Asia Press Agency

Tag: Landslide

  • Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Hits Mindanao, Philippines

    Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Hits Mindanao, Philippines

    Mindanao, Philippines, experienced a seismic event on Saturday as a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake, occurring at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), adds to the challenges faced by the region, which has been grappling with adverse weather conditions and natural disasters.

     

    Diverging from GFZ’s assessment, the Philippine seismology agency reported the earthquake as magnitude 5.9 with a depth of 27 km (16.8 miles). Despite the variance in readings, both agencies underscored the potential for aftershocks but expected no significant damage.

     

    The seismic activity had immediate repercussions on ongoing rescue efforts in Davao de Oro, where authorities have been searching for dozens of missing individuals following a devastating landslide earlier in the week. The earthquake forced rescue workers to halt their operations temporarily, exacerbating the difficulties in locating survivors amid the rubble.

     

    The landslide, which occurred outside a gold mining site in Maco town, has already claimed the lives of 28 individuals, with 77 still reported missing and 32 injured. Among those rescued from the debris was a 3-year-old girl, miraculously found alive after spending 60 hours trapped under the rubble. The situation remains precarious as authorities grapple with the enormity of the disaster and the challenges posed by adverse weather conditions.

     

    Davao de Oro has been reeling from torrential rains in recent weeks, resulting in widespread flooding and triggering landslides across the province. The relentless downpour has compounded the humanitarian crisis, straining emergency response efforts and exacerbating the plight of affected communities.

     

    The series of natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, and floods, underscore the vulnerability of regions like Mindanao to environmental hazards. The convergence of these calamities underscores the urgent need for comprehensive disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies to safeguard lives and property.

     

    As rescue operations resume following the earthquake, authorities are faced with the daunting task of balancing immediate response efforts with long-term recovery and rebuilding initiatives. The resilience of affected communities, coupled with concerted efforts from government agencies and humanitarian organizations, will be crucial in navigating the aftermath of these catastrophic events and charting a path towards sustainable recovery.

     

    In the face of adversity, the people of Mindanao demonstrate remarkable resilience and solidarity, standing united in their determination to overcome the challenges posed by natural disasters and rebuild their communities stronger and more resilient than ever before.

  • Landslide Impacts Arunachal Pradesh Dam Project

    Landslide Impacts Arunachal Pradesh Dam Project

    A major landslide hit an under-construction dam in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, causing significant disruption to a 2,000 megawatt (MW) hydroelectric project and diminishing water flow in the Subansiri river in Assam. The landslide occurred about 300 meters from the dam and blocked a diversion tunnel in the Subansiri river, resulting in a sharp reduction in downstream water flow.

     

    This particular diversion tunnel was the only one in use at the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, as the other four diversion tunnels had already been blocked earlier, according to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

     

    The incident has raised concerns in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, which is situated downstream of the dam in Arunachal Pradesh. The government has issued an advisory, urging people to refrain from activities like fishing, swimming, bathing, and boating. Additionally, people have been asked to keep their cattle away from the river.

     

    NHPC officials have stated that the river is expected to return to its normal flow by the evening. “The current river flow of 997 cubic meters per second is being stored in the reservoir, and the water level reached 139 meters by 1 pm. It is expected that the water level will reach 145 meters by the evening, and the river will return to flowing through the spillway normally,” the statement read.

     

    The blockage of the diversion tunnels, used for redirecting river water during construction, had been a concern for the project over the past decade. Local activists and residents had expressed worries about potential downstream impacts of the dam, leading to protests.

     

    In April last year, the powerhouse protection wall of the dam had collapsed due to tail race channel construction activities. The tail race channels, responsible for releasing water back into the river after passing through turbines, are located on the right bank of the river in Arunachal Pradesh.

     

    Over the last three years, the project site has experienced four significant landslides. The NHPC commenced construction of the project in January 2005 but faced a lengthy halt from 2011 to 2019 due to ongoing protests.

     

    According to company estimates in 2020, the project’s cost, originally scheduled to be commissioned in 2012, had surged to approximately ₹20,000 crore from the initial ₹6,285 crore. This incident also follows a recent dam breach in Sikkim, which resulted from a glacial lake outburst and led to flash floods and casualties, raising concerns about the safety of such projects in the region.

  • Landslide Blocks Kullu-Mandi National Highway

    Landslide Blocks Kullu-Mandi National Highway

    A landslide incident triggered by heavy rainfall has led to the blockage of the Kullu-Mandi National Highway in Himachal Pradesh. The Deputy Commissioner of Kullu district provided a traffic update on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the road closure. The Kullu-Mandi road via Pandoh and Kamand has been closed after a landslide occurred earlier in the day.

     

    The Deputy Commissioner stated, “The Kullu-Mandi NH is closed following a landslide due to heavy rains. Work is being carried out to restore the traffic.”

     

    Himachal Pradesh has been grappling with incessant rainfall for over a month, resulting in numerous landslides and cloudbursts across the state. Unfortunately, rain-related incidents have led to the loss of around 367 lives in the state so far in 2023, according to the State Disaster Management Authority’s report.

     

    Data indicates that an average of about seven individuals have been losing their lives daily in rain-related occurrences within the hilly state since the onset of the monsoon on June 24.

     

    In addition to the loss of lives, the state is also facing significant financial losses due to property and infrastructure damage. The state’s disaster management authority estimates the monetary loss to reach nearly ₹12,000 crore.

     

    Himachal Pradesh, often referred to as Dev Bhoomi, has experienced substantial landslides in various locations over the past fortnight. The state government has formed investigation teams to determine the causes of the destruction and is planning to involve experts from different states to find viable solutions.

     

    Recent heavy rainfall has led to traffic suspensions on multiple roads in Shimla. On Wednesday, approximately 13 major roads across the district were closed due to landslides. Landslides, building collapses, tree uprooting, and other incidents have become common following heavy downpours in the region. The state has reported a total of 113 landslides during this monsoon season.

  • Maharashtra Landslide: 22 Confirmed Dead, 86 Still Missing

    Maharashtra Landslide: 22 Confirmed Dead, 86 Still Missing

    The search and rescue operation at Irshalwadi village in Maharashtra Landslide in Raigad district, where a devastating incident resulted in the loss of at least 22 lives, entered its third day on Saturday as 86 villagers remain unaccounted for, according to officials.

     

    The tragic landslide occurred on Wednesday night in the tribal village, which is situated on a hill slope under Khalapur tehsil, approximately 80 km from Mumbai. The death toll, which was 16 on Thursday evening, increased to 22 on Friday as six more bodies were recovered. Among the deceased were nine men, nine women, and four children, including nine members of a single family.

     

    The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other government agencies resumed the search and rescue operation on Saturday morning after it was suspended on Friday evening due to heavy rains. Four NDRF teams and other agencies are involved in the efforts. At least 17 out of 48 houses in the village were either fully or partially buried under the debris of the landslide.

     

    The Raigad district disaster management office reported that out of 229 village residents, 22 were confirmed dead, 10 were injured, 111 were safe, and 86 individuals were still unaccounted for. Some of the missing villagers had left the village to attend a wedding, while others were engaged in rice plantation work at the time of the tragic incident.

     

    The victims recovered on Friday included three men, three women, and four children aged between six months and four years. Among the deceased were a three-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister, who were part of the nine members of one family who tragically lost their lives.

     

    Due to the lack of a proper road in the village, earth movers and excavators are unable to reach the location, and the rescue operation is being carried out manually. The village, which is overlooked by Irshalgad fort, a popular trekking destination, has faced immense challenges in the aftermath of the disaster.

     

    As a response to the tragic landslide, the Maharashtra government has made the decision to relocate residents from all landslide-prone areas in the state to safer locations, as announced by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the state legislative assembly on Friday. Irshalwadi hamlet was not previously identified as a landslide-prone area. It is a somber reminder of the 2021 landslide incident at Taliye village in Mahad tehsil of Raigad district, which claimed the lives of 87 people.