TheNewsGuru

Tag: Earthquake

  • SAD! Earthquake claims over 600 in Afganistan

    SAD! Earthquake claims over 600 in Afganistan

    A massive rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan Monday after a strong earthquake and multiple aftershocks flattened homes in the impoverished nation, killing more than 600 people, the interior ministry said.

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    The earthquake struck just before midnight, shaking buildings from Kabul to neighbouring Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.

    Near the epicentre in the east of the country, “610 people were killed and 1,300 were injured in Kunar province, with numerous houses destroyed”, spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani told AFP, adding that in neighbouring Nangarhar province 12 people were killed and another 255 injured.

    The Taliban authorities and the United Nations mobilised rescue efforts to hard-hit areas.

    “The UN in Afghanistan is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that struck the eastern region & claimed hundreds of lives,” the UN said on X, saying teams were on the ground “delivering emergency assistance & lifesaving support”.

    The epicentre of the quake, which struck at a relatively shallow depth of eight kilometres, was 27 kilometres from the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, according to the US Geological Survey.

    Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deep tremors.

    Frequent quakes
    A series of aftershocks followed throughout the night, including a powerful and shallow 5.2-magnitude quake just after 4:00 am (2330 GMT Sunday).

    Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

    Nangarhar province was also hit by flooding overnight Friday to Saturday, which killed five people and destroyed crops and property, provincial authorities said.

    In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake struck the impoverished eastern border province of Paktika, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

    Ravaged by four decades of war, Afghanistan is already contending with a humanitarian disaster.

    With the return of the Taliban, foreign aid to Afghanistan has shrunk dramatically, undermining the already impoverished nation’s ability to respond to disasters.

    In 2015, more than 380 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan when a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake ripped across the two countries, with the bulk of the deaths in Pakistan.

    In that disaster, 12 young Afghan girls were crushed to death in a stampede as they tried to flee their shaking school building.

    AFP

  • Mass evacuations in U.S, Japan as major earthquake triggers widespread tsunami warning

    Mass evacuations in U.S, Japan as major earthquake triggers widespread tsunami warning

    A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific region, including Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of the US West Coast.

    The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred off the Far East coast of Russia, sending fears of tsunami waves as high as 13 feet (4 metres) crashing into the Kamchatka shoreline. The tremor was shallow, making it particularly dangerous and capable of generating destructive waves.

    According to Mint, authorities in multiple countries, including Russia, Japan, and the United States, have begun evacuating coastal residents. People have been urged to move to higher ground amid concerns about aftershocks and additional waves.

    Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described it as “the strongest earthquake in decades,” confirming damage to infrastructure, including a kindergarten, though no casualties have been reported so far.

    In Severo-Kurilsk, a remote town near Kamchatka, residents were evacuated as a precaution. The Sakhalin Governor, Valery Limarenko, confirmed damage and emergency response measures in place.

  • Myanmar quake toll overshoots 1,000 as rescuers dig for survivors

    Myanmar quake toll overshoots 1,000 as rescuers dig for survivors

    The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand passed 1,000 on Saturday, as rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings in a desperate search for survivors.

    The shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

    The quake destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across swathes of Myanmar, with massive destruction seen in Mandalay, the country’s second biggest city and home to more than 1.7 million people.

    “We need aid,” said Thar Aye, 68, a resident of Mandalay. “We don’t have enough of anything.”

    At least 1,007 people were killed and nearly 2,400 injured in Myanmar, with 30 more missing, the junta said in a statement. Around 10 more deaths have been confirmed in Bangkok.

    But with communications badly disrupted, the true scale of the disaster is only starting to emerge from the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.

    More than 90 people could be trapped in the crushed remains of one apartment block in Mandalay, a Red Cross official told AFP on Saturday.

    Rescuers worked to free victims at the Sky Villa Condominium development, where several of the building’s 12 storeys were pancaked on top of each other.

    Rescue workers attempt to free a resident trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. More than 90 people could be trapped inside the crushed remains of an apartment block in Mandalay in central Myanmar destroyed by a devastating earthquake, a Red Cross official told AFP on March 29 as rescuers worked to free the victims.

    People stand next to heavy construction equipment being used to dig through the rubble of a destroyed building to look for survivors in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. Rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings on March 29 in a desperate search for survivors after a huge earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing more than 1000 people.

    A tuk-tuk drives past a damaged building in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. Rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings on March 29 in a desperate search for survivors after a huge earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing more than 1000 people.

    ‘Started shaking’
    This was the biggest quake to hit Myanmar in decades, according to geologists, and the tremors were powerful enough to severely damage buildings across Bangkok, hundreds of kilometres (miles) away from the epicentre.

    In Mandalay, AFP journalists saw a centuries-old Buddhist pagoda that had been reduced to rubble.

    “It started shaking, then it started getting serious,” said a soldier at a checkpoint on the road outside the pagoda.

    “The monastery also collapsed. One monk died, some people were injured, we pulled out some people and took them to the hospital.”

    Guards at Mandalay Airport turned away journalists.

    “It has been closed since yesterday,” said one. “The ceiling collapsed but no one was hurt.”

    Damage to the airport would complicate relief efforts in a country whose rescue services and healthcare system have already been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021.

    Rescue workers carry the body of a victim at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar and Thailand. The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand passed 1,000 on March 29, as rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings in a desperate search for survivors.

    This frame grab from UGC video footage taken and posted by Ashin Tikkhanyarna Linkara on Facebook on March 28, 2025 shows a survivor walking past a destroyed clock tower near the Ma Soe Yein monastery in Mandalay, following an earthquake. Rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings on March 29 in a desperate search for survivors after a huge earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing more than 1000 people.

    Rescue teams work to save residents trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. More than 90 people could be trapped inside the crushed remains of an apartment block in Mandalay in central Myanmar destroyed by a devastating earthquake, a Red Cross official told AFP on March 29 as rescuers worked to free the victims.

    Rare junta plea for help
    Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid on Friday, indicating the severity of the calamity. Previous military governments have shunned foreign assistance, even after major natural disasters.

    The country declared a state of emergency across the six worst-affected regions after the quake, and at one major hospital in the capital, Naypyidaw, medics were forced to treat the wounded in the open air on Friday.

    Offers of foreign assistance began coming in, with President Donald Trump on Friday pledging US help.

    An initial flight from India carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food and other essentials landed in the commercial capital Yangon on Saturday.

    China said it sent an 82-person team of rescuers to Myanmar.

    Aid agencies have warned that Myanmar is unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude. Some 3.5 million people were displaced by the raging civil war, many at risk of hunger, even before the quake struck.

    Rescue teams work to save residents trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. More than 90 people could be trapped inside the crushed remains of an apartment block in Mandalay in central Myanmar destroyed by a devastating earthquake, a Red Cross official told AFP on March 29 as rescuers worked to free the victims.

    A rescuer carries equipment as a team searches through the rubble of a destroyed building looking for survivors in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. Rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings on March 29 in a desperate search for survivors after a huge earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing more than 1000 people.

    Bangkok building collapse
    Across the border in Bangkok, rescuers worked through the night searching for survivors trapped when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed, reduced in seconds to a pile of rubble and twisted metal by the force of the shaking.

    Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt told AFP that around 10 people had been confirmed killed across the city, most in the skyscraper collapse.

    But up to 100 workers were still unaccounted for at the building, close to the Chatuchak weekend market that is a magnet for tourists.

    Thermal imaging drones were deployed to seek signs of life in the rubble, and authorities believe they have seen indications from at least 15 people.

    Bangkok city authorities said they will deploy more than 100 engineers to inspect buildings for safety after receiving over 2,000 reports of damage.

    Up to 400 people were forced to spend the night in the open air in city parks as their homes were not safe to return to, Chadchart said.

    While there was no widespread destruction in Bangkok, the shaking brought some dramatic images of rooftop swimming pools sloshing their contents down the side of many of the city’s towering apartment blocks and hotels.

    Even hospitals were evacuated, with one woman delivering her baby outdoors after being moved from a hospital building.

  • Death toll rises in Tibet devastating earthquake

    Death toll rises in Tibet devastating earthquake

    The death toll following a powerful earthquake in Tibet on Tuesday , has risen to at least 53, according to Chinese state media.

    The magnitude 7.1 earthquake was centred in Tibet at a depth of about 10 kilometres, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

    The Chinese state news agency Xinhua, cited local authorities, stating that  at least, 53 people had been killed and 62 injured.

    Many houses near the epicentre had collapsed, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

    The quake occurred in Dingri County, on the north side of Mount Everest and about 400 kilometres west of the Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

    According to Xinhua, the tremors were clearly felt in the surrounding area.

    The Chinese military had sent a drone to survey the epicentre, the agency reported.

    Rescue operations are underway and residents were being evacuated to avoid possible effects of aftershocks, the agency added.

    The Chinese earthquake monitoring centre CENC recorded the magnitude as 6.8.

    Tibet, as well as the entire southwestern part of China, Nepal and northern India, is frequently hit by earthquakes caused by the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates colliding.

    A devastating quake in China’s Sichuan province in 2008 claimed around 70,000 lives.

    In 2015, a strong quake struck the Kathmandu region of Nepal, killing around 9,000 people and injuring thousands.

  • NGSA allays fears over earthquake scare in FCT

    NGSA allays fears over earthquake scare in FCT

    The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has allayed fears over earth tremors experienced in Mpape, Katampe, Maitama and other areas of Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is coming after an official of the agency, who refused to be named, earlier urged residents of the affected areas to consider temporary relocation if the tremor continued.

    However, NGSA has advised the residents of the affected areas to be calm, stressing that the situation is being monitored.

    A statement by the Director General, Professor Olusegun Ige disclosed that NGSA monitored the tremors and found them to be low and did not pose any threat to the environment.

    The statement, meanwhile, noted that The Monitoring Station (NGSA-5) at Katampe has been capturing several significant ground motions with high moment magnitudes in the past five days, beginning from September 13, 2024 till date.

    According to the statement, only one mild event was recorded on September 13th and that six of these events were captured on the 14th of September, while over 21 events were captured on the 15th with higher intensities.

    The statement reads: “The Monitoring Station (NGSA-5) at Katampe has been capturing several significant ground motions with high moment magnitudes (Mw) in the past five days, beginning from September 13, 2024 till date.

    “Only one mild event was recorded on September 13th. Six of these events were captured on the 14th of September, while over 21 events were captured on the 15th with higher intensities. More than twenty events were recorded on the 16th of September. The intensity and frequency of the tremor appear to increase from the 13th to 16th September. There are a few weak events recorded today, 17th September.

    “Preliminary analysis of the waveforms showed that the sources of the ground motions are less than 5 km away from the monitoring station.

    “NGSA team also visited the affected areas for on-the-spot assessments of the events. From the accounts of the residents of the affected areas, the observations by the NGSA team, and findings from earlier interpretations of the airborne geophysical data over the area and adjoining areas, the following conclusions were made:

    “The tremors are a result of accumulated stress along the identified faults and released seismic energy, which may have traveled through associated fractures to areas where the tremors were felt around the FCT.

    “There are multiple epicenters associated with the recent tremor. Most of the epicenters are located northeast of the NGSA-5 Seismic Station around Mpape axis, while a few are located southwest of the Station around Katampe axis

    “The intensities of the tremors are weak to light, ranging from III – IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale, and pose a very low level threat.

    “The residents of Mpape, Katampe, Maitama, and other areas where the tremors were felt are advised not to panic as the tremors can be generally described as low. The Agency is keeping a close monitoring of the situation and will provide updates as may become necessary.

    “The general public should also be aware that the NGSA Seismic Stations are being monitored in real time to ensure prompt alerts on any major event”.

  • Tension as earthquake scare hits Abuja

    Tension as earthquake scare hits Abuja

    Residents of Abuja living at Mpape in Bwari Area Council have been thrown into panic over continued suspected earth tremors and vibration in parts of the city.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports earth tremor is a relatively small or short-lived movement of the earth’s surface caused by the same forces that produce earthquakes.

    Dr Ebenezer Adebisi, Chairman of Mpape Hills Landlord Association, disclosed on Tuesday that the residents had been experiencing the vibration in the past five days.

    Adebisi, who is a retired Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said that was not the first time the resident of the area were having such experience.

    He said although it happened some years ago, it had become more consistent in the past five days. According to him, residents of the area felt the tremor and vibration were more than the usual ones they experienced during the blasting of rocks in the area by quarry companies.

    He said the vibration was more intense throughout Sunday and Monday night, adding that: “we don’t really know what would have caused the vibration.

    “I have also confirmed that those in Gwarinpa and Katampe areas are also experiencing the same thing, but the government has not said anything officially up till now.

    “It is important we let Nigerians know the situation now; we are calling on the Nigerian government and the Nigeria Geological Agency to come to the rescue of the resident.

    He said urgent measures needed to be taken before things got out of hand, urging the government to advise the residents on the next line of action.

    Mrs Florence Ilesanmi, a resident of Gwari Village, Mpape also told NAN that she had been experiencing the same thing.

    Madam Aisha Lawal, a resident at the Crushrock area of Mpape shared a similar experience with NAN, saying that the interval of the vibration was a source of worry.

    An official of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to do so urged the residents to consider temporary relocation if the tremor continued.

    The official told one of the residents who contacted him that the residents should continue to record the frequency of the vibration.

    “I googled the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA). They told me I should be recording anytime the vibration occurred again.

    “I was able to speak with one of the officers of the agency, who confirmed that all their equipment are already on ground to forestall any emergency. They said if the vibration is heavy we should try and evacuate from the premises for now,” Lawal said.

  • Death toll rises to 7 after major earthquake in Taiwan

    Death toll rises to 7 after major earthquake in Taiwan

    The death toll after a severe earthquake off the coast of Taiwan has risen to seven, the Central Emergency Operation Centre (CEOC) said on Wednesday.

    The 7.2-magnitude earthquake centred about 25 kilometres south-east of Hualien in eastern Taiwan triggered several landslides in the rugged east coast region of the island.

    According to the CEOC, the seven victims were killed in a tunnel on the Dekalun Trail in a mining area in Hualien County.

    There were 736 people injured and 77 people remain trapped in tunnels, the CEOC said.

    In the Chongde Tunnel in Taroko National Park, a group of people including two Germans was trapped inside.

    In addition, about 60 people were trapped in Jinwen Tunnel on the highway that connected the eastern cities of Suao and Hualien.

     

  • Magnitude 5.1quake hits sea south of Istanbul

    Magnitude 5.1quake hits sea south of Istanbul

    A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck just south of Istanbul on Monday, rattling parts of Turkey’s largest city but causing no immediate injuries or damage.

    The earthquake’s epicentre was in the Marmara Sea’s Gemlik Bay, which lies about 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Istanbul, near the city of Bursa, according to the AFAD emergencies service.

    AFP reporters felt walls shake on both the Asian and European sides of Istanbul, with television images showing people walking out on the street for safety.

    Turkey’s most populated city is situated near the North Anatolian Fault, one of the most active in the world.

    A 7.6-magnitude earthquake with an epicentre on the city’s eastern outskirts killed more than 17,000 people in 1999.

    The number of Istanbulites has roughly doubled since then, to 16 million people.

    Two major earthquakes claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people in southeastern Turkey in February, damaging or destroying tens of thousands of buildings across several cities.

  • At least 128 killed in Nepal earthquake

    At least 128 killed in Nepal earthquake

    At least 128 people have died in a strong earthquake in Nepal, according to police in the capital Kathmandu.

    Dozens more have been reported njured.

    A representative of the local administration in the Jajarkot district, near the epicentre of the quake, said the number of victims could rise.

    Confirmed figures on deaths or injuries from some other parts of the mountainous region were not initially available.

    According to measurements by the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre (NEMRC), the quake had a magnitude of 6.4 and occurred at 11:47 pm (1802 GMT) on Friday.

    The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.6.

    The area experienced at least three aftershocks in the following hour with a magnitude of at least 4.2.

    The quake was also felt in the north of neighbouring India, including in the capital New Delhi, the Times of India and other Indian media reported.

    The Himalayan region, where Nepal is located, is geologically extremely active.

    The Indian continental plate is shifting under the Eurasian plate at a rate of around two centimetres per year – which repeatedly leads to strong earthquakes.

    Nepal experienced a particularly severe earthquake in 2015 which shook the area around the capital Kathmandu and caused numerous buildings to collapse.

    About 9,000 people lost their lives and millions were left homeless.

  • Moroccan earthquake: A monumental disaster and a monarch’s parochial politics – By Owei Lakemfa

    Moroccan earthquake: A monumental disaster and a monarch’s parochial politics – By Owei Lakemfa

    THE six-point-eight earthquake that hit the High Atlas mountain range of the Moroccan Kingdom last Friday claimed 2,901 lives and injured 5,530. The number of casualties is likely to rise, and we may never know how many more will die. Also, quite tragically, we may never know how many might have survived had the Moroccan government not played the parochial politics of rejecting help from friends and foes alike except Spain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Even the quartet had to wait for two days before receiving the green light to deploy.

    When an earthquake occurs, it is an emergency, and every second counts as it is a race against time. In fact, after the first 24 hours, the chances of finding survivors begin to dim as victims may be trapped with life-threatening injuries and may die unless they are not only quickly rescued but also given emergency treatment. There is what is called the 72-hour “golden period” for saving lives, after which hope of finding survivors is lost.

    So, quick and immediate rescue is crucial, as some victims may be trapped in places with little oxygen, others may be weighed down by debris, or they may even be faced with amputation. This is more so in the Moroccan case, in which collapsing buildings have been mainly responsible for many of the casualties. Also, all some may need to survive is water. There is also the matter of aftershocks. So, any assistance available must be grabbed, as life has no duplicate. In many cases, an earthquake victim is like a drowning person, who, as a British proverb says, will clutch at a straw.

    Therefore, the decision of Moroccan King Mohammed VI to reject almost all aid after the quake struck, based on claims of the need to maintain the country’s sovereignty and ensure “co-ordination”, is playing parochial politics and constitutes a crime against the quake victims.

    What can the dying Moroccan trapped under rubble care about his country’s sovereignty? All he needs is to be rescued, irrespective of the colour, religion, or political persuasion of his rescuer. It would not even matter to him if his rescuer was a dog.

    Algeria is Morocco’s neighbour, and both countries are virtually the same: Ninety nine per cent of Algerians are Arabs and Berbers, while 98 per cent of Moroccans are Arabs and Berbers. In fact, Ahmed Ben Bella, the revolutionary who was Algeria’s founding president, was the child of Moroccan migrants. However, both countries differ on the status of the Saharawi of Western Sahara, another country with mainly Berber stock.

    While Morocco occupies most of Western Sahara, claiming it as part of its kingdom, Algeria insists that the Saharawi, who are the brothers and sisters of both countries, should be allowed the freedom to run their country.

    Despite such differences, immediately after the earthquake occurred, Algeria offered to come across the border to aid the victims and save lives. The Moroccan government, through its Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahabi, like any reasonable government would, accepted the offer, but with the caveat that the aid be delivered in coordination with the Moroccan Foreign Ministry. Based on this, Algeria opened its airspace for humanitarian flights and mobilised 80 emergency personnel and three military aircraft carrying humanitarian aid. After waiting for two days, a counter-order came, rejecting the Algerian offer. The rejection was in line with King Mohammed VI’s view stated in a speech in 2022: “The Sahara issue is the lens through which Morocco looks at the world.”

    France, which had colonised Morocco but had subsequently become a close ally, offered immediate assistance. But France had recently angered the Moroccan monarchy when, unlike the United States and Israel, it declined to recognise Western Sahara as part of Morocco. The latter’s reaction to France’s aid offer was a total rejection.

    French President Emmanuel Macron, disappointed by the Moroccan rejection, lamented: “ … We are here and we are able to provide direct humanitarian aid… We will be there in the long term on a humanitarian and medical level for reconstruction, cultural and heritage aid, and in all areas where the Moroccan people and the government consider that we will be  useful.” It released five million euros in aid to Moroccan NGOs for relief work.

    Rescuers Without Borders, a non-state French organisation, was also unable to enter Morocco. Its founder, Arnaud Fraisse, told the media: “Unfortunately, we still don’t have the go-ahead from the Moroccan government… All of our team members who train regularly year-round for this type of thing are miserable that they couldn’t leave and put their skills to use.”

    Morocco also snubbed Germany, which had assembled a 50-person team from its Technical Relief Agency that had gathered at Cologne airport for a flight to Morocco.

    Germany has, like France, fallen foul of Morocco’s insistence that its colonisation of Western Sahara must be accepted. To this snub, the Chair of the German Parliament Group on the Maghreb responded: “It is incomprehensible that Rabat has so far forgone German help… The current situation should not be about misunderstood national pride.” Vladimir Vlcek, the Director General of a Czech rescue service that assembled a 70-person team, said the reason they were denied permission “could be political, religious, or any other reason”.

    A puzzle is why Morocco snubbed the United States, which has not only supported its skewed foreign policy but whose immediate past President Donald Trump had also ‘donated’ Western Sahara to it.

    There may be brewing problems between them that are not apparent, but what is clear is the Moroccan monarch’s macabre foreign policy dance. For instance, after its deviant attitude led to the collapse of the Arab Maghreb Union, AMU, rather than mend fences and try to revive it, Morocco, which is in North Africa, applied to join the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

    When the Organisation of African States rejected its attempts to recolonize Western Sahara after the Spanish colonisers left, Morocco stormed out of the continental body, returning on January 31, 2017, after 33 years in the cold.

    So, rather than accept badly needed international aid, Morocco prefers its citizens to use pick axes and their bare hands to dig concrete rubble. The aid intended for Morocco could well go to Libya, where on September 10, 2023, Storm Daniel hit, resulting in 5,300 deaths, about 10,000 missing and neighborhoods washed away by floodwaters. However, the tragedy is that there are warring rival governments in that country, and for them, aid for the flood victims is part of the eclectic wars being waged by war lords controlled by various countries.