Latest news with #fireauthorities
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
At least 10 dead, 33 missing in flash floods in China's Gansu province
At least 10 people have been killed and 33 are missing in flash floods in northwestern China's Gansu province, according to state media. 'From August 7, continuous heavy rain … has triggered flash floods. As of 3:30pm (07:30 GMT) on August 8, 10 people have died and 33 are missing,' state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered 'all-out' rescue operations with 'utmost effort' to save the missing people, CCTV said. Due to the 'frequent occurrence of extreme weather', Xi ordered all regions to 'resolutely overcome complacency' and strengthen efforts to identify risks, the broadcaster added. Footage shared by Chinese fire authorities on the social media platform Weibo showed rescuers guiding people through rushing grey water in a village. Photos posted by Gansu's government showed roads covered in silt and large stones. Record rainfall has lashed China's north and south in recent weeks in what meteorologists describe as extreme weather linked to climate change. Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 60 people across northern China, including Beijing, since late July.
Reuters
20-07-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Death toll rises to 17 in South Korea as rains cause landslide and floods
SEOUL, July 20 (Reuters) - Two people have died and five were missing in the South Korean county of Gapyeong on Sunday, after a landslide engulfed houses and campsites and flooding swept away vehicles amid heavy rainfall. This brings the nationwide death toll to 17 with 11 people missing since the rain began on Wednesday, forcing more than 13,000 people to evacuate. A landslide hit a campsite in Gapyeong, leaving a man in his 40s dead, two family members missing and 24 other people stranded, fire authorities said. One person was rescued near the campsite by a zip-line across a raging river, according to footage released by fire officials. In another video, a helicopter is seen airlifting a person to safety. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered a swift assessment of the damage and the prompt designation of special disaster zones to increase state support. The rainfall is likely to stop on Sunday and be followed by a heat wave, the government weather forecaster said on Sunday. The heavy rainfall, which had earlier lashed southern parts of South Korea, moved north overnight, it said.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Unprecedented' alerts in France as blistering heat grips Europe
A record number of heat alerts are in place across France as the country, and other parts of southern and eastern Europe, remain in the grip of soaring temperatures. Some 84 of 96 of France's mainland regions - known as departments - are currently under an orange alert - the country's second highest. France's Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher has called it an "unprecedented" situation. Heat warnings are also in place for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the UK and Balkan countries including Croatia. Both Spain and Portugal had their hottest June days on record at the weekend. El Granado in Andalucía saw a temperature of 46C on Saturday, while 46.6C was recorded in the town of Mora in central Portugal on Sunday. Many countries have emergency medical services on standby and are warning people to stay inside as much as possible. Nearly 200 schools across France have been closed or partially closed as a result of the heatwave, which has gripped parts of Europe for more than a week now but is expected to peak mid-week. Education Minister Elisabeth Borne said she was working with regional authorities over the best ways to look after schoolchildren or to allow parents who can to keep their children at home. Several forest fires broke out in the southern Corbières mountain range on Sunday, leading to evacuations and the closure of a motorway. They have since been contained, fire authorities told French media on Monday. Follow our live updates Top tips on how to sleep in the heat Meanwhile, 21 Italian cities are also on the highest alert - including Rome, Milan and Venice, as is Sardinia. Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, told AFP news agency that hospital emergency departments across the country had reported a 10% increase in heatstroke cases. Parts of the UK could see one of the hottest June days ever on Monday, with temperatures of 34C or higher possible in some parts of England. Much of Spain, which is on course to record its hottest June on record, also continues to be under heat alerts. "I can't sleep well and have insomnia. I also get heat strokes, I stop eating and I just can't focus," Anabel Sanchez, 21, told Reuters news agency in Seville. It is a similar situation in Portugal, where seven districts, including the capital, Lisbon, are on t he highest alert level. Meanwhile, the German Meteorological Service has warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. Countries in and around the Balkans have also been struggling with the intense heat, although temperatures have begun to cool slightly. In Turkey, firefighters continue their efforts to put out hundreds of wildfires that have broken out in recent days. A fire in the Seferihisar district, 50km (30 miles) south-west of the resort city of Izmir, is being fuelled by winds and has already destroyed around 20 homes and some residential areas have had to be evacuated. Wildfires have also broken out in Croatia, where severe heat warnings are in place for coastal areas. Temperatures in Greece have been approaching 40C for several days and coastal towns near the capital Athens last week erupted in flames that destroyed homes - forcing people to evacuate. On Wednesday, Serbia reported its hottest day since records began, while a record 38.8C was recorded in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday. In Slovenia, the hottest-ever June temperature was recorded on Saturday. The temperature in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, reached 42C on Friday - and are expected to continue in that range. While the heatwave is a potential health issue, it is also impacting the climate. Higher temperatures in the Adriatic Sea are encouraging invasive species such as the poisonous lionfish, while also causing further stress on alpine glaciers that are already shrinking at record rates. While it is hard to link individual extreme weather events to climate change, heatwaves are becoming more common and more intense due to climate change. Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here. Spain records temperature of 46C as Europe heatwave continues Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads
Reuters
29-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Navy plane crashes in South Korea, media reports say
SEOUL, May 29 (Reuters) - A plane crashed in the southern city of Pohang in South Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday, citing the fire authorities. The plane belongs to the navy, the Newsis news agency said.
