TheNewsGuru

Tag: Earthquake

  • How wedding party saved Moroccan villagers from deadly earthquake

    How wedding party saved Moroccan villagers from deadly earthquake

    A wedding celebration saved all the people of a Moroccan village during Friday’s deadly earthquake, which destroyed their stone and mud-brick houses.

    They were saved because the earthquake happened while they were enjoying traditional music in an outdoor courtyard.

    The marriage of Habiba Ajdir, 22, and apple farmer Mohammed Boudad, 30, was due to take place at his village of Kettou on Saturday, but by custom, the bride’s family held a party the night before the wedding.

    Morocco experienced a deadly earthquake on September 8. This triggered rock slides, blocking roads and making it hard for rescue teams to reach the large affected mountainous areas.

    The Friday night quake has left 2,862 people dead and 2,562 others injured, according to the latest update from Morocco’s Interior Ministry.

    According to the United Nations (UN) humanitarian hub, Reliefweb, the powerful quake struck the country shortly after 10 p.m. local time on Friday.

    It measures 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 18.5 km, with the epicentre located in the High Atlas mountains, some 71 km southwest of the historic city of Marrakech.

    According to media reports, several houses in the city of 840,000 collapsed and other buildings suffered structural damage. The epicentral zone is not densely populated.

    Similarly, a Mediterranean storm made landfall in eastern Libya on Sunday, triggering floods and destroying facilities along its path, leaving more than 2,300 people dead and 5,000 others missing.

    More than 30,000 lost their homes

    The disastrous flooding in Libya left more than 30,000 people homeless, according to the International Organistion for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday.

    The figures referred to the particularly hard-hit port city of Derna alone, the UN organisation said.

    Thousands more have lost their homes in cities in the east of the country after two dams broke in eastern Libya near Derna, sweeping entire neighbourhoods into the sea.

    Some 10,000 people were missing, and according to the administration in the east of the country, more than 5,000 people have died.

    The IOM has estimated that at least 2,000 persons were killed and over 5,000 are missing.

    Two rival governments were vying for power in Libya, which has been plagued by unrest in recent years.

    One was based in the east and the other in the capital Tripoli, in the west.

  • Morocco’s Earthquake survivors ask for more help from authorities

    Morocco’s Earthquake survivors ask for more help from authorities

    Woman in tears. Not much is left of the village of Imine Tala, in Morocco’s southwest, following Friday’s earthquake.

    With little aid from authorities, villagers on Sunday, September 10, only rely on themselves for search and rescue operations.

    The bodies of the bridegroom, his wife, his sister are under the rubble, Hada, a resident laments. “There was no one there to recover the bodies. We ask you to make our voice heard by the authorities. We ask for the road to be opened.”

    According to official figures updated late on Sunday, quake killed at least two thousand 2,122 people.

    The 6.8-magnitude quacked wiped out entire villages in the hills of the Atlas Mountains.

    “People are very depressed here, the village of Imine Tala is completely demolished,” one unnamed villager reveals.

    “There is no one left to help. The cliff fell on them. The people are still under the rubble and no one can remove the stones, and the authorities haven’t yet sent the equipment to remove them, as they haven’t done so for three days. You can smell the corpses everywhere. It’s a shame the authorities haven’t helped these people.”

    In other parts of the country, the Moroccan Red Crescent and army lead the rescue effort.

    West of Imine Tale in Amziz, other survivors have found refuge in tents.

    “In the areas in the high mountains the road is difficult, and we hope the government and the civil society will be able to bring aid to those villages which are difficult to reach because they have nothing there, so in God’s will they will receive aid,” Mostafa Ushun says.

    In addition to Spain, Morocco announced on Sunday it had accepted aid from Britain, Qatar, and the UAE.

    The North African country’s strongest-ever left over 2,400 injured.

    Friday’s quake struck 72 kilometres, 45 miles, southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in the hills of the Atlas mountains.

    On Sunday, September 10, an aftershock of magnitude 4.5 rattled the same region.

  • African qualifier to go ahead in Marrakech despite deadly quake

    African qualifier to go ahead in Marrakech despite deadly quake

    Gambia and Congo’s African Cup of Nations qualifier in Marrakech will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday.

    This is in spite of the powerful earthquake that struck the city on Friday night and which has so far killed more than 1,000 people and injured hundreds more.

    However, Saturday’s match between Morocco and Liberia in Agadir, some 260-km away from the quake epicentre, has been postponed.

    The Gambia and Congo squads spent the night sleeping beside their hotel pools after the magnitude 6.8 quake struck in the High Atlas mountains and damaged buildings in nearby Marrakech.

    It was the country’s deadliest tremor in more than six decades.

    Both coaches said their players were traumatised by the event but had been told they must go ahead with their match.

    Sunday’s clash, which decides who qualifies along with Group G winners Mali, is being played in Marrakech because Gambia do not have a suitable stadium to host internationals.

    “We have been told our match on Sunday must go ahead. It’s quite strange that the Morocco game is off but ours is not,” Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet told Reuters.

    CAF have since confirmed the decision without comment.

    “We have been outside for some 13-14 hours now,” added Saintfiet.

    “The hotel is damaged but we can hopefully get new rooms on the ground. But we think it is best this game is postponed because the mood among the players is understandably sombre and everyone is a little scared.”

    Congo coach Paul Put said his players were unharmed.

    “We are OK but still in shock. Mentally it’s difficult to keep up the concentration. We had to sleep outside, near the swimming pool.

    “It was very scary and even now a complicated situation for the players,” he told Reuters.

    Morocco have already reached the finals along with South Africa from Group K and the match with Liberia is their last qualifier, with the outcome of academic interest.

    “Following the earthquake which affected certain regions of Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces the postponement of the match … (to) a later date, in agreement with the Confederation of African Football,” officials said in a statement.

    “The national football family presents its most sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.”

  • Earthquake: Nigeria’s president, Tinubu commiserate with Moroccans

    Earthquake: Nigeria’s president, Tinubu commiserate with Moroccans

    Nigeria’s President,  Bola Ahmed  Tinubu has commiserated with Moroccans over the devastating earthquake that struck the North African country on Friday night.

    The earthquake caused the death of over 800 people while hundres of people   hospitalized after suffering varying degrees of Injuries.

    The 6.8-magnitude earthquake has been described as the most devastating in many years in the history of the country.

    Reacting, President Tinubu in a statement posted on his X official account on Saturday, described the incident as unfortunate.

    The president assured Moroccans that the heartfelt prayers and thoughts of Nigerians are with them at the difficult moment.

    The post reads, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to King Mohammed VI of #Morocco following Saturday’s devastating earthquake in his homeland, which claimed many lives.

    “I commiserate with all families who lost loved ones and all those otherwise affected by this tragedy, while wishing a full and swift recovery to those who were injured.

    “I assure the government and people of Morocco that the heartfelt prayers and thoughts of Nigerians are with them during this difficult moment of tragedy.

    “In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild, and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate even

  • Watch moment magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco

    Watch moment magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco

    A video footage has captured the moment a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco killing hundreds of people and destroying buildings, forcing terrified residents onto the streets

    Recall that TheNewsGuru.com reported that a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco Friday night, killing more than 600 people and damaging buildings in the historic city of Marrakech in what the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said was the strongest tremor to hit that part of the North African nation in more than a century.

    Watch:

     

     

  • Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits Southern California

    Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits Southern California

    As Tropical Storm Hilary bears down on Southern California, a series of earthquakes complicated the picture even further, with a magnitude 5.1 quake just south of the Los Padres National Forest around 2:45 pm Sunday.

    Four more followed suit in the minutes after, ranging from 3.1 to 3.6 on the Richter scale.

    The storm made landfall Sunday on the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, with “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” expected in the region, including across parts of the southwestern U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center.

    One person drowned Saturday in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia, on the peninsula’s eastern coast, when a vehicle was swept away in an overflowing stream.

    Rescue workers managed to save four other people, said Edith Aguilar Villavicencio, the mayor of Mulege township.

    Forecasters have warned of “life-threatening” flooding in areas not known for rainfall and said strong winds might down trees and power lines.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday declared a state of emergency ahead of Hilary’s expected landing later Sunday.

    The storm is expected to enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years.

     

  • Explosion hits Johannesburg major highway [Video]

    Explosion hits Johannesburg major highway [Video]

    An explosion has just occurred in one of Johannesburg’s major highways in South Africa.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports it happened few minutes ago as captured in a trending video on social media networks.

    In the background audio of the video clip it’s said that it seems nobody is hurt after it occurred.

    Many vehicles were sighted in the clip apparently shoved out of the highway.

    WATCH:

     

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  • Turkey Earthquake: Nigeria presents $1m to Turkey

    Turkey Earthquake: Nigeria presents $1m to Turkey

    Following the earthquake that shook Turkey-Syria a delegation of the President, Muhammadu Buhari led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Minister, has delivered $1m support fund to the Turkish government to cushion the effect of the disaster.

    It was gathered that Bello and other members of the delegation were received by the Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

    About 50,000 persons lost their lives after the tragic 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Turkey-Syria on February 6.

    According to Bellow, president  Buhari was unable to personally pay a condolence visit to the country due to the  general election in Nigeria.

    The FCT minister conveyed the President’s heartfelt condolences on behalf of the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the government and people of Turkey over the devastating earthquake.

    The minister also handed over Buhari’s letter of condolence as well as a Central Bank of Nigeria Promissory Note of $1,000,000 for onward transmission to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

    He said the token was a donation by the Government of Nigeria to support the ongoing humanitarian efforts in cushioning the effects of the tragic earthquake.

    Meanwhile, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Afairs in his remarks, explained that President Erdoğan was unable to personally receive the delegation due to the exigencies of directly overseeing humanitarian efforts in the 11 quake-hit southern provinces of Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.

    The minister thanked Buhari, the government and people of Nigeria for their show of solidarity, financial, as well as material support to the Republic of Turkey in her trying times.

    He noted that the First Lady of Nigeria, Hajiya Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, had earlier donated 10,000 blankets on behalf of the African First Ladies Forum to the humanitarian efforts in the country.

    Çavuşoğlu told the Nigerian delegation that as of February 23, 2023, no fewer than 43,000 persons had been confirmed dead while 14 million people were affected in 11 provinces of the country. He added that the government had resolved to embark on rebuilding new cities with all associated infrastructure in all the locations of the disaster.

    The minister, while wishing Nigeria successful and peaceful general elections, reiterated that in compliance with the country’s constitution, the Government of Türkiye was also committed to conducting its forthcoming general election scheduled to take place on June 18, 2023, despite the devastating effects of the earthquake.

  • Natural Disaster: Turkey suffers another earthquake

    Natural Disaster: Turkey suffers another earthquake

    Weeks after Turkey-Syria were hit by a massive earthquake leading to the death of more than 46,000 people, another 6.4 magnitude earthquake has struck southern Turkey and also felt in neighbouring Syria.

    According to a government source, a disaster and emergency agency, Afad said, the tremor struck the region around 20:00 local time.

    The mayor of Hatay, in southern Turkey, has said people are trapped under rubble.

    Turkey’s disaster and emergency agency says the 6.4 tremor occurred at 20:04 local time (17:04 GMT), followed by the 5.8 quake three minutes later.

    The three deaths occurred in Antakya, Defne, and Samandag, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said, urging people not to enter potentially dangerous buildings.

    Mr Soylu said 213 people had also been injured.

    Reports from the city of Antakya spoke of fear and panic in the streets as ambulances and rescue crews tried to reach the worst affected areas where the walls of badly damaged buildings had collapsed.

    In Syria, some 470 injured people are said to have visited hospitals after Monday’s quakes, which were also reportedly felt in Egypt and Lebanon.

    Hatay province is on the Mediterranean Sea, and the disaster agency urged people to stay away from the coast, warning that the quakes might cause the sea level to rise by 50cm (20 inches).

  • Remains of Black Stars player, Christian Atsu return to Ghana

    Remains of Black Stars player, Christian Atsu return to Ghana

    The remains of former Ghana international footballer, Christian Atsu, who died in a devastating earthquake in Turkey, are being flown home, the country’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

    According to Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the remains are accompanied by his family and Ghana’s Ambassador to Turkey on a Turkish airlines flight.

    The remains will arrive in Accra at 7:40 p.m. today Sunday, 19th February, 2023, the ministry disclosed in a statement.

    The statement reads: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration hereby informs that the Government of Ghana is making arrangements to receive the mortal remains of the late Christian Atsu, a former Black Stars player.

    “The remains will be accompanied by his family and Ghana’s Ambassador to Türkiye on a Turkish airlines flight and will arrive in Accra at 7:40 p.m. today Sunday, 19th February, 2023.

    “The remains will be received at the Kotoka International Airport by the family, the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and the Government upon its arrival from Istanbul, Türkiye.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family, and we pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Christian Atsu”.