OFFICIAL PORTAL
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
MOSCOW: A tsunami alert was lifted after a series of powerful earthquakes off the coast of Russia's far east on Sunday did not result in deadly waves, according to the Russian emergencies ministry.
Earlier on Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) issued a tsunami alert, forecasting "hazardous waves" after a 7.4-magnitude quake at 0849 GMT, which was the strongest of a series of earthquakes in the northern Pacific Ocean.
The USGS said it expected waves of between 30 centimetres and one metre (up to 3.3 feet) on Russian coasts, and less than 30 centimetres in Japan and the US state of Hawaii.
"The tsunami threat to populated areas in Kamchatka has passed," said Russia's emergencies ministry a few hours later.
This was also confirmed by local governor Vladimir Solodov, who said that by the estimated arrival time of the first wave, "no tsunami has been observed in any populated areas."
However, he warned of possible aftershocks, which are usual during seismic events and can trigger further earthquakes.
The epicentre of the quakes was in the Pacific Ocean, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the USGS said.
The series of aftershocks included a 6.7-magnitude quake, it added.
Russia's emergencies ministry wrote on Telegram that it expected waves of up to 60 centimetres in the Commander Islands in the southwestern part of the Bering Sea, and waves of 15 to 40 centimetres in the Kamchatka peninsula.
The peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making it a seismic hot zone.
Since 1900, seven major earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or higher have struck the area.--AFP
SEOUL: Two people have died and five were missing in the South Korean county of Gapyeong today, 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 today and be followed by a heat wave, the government weather forecaster said today.
The heavy rainfall, which had earlier lashed southern parts of South Korea, moved north overnight, it said. - REUTERS
KAHERAH: Gempa bumi berukuran 5.3 magnitud menggegarkan utara dan tengah Iran sekitar 12.30 tengah malam (2137 GMT) pada Sabtu, menurut Pusat Penyelidikan Geosains Jerman (GFZ), lapor Xinhua.
Pusat gempa dengan kedalaman 10 kilometer (km), pada awalnya ditentukan terletak pada latitud 36.72 darjah utara dan longitud 55.10 darjah timur, menurut pusat berkenaan.
Satu lagi gempa bumi berukuran 5.4 magnitud menggegarkan kawasan 31 km ke timur perkampungan Qarnabad di timur laut Iran kira-kira 12.30 tengah malam (2137 GMT), menurut laporan itu.
Pusat gempa dengan kedalaman 10 km, pada awalnya ditentukan terletak pada latitud 36.84 darjah utara dan longitud 54.94 darjah timur, tambahnya.
-- BERNAMA
HANOI, July 20 — At least 27 people died after a tourist boat capsized in stormy weather in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay on Saturday, state media reported.
The boat, carrying 53 people, tipped over at around 2pm local time (3pm Malaysian time), as Storm Wipha approached the country across the South China Sea. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning were reported in the area.
Most of the tourists were from the capital, Hanoi, local newspaper VnExpress reported. There was no official announcement on the nationality of the tourists as emergency crews kept looking for survivors.
Rescue teams found 11 survivors and recovered 27 bodies, eight of them children, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said, citing local authorities.
Ha Long Bay, about 200 km northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are hugely popular.
Storm Wipha, the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast early next week.
Weather linked to the storm also disrupted air travel. Noi Bai Airport said nine arriving flights were diverted to other airports, and three departing flights were temporarily grounded on Saturday. — Reuters
MANILA, 20 Julai – Sekurang-kurangnya dua individu dilaporkan hilang selepas Taufan Wipha melanda beberapa kawasan di Filipina; menyebabkan banjir besar dan tanah runtuh, menurut pihak berkuasa tempatan.
Rakaman pada Ahad menunjukkan taufan besar itu berlegar di udara sekitar bandar Laoag, dengan angin kencang dan hujan lebat melanda jalan-jalan utama.
Sementara itu, di Quezon City, bandar paling padat di negara itu, kerja-kerja pembaikan sedang giat dijalankan.
Juruelektrik dilihat membaiki kabel elektrik yang berselirat, manakala pekerja majlis bandar raya membersihkan papan iklan tumbang di Katipunan Avenue.
Taufan Wipha yang mencatat kelajuan angin maksimum 100 kilometer sejam telah menjejaskan seramai 96,791 orang, namun tiada kematian dilaporkan setakat ini.
Menurut Pentadbiran Perkhidmatan Atmosfera, Geofizik dan Astronomi Filipina (PAGASA), taufan tersebut telah meninggalkan negara itu pada pukul 10.00 pagi waktu tempatan dan kini bergerak ke arah barat laut menuju tanah besar Asia. -VIORY
