Environment

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck an arc of islands off New Zealand on Sunday, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it may cause only minor sea level changes in some coastal areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit a spot about 873 kilometers (541 miles) northeast of Ngunguru, New Zealand, a town of about 1,400 people. It occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

The area the quake struck is called the Kermadec Islands, about 800 kilometers (497 miles) northeast of New Zealand’s North Island.

NEW DELHI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The very severe cyclonic storm, Vayu, which was likely to make a landfall in India's western state of Gujarat on Thursday but changed its trajectory could again recurve in the next two days, meteorological department officials said Saturday.

ISLAMABAD, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Floods triggered by continuous torrential rains hit different areas of Gilgit-Baltistan region in the north of Pakistan in the past days, leaving at least three people dead and injuring several others, local media and officials said Thursday.

Disaster Management Authority officials said in a statement that torrential rains and the floods caused widespread devastation by destroying several houses and washing away crops, livestock and vehicles in different areas, including Nagar, Skardu and Shigar district of the region.

MOSCOW, June 14. /TASS/: An earthquake of 6.5 magnitude has been registered off Chile's coast, US Geological Survey said on Friday.

The earthquake's epicenter lay in 79 km to the west of the city of Coquimbo with the population of around 160,000 people. The epicenter lay at the depth of 10 km.

No injuries or damages were reported, and no tsunami alert was issued.

14 June 2019; DW: A number of Indian cities can do more to prevent deaths and illnesses experts said on Friday.

Until now, there have been at least 36 deaths as a result of this year's heat wave, where temperatures have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

Indeed, a scarcity of water has led to fighting on the streets, with a number of stabbings, injuries and even deaths as a result of the hostilities.

Ahmedabad, Jun 13 (PTI) Sparing Gujarat after changing course, Cyclone Vayu Thursday began moving away from the state coast towards Oman, even as the danger of heavy winds and rain in coastal areas continued, officials said here.

Though the "eye of the storm" is away from land, the cyclone's outer periphery would leave its impact on the coast, officials said.

State authorities have already evacuated three lakh people from low-lying areas near the coast to safer places.

New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) The railways has cancelled 77 trains and short terminated 33 others due to Cyclone Vayu, the Western Railways said Thursday.

The cancellations were made as a precaution even though the cyclone changed its course and is unlikely to make landfall in Gujarat. However, it will cause heavy rain in several coastal districts of the state.

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities say that about 20 people have been injured in eastern Germany by gusty winds and thunderstorms.

German news agency dpa reported Thursday eight people were injured Wednesday night at an outdoor wedding party when a tree branch crashed onto them in Blankensee in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

In Berlin, 11 people were injured when a tree fell on a group celebrating outside and an unknown number of passengers in a convertible were also injured by a falling tree.

Mumbai, Jun 12 (PTI) Parts of Mumbai may face water cut by 10 to 15 per cent till June 14, the local civic body said Wednesday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said water cut may be imposed after a technical snag was reported Tuesday in the supply system at Bhatsa dam, which supplies water to large parts of the financial capital.

Some media reports had earlier suggested Mumbaikars may face up to 25 per cent water cut till June 14.

VERAVAL, India (AP) — Authorities evacuated nearly 300,000 people from India’s western coastline ahead of a very severe cyclone that’s expected to make landfall on Thursday as the year’s second major storm.

The India Meteorological Department says Cyclone Vayu, named after the Hindi word for wind, could possibly just scrape by the western state of Gujarat instead of hitting it head on in the afternoon before returning to the Arabian Sea.