news.nationalgeographic.com
While the western world held its breath to wait for law enforcement officers to search streets and houses for a bomber, a powerful earthquake struck China. The quake has killed at least 70 people and injured at least 400 in China's south-western province of Sichuan. The human toll is expected to rise.
Reports from Beijing say electrical and water supplies have been cut to the affected area. Telephone lines are also believed to be down. 2,000 soldiers had been dispatched to the area to help with rescue efforts. Close to the epicenter, the city of Ya'an has a population of 1.5 million.
I'm a citizen of the World. Why didn't I take more notice of an earlier 8.0 magnitude quake in Sichuan in May 2008, which killed nearly 90,000 people? Does our press favor stories that are closer to home—closer to our hearts?
On checking the internet I found other reports for Friday. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck in seas off far northern Japan and far eastern Russia, but no damage was expected. A massive earthquake struck Iran, causing devastation across the country, in a tremor felt across the region in Pakistan, India and other areas of the Middle East. Early reports suggest the 7.8 magnitude quake is the most powerful to hit the country for nearly 40 years. Apparently, both major earthquakes were symptoms of India's ongoing, slow-motion collision with Asia, which gave rise to the Himalaya. In Qinghai, the two tectonic plates slide against each other, while in Sichuan, the Indian plate slips below its vast Asian counterpart.
Also, the largest earthquake to hit Britain for 10 years struck large parts of England and Wales today, triggering at least one aftershock. Thank goodness, there was no report of serious injury.
Back in America, the second Boston marathon killer has been caught. The USA has shown zero toleration for killers targeting innocent victims. Good. That's justice. This type of outrage should be stopped.
Look at the bigger picture. Earth's mighty force detonated 7.4 miles underground. The most worrying thing of all is: there is no way of disabling the next powerful eruption.
Reports from Beijing say electrical and water supplies have been cut to the affected area. Telephone lines are also believed to be down. 2,000 soldiers had been dispatched to the area to help with rescue efforts. Close to the epicenter, the city of Ya'an has a population of 1.5 million.
I'm a citizen of the World. Why didn't I take more notice of an earlier 8.0 magnitude quake in Sichuan in May 2008, which killed nearly 90,000 people? Does our press favor stories that are closer to home—closer to our hearts?
On checking the internet I found other reports for Friday. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck in seas off far northern Japan and far eastern Russia, but no damage was expected. A massive earthquake struck Iran, causing devastation across the country, in a tremor felt across the region in Pakistan, India and other areas of the Middle East. Early reports suggest the 7.8 magnitude quake is the most powerful to hit the country for nearly 40 years. Apparently, both major earthquakes were symptoms of India's ongoing, slow-motion collision with Asia, which gave rise to the Himalaya. In Qinghai, the two tectonic plates slide against each other, while in Sichuan, the Indian plate slips below its vast Asian counterpart.
Also, the largest earthquake to hit Britain for 10 years struck large parts of England and Wales today, triggering at least one aftershock. Thank goodness, there was no report of serious injury.
Back in America, the second Boston marathon killer has been caught. The USA has shown zero toleration for killers targeting innocent victims. Good. That's justice. This type of outrage should be stopped.
Look at the bigger picture. Earth's mighty force detonated 7.4 miles underground. The most worrying thing of all is: there is no way of disabling the next powerful eruption.
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