Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

 April 5, 2021:  An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 rattled Bhutan with epicenter located 33 km NNW of Samtse, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 8.4 km. The tremor was widely felt across different areas of Bhutan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. In India, most of the felt reports have been received from Gangtok, Darjeling, Kalimpong areas. The earthquake was even felt in Thimpu, the capital city of Bhutan.  Similarly, the people of Bhadrapur, Damak, Biratnagar and Dharan areas of Nepal reported about the tremor. The tremor was felt by most of cities in eastern part of Nepal. 

February 8, 2021: A glacial outburst flood in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand region of India has claimed lives of 26 people and left around 200 people missing. The flooding occurred after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off early on 7th of February. The flood damaged the Rishiganga dam on Alaknanda river. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army have been involved for the rescue operation. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced Rs 4 lakh financial assistance each for the families of those killed in the disaster.

February 5, 2021: Heavy floods and landslide triggered by heavy rainfall have claimed lives of at least 10 people in central and southern Paraguay over the past few days. Five people died in the Central Department, our in the Asuncion Metropolitan area and one in the Itapua Department.

January 26, 2021: Flooding and landslides have claimed lives of at least two people in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Around 70 people were evacuated from the Lagoa da Conceicao area after floodwater damaged at least 35 homes. More than 2,000 people have been affected by flooding in Guabiruba, Itajai Valley. According to the Civil Defense, 86 mm of rainfall was recorded in a 3-hour period.

January 24, 2021: Tropical Cyclone Eloise has claimed lives of nine people in Mozambique and three in Zimbabwe. Cyclone Eloise caused damage in in Beira, Manica, and Quelimane areas of  Mozambique. According to the Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), the cyclone has damaged around 1069 homes, 11 hospitals and nine schools. Tropical Cyclone Eloise made landfall just south of the port city of Beira, Mozambique on January 23, 2021.  Eloise is the 5th named storm of the 2020/21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season.

January 24, 2021: A series of earthquakes have been recorded near Rotorua, New Zealand.  According to the GeoNet, around 70 tremors have been recorded across Bay of Plenty and Rotorua area. The largest earthquake was measured 4.9 on the Richter Scale  with the epicenter located around 20 km east of Rotorua. At 7.57am an earthquake measuring 4.5 struck at a depth of 8 km, 20 km east of Rotorua. There are dozens of earthquakes between 3.3 and 3.8 magnitude that are part of what GeoNet is calling a swarm - all centred in the same location. GeoNet received more than 4,000 earthquake felt reports. While, the Earthquake Commission also received ten damage claims till the evening. GeoNet twitter message "This looks like a swarm - we often see these in this area (the Okataina volcanic centre), and there were small foreshocks yesterday. The last swarm with quakes of this size was in Rotoehu in July 2004."