News

Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

Published

8 months ago

2024-04-03

Kiara Grace

Hualien, Taiwan — The largest earthquake in a quarter-century shook Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding scores of workers at quarries, and sending other inhabitants fleeing through damaged buildings’ windows.

The quake, which injured over 1,000 people, struck off the shore of rural, mountainous Hualien County. Several buildings tilted at sharp angles, and their ground floors were crushed. As tremors shook the island nation, tiles fell from older buildings in Taipei, just over 150 kilometers (93 miles) away. Schools also evacuated pupils to sports areas.

Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

Rescuers fanned out in Hualien, searching for trapped persons and using excavators to stabilize damaged houses. The number of missing, trapped, or stranded individuals changed as officials discovered additional people in distress and sought to find or free them.

According to Taiwan’s National Fire Service, the 70 workers stranded at two rock quarries are safe, but falling rocks have damaged the roads leading to them. Six workers were scheduled to be flown on Thursday.

In the early hours after the earthquake, neighbors and rescue workers were seen on TV carrying residents, including toddlers, out windows and onto the street after doors fused shut during the shaking.

Earthquakes frequently shake Taiwan, and its people are among the most prepared for them. However, authorities did not issue any alerts since they expected a small earthquake. The eventual quake was powerful enough to startle even those accustomed to shaking.

“I’ve become accustomed to earthquakes. But it was the first time an earthquake shocked me to tears,” said Hsien-Hsien Keng, a Taipei resident who lives on the fifth floor of an apartment building. “The earthquake woke me up. I’d never experienced such extreme shaking before.

According to the fire department, the earthquake occurred just before 8 a.m. and killed at least nine individuals. According to the local United Daily News, three hikers were murdered in rockslides in Taroko National Park in Hualien, while a van driver died when debris collided with his vehicle.

A tsunami warning was issued but later withdrawn.

At least 1,011 persons have been reported injured. After the quake knocked down phone networks, authorities lost communication with 50 hotel personnel in minibusses in the national park; three hiked to the hotel, while the others remained stuck.

Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

The earthquake and its aftershocks triggered 24 landslides and damaged roads, bridges, and tunnels. The national assembly, a converted school erected before World War II, and sections of Taoyuan’s main airport, located south of Taipei, all suffered moderate damage.

Hualien Mayor Hsu Chen-wei reported that 48 residential buildings were destroyed in the city, which shares its name with the county. Hsu stated that water and electrical supplies were being restored.

According to Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring service, the quake was 7.2, but the US Geological Survey rated it 7.4. It struck roughly 18 kilometers (11 miles) off Hualien, Taiwan’s east coast, and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep. Several aftershocks followed.

Following the earthquake, traffic along the east coast stopped as landslides and falling debris struck tunnels and roadways. Train service was suspended across the 23 million-person island, with some tracks twisted by the quake’s force. Subway service was suspended in Taipei, where sections of a freshly completed elevated line ripped apart but did not collapse.

The initial alarm following the earthquake dissipated swiftly on the island, which prepares for such catastrophes with exercises in schools and notifications distributed through public media and mobile phones. According to Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Taiwan’s earthquake preparation is among the best in the world, with tight building rules and a world-class seismological network.

By lunchtime, the metro station in Beitou, a busy northern Taipei neighborhood, was back in full swing. People were commuting to work, and others were arriving to explore the hot springs or hike the mountain pathways at the base of an extinct volcano.

Chinese media said the earthquake was felt in Shanghai and other provinces along China’s southeastern coast. China and Taiwan are approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that a 30-centimeter (approximately 1-foot) tsunami was observed on the coast of Yonaguni island around 15 minutes after the earthquake occurred. Smaller waves were also observed on Ishigaki and Miyako islands. By Wednesday afternoon, all regionwide advisories had been withdrawn.

Taiwan is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults that encircles the Pacific Ocean and is the source of most of the world’s earthquakes.

Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

In 2018, a severe earthquake that struck Hualien left 17 people dead and destroyed a historic hotel. Taiwan’s greatest earthquake in recent years happened on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, killing 2,400 people, wounding around 100,000, and demolishing thousands of buildings.

The economic impact of the earthquake has yet to be calculated. Taiwan is the world’s top manufacturer of sophisticated computer chips and other high-tech things extremely sensitive to seismic activity. Parts of the energy grid were shut down, potentially disrupting the supply chain and resulting in financial losses.

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which provides semiconductors to businesses like Apple, said it had evacuated workers from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu officials stated that water and electricity supplies to all enterprises in the city’s research park were regular.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange started as usual on Wednesday, with the index fluctuating between losses and gains.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.

The Prime Minister dances.

This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.

Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf

— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

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News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
Numbers cannot be repeated
Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
Each play buys 3 lines
Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)