Deadly Landslide After Heaviest Rainfall in Ecuador Kills At Least 22
PHOTO: RESCUERS REMOVING BODIES FROM MUD, ONLOOKERS AND MOURNERS, DAMAGE FROM LANDSLIDE, SOUNDBITES FROM LOCALS ON LANDSLIDE
INTERNATIONAL: Rescuers have pulled bodies out from under thick mud on Tuesday,February 1, after a landslide in Ecuador's capital Quito left at least 22 people dead with 47 have reported injured so far.
On Tuesday morning, firefighters have continued searching homes and streets covered by mud and removing bodies buried in the area.
Torrential rains on Monday night ,January 31, has caused a build-up of water in a gorge near the working-class neighborhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna, sending mud and rocks down on residences and affecting electricity provision.
A muddy river flowing through neighborhood streets, carrying with it trees, vehicles, dumpsters, and even electricity poles, as residents screamed for help.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further landslides. The mayor's office has set up shelters for affected families and has started clearing streets in the city.
Ecuador is facing heavy rains in several areas, which have caused rivers to overflow and affected hundreds of homes and roads.
Rains in Quito on Monday were equivalent to 75 liters per square meter, the highest figure in nearly two decades.
More than 100 emergency workers have gone to the scene cleaning debris using heavy machinery and were searching for survivors.
Emergency worker, Cristian Rivera, has said he expected the death toll to rise. He has mentioned that there are still tons of mud. Missing people have been reported.
Boeing Co-Developed Japanese F-15 Fighter Jet Goes Off The Radar
PHOTO: JAPAN COAST GUARD SEARCHING FOR MISSING JAPANESE F-15 FIGHTER JET FILE PHOTOS OF F-15 FIGHTER JET AT KOMATSU AIR BASE SOUNDBITES FROM JAPANESE DEFENCE MINISTER NOBUO KISHI
A missing Japanese F-15 frontline fighter is believed to have crashed and its two crew members remain unaccounted for, Japan has announced on Tuesday , February 1.
The Japan Air Self-Defence Force jet has disappeared from air traffic control radar on Monday ,January 31, shortly after take-off, around 5 kilometres from Komatsu air base on the Sea of Japan coast, which has two tactical fighter squadrons, according to the defence ministry.
Speaking to reporters, Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi has dismissed an early media report that one of the pilots had been found.
Search and rescue helicopters and three coast guard ships have continued their search after earlier finding aircraft debris in the sea, the Japan Coast Guard said in a press release.
Flamingos in Wetlands Threatened by New Albania’s Biggest Airport
PHOTO: DRONE FOOTAGE OVER WETLANDS WHERE FLAMINGOS FEEDING / DRONE FOOTAGE OF FLAMINGOS FLYING / DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING SHEEP IN PASTURES AND LANDSCAPES / VARIOUS OF FLAMINGOS AND OTHER BIRDS IN THE VJOSE-NARTE LAGOON / VARIOUS OF FISHERMEN AND ORNITHOLOGIST MONITORING BIRDS / SOUNDBITE OF ORNITHOLOGIST SAYING THE AIRPORT PROJECT THREATENS BIRDS / SOUNDBITE OF LOCAL RESIDENT SAYING THE AIRPORT WOULD HAMPER TOURISM / SOUNDBITE OF DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT PRESERVATION OFFICE SAYING THE AIRPORT SHOULD BE BUILT OUTSIDE PROTECTED ZONE / SOUNDBITE OF ALBANIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENT SAYING GOVERNMENT RESPECTED PROCEDURE
Plans to build Albania's biggest airport could destroy one of Europe's most spectacular sanctuaries for giant birds, where the noise of trucks and excavators is already scaring away pelicans and flamingos, ornithologists say.
The picturesque Vjose-Narte lagoon in the shadow of Albania's Thunderbolt Mountains on the Adriatic Sea is a crucial stop for flocks of birds on their annual migration between Europe and Africa.
It was declared a protected nesting and migration area in 2004, and is home to 200 bird species.
The government says a new airport on the lagoon will boost tourism along Albania's pristine Adriatic coast and complies with environmental rules.
The tourism and environment minister, Mirela Kumbaro has said; "We have respected every step, every timeline, and every procedure of the Albanian law, whether that is for the public consultations or how it will impact the environment.”
The main firm building the airport, Swiss-based Mabetex, did not respond to emails and phone messages seeking comment.
Birdwatchers describe this part of Albania as one of the best places in Europe to see flocks of giant pink flamingos take flight.
An ornithologist from the group Birds of Albania, Mirjan Topi has said the lagoon is home on any given day to around 1.5 percent of the entire global population of majestic Dalmatian pelicans, one of the world's largest flying birds, which are in danger of extinction.
He also said that the safety of the aircraft would be a concern, due to the danger of collisions with birds.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for 18 percent of Albania's economic output and generated one in every 10 jobs.
But if the aim is to boost tourism, 28-year old Arsen Lambro,, who runs a fish restaurant near the lagoon, says it would be a mistake to destroy the local grandeur for an airport.
Lambo has said ; "What will the tourists find here? It is not only the food but it is the area that will bring more tourists."
