice-growing areas, even as the government is set to officially adopt a new policy on Tuesday of increased rice production to prevent future shortages. "We need to act with speed and a sense of crisis to prevent damage" from high temperatures, Farm Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a press conference. The government will offer support for pest control and measures to tackle drought, he said. Extreme heat in 2023 had damaged the quality of rice, causing an acute shortage last year that was exacerbated by the government's misreading of supply and demand. That led to historically high prices of the all-important staple food, causing a national crisis. (Reuters)
RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
Japan swelters through its hottest day ever
Japan swelters through its hottest day ever People in Tokyo try to find relief amid the heatwave. Photo: AFP Japan recorded its highest-ever temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, prompting the government to advise residents to stay indoors and promise steps to ease weather-related damage to rice crops. Readings in the eastern city of Isesaki, in Gunma prefecture, surpassed the previous high of 41.2 degrees Celsius last week in the western city of Tamba in Hyogo prefecture, the country's meteorological agency said. So far this summer, more than 53,000 people have been taken to hospital for heat stroke, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. "Today is murderously hot," said 63-year-old auto worker Takeshi Ishikawa, who was filling his water bottle at a fountain in central Tokyo. "If it gets to 42 degrees, it would be hotter than my bath that I prepare at 40 degrees." Average temperatures across Japan have continued to climb after marking a record high in July for the third year in a row, while the northeastern region along the Sea of Japan has registered critically low levels of rainfall, raising concerns over the rice harvest. High temperatures have caused a proliferation of stink bugs in some rice-growing areas, even as the government is set to officially adopt a new policy on Tuesday of increased rice production to prevent future shortages. "We need to act with speed and a sense of crisis to prevent damage" from high temperatures, Farm Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a press conference. The government will offer support for pest control and measures to tackle drought, he said. Extreme heat in 2023 had damaged the quality of rice, causing an acute shortage last year that was exacerbated by the government's misreading of supply and demand. That led to historically high prices of the all-important staple food, causing a national crisis. (Reuters)
