Environment

Three earthquakes registered in Russia's Far East in last 24 hours

MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/: Three earthquakes have rocked Russia's Far Eastern region of Kamchatka over the last 24 hours, with the strongest one reaching 5.1 magnitude, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Tuesday.

"According to Obninsk urgent reports , three earthquakes were registered in Kamchatka over the last 24 hours. None of them generated tsunamis, and none were felt in local settlements. Residents did not report anything to regional emergency services," the ministry said.

India: Bihar may be heading for a terrible drought: Nitish

Patna, Jul 1 (PTI) The spectre of a "terrible drought" is looming large on Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in the assembly on Monday, urging members of both houses of the legislature to discuss means to combat the impending crisis.

Kumar made the grim prediction while intervening in a debate on an adjournment motion on the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), which has claimed the lives of more than 150 children across the state.

India: Maha rain fury claims 27 lives

Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI) Rain fury claimed 27 lives in Maharashtra, including 18 in a wall collapse in Mumbai, while the authorities declared a holiday in the city and adjoining regions, asking people to avoid stepping out of their houses.

Eighteen people were killed and over 50 injured in a wall collapse in the northern suburb of Malad in Mumbai early Tuesday following heavy rains.

Monsoon rain causes wall to collapse, killing 15 in India

MUMBAI, India (AP) — Heavy rainfall in the western India city of Mumbai caused a wall to collapse onto shanties, killing at least 15 people and injuring 66, police said Tuesday, as forecasters warned of more rains.

Multiple rescue teams with sniffer dogs were searching the area after the wall collapsed during the night, said Sunil Deshmukh, a police officer.

Three other deaths occurred elsewhere in Mumbai, and Deshmukh said more casualties were feared at the site of another wall collapse.

India: Isolated places in Uttar Pradesh witness light showers

Lucknow, Jun 30 (PTI) Isolated places in eastern Uttar Pradesh witnessed light to moderate rain or thunderstorm on Sunday, while some parts in the western region saw light showers, bringing people some relief from the heat wave sweeping the state.

The Meteorological (Met) Department office here said Barabanki received 6 cm rainfall, followed by Karadharighat with 5 cm, Nawabganj 4 cm, Kaiserganj 3 cm, 2 cm each in Katerniaghat and Lucknow, and 1 cm each in Palliakalan, Mahrajganj and Sahswan.

Melted Alaska sea ice alarms coast residents, scientists

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Sea ice along northern Alaska disappeared far earlier than normal this spring, alarming coastal residents who rely on wildlife and fish.

Ice melted as a result of exceptionally warm ocean temperatures, the Anchorage Daily News reported .

The early melting has been “crazy,” said Janet Mitchell of Kivalina. Hunters from her family in early June traveled more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) by boat to find bearded seals on sea ice. Bearded seals in the past could be hunted just outside the village but sea ice had receded far to the north.

Floods inflicts $4.7 million damages to Irkutsk Region agriculture

BRATSK /Irkutsk Region/, June 30. /TASS/: The damages inflicted on the agriculture in the flood-affected areas of the Russian region of Irkutsk amount approximately to 300 million rubles ($4.740 million), Deputy Minister of Agriculture Maxim Uvaidov said.

"The overall damage is evaluated to be around 300 million rubles ($4.740 million - TASS)," he told the meeting convened by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the flood situation in the Irkutsk Region.

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