Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.8 earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.7 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.4 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.3 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.3 earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.1 earthquake hits the Andaman Islands, India.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical Cyclone 11s (Freddy) is located approximately 45 nm east of Europa Island, is tracking northwestward at 07 knots.
Newsbytes:
Indonesia – At least 15 people have died and many more are thought to be missing after heavy rain falling on unstable ground caused a massive landslide in the Riau Islands Province of Indonesia. The landslide occurred in Serasan District, Natuna Regency in the Riau Islands Province on 06 March 2023. Initial assessments suggest at least 15 people have died, 42 were missing and 8 were injured. Around 30 houses have been severely damaged or destroyed. Over 1,200 people have evacuated their homes in the area.
Zambia – Zambian officials say this year close to 400,000 people have been left homeless by the worst flooding in half a century — which started about four weeks ago. Heavy rains started a month before that and caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding tens of thousands of homes and forcing people to live in makeshift shelters. 8 people have lost their lives in the floods.
Wildfires – Australia
Firefighters in Australia on Tuesday were battling over 30 fires, of which a dozen are burning uncontrollably, in several parts of the east of the country, which is also experiencing hot, dry and windy conditions. Most of the fires are burning in New South Wales, Australia’s most populated region.
One of the fires causing the most concern is that of Tambaroora, located more than 190 kilometers (118 miles) west of Sydney. Authorities fear that this fire, which has spread over an area of more than 21 square kilometers (8 square miles), threatens some 50 neighboring properties if it advances amid rising temperatures and windy conditions. The fires come amid a heat wave, which raised temperatures in Sydney to 40 degrees Celsius, the highest in two years.
Syphilis – Paraguay
The prevalence of syphilis in Paraguay remains high, despite the existence of efficient prophylactic measures, such as the use of condoms, and also effective and cheap therapeutic options, health officials note. In 2021, 7,902 people with syphilis were registered in the country, a 19% percent increase in cases compared to 2020.
Gonorrhea – Denmark
Gonorrhea infections in Denmark have been on the rise for a long time, and now the infection curve has taken an extraordinarily large jump. Almost 40 percent more people were diagnosed with gonorrhea last year compared to the year before, and the number is now at the highest level for over 25 years. A total of 3,906 cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) were reported in 2022.