AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Avalanche Search and Rescue; Mexico School Shooting; Nigeria Airstrike Deadly Error

Emergency and disaster management briefing for Jan. 20, 2017:

    1. Rescuers are [link url=”http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38685489″ title=”searching for survivors after an avalanche at a mountain hotel”] in Italy left at least two people dead and dozens more buried under rubble and snow. Two bodies were recovered from the ruins of the remote Rigopiano hotel, in the central Abruzzo region yesterday. At least 25 people are believed to be missing. The avalanche was caused by multiple earthquakes.[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/deadly-avalanche-italian-mountains-buries-luxury-hotel/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/weather-history-snow-america/”]
    2. A [link url=”https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/world/americas/mexico-school-shooting-monterrey.html?_r=0″ title=”15-year-old student opened fire on his classmates”] and teacher on Wednesday in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, wounding four people before killing himself. Mexican law enforcement officials are investigating the origin of the .22 caliber pistol [link url=”http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/19/unprecedented-school-shooting-in-mexico-sparks-gun-control-debate-monterrey-colegio-americano-del-noreste/” title=”amid debate over the country’s gun control laws”].
    3. A military airstrike [link url=”http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55993#.WIC6k1OLTIU” title=”mistakenly hit a displacement camp in Nigeria”] killing dozens of people, including aid workers, and wounding a reported 100 others. The Red Cross and Nigerian army have deployed emergency assistance and medical teams. The camp is located in Rann, which has been under the control of the group Boko Haram for the past several years. The Nigerian government is investigating how the attack occurred.
    4. At this week’s [link url=”https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/18/460m-pledged-for-vaccine-initiative-to-prevent-global-epidemics-davos-mers-nipah-lassa” title=”World Economic Forum in Davos”], an international coalition has announced an initial $460 million of funding to tackle the diseases most likely to cause a worldwide health crisis. Three diseases will initially be targeted: Lassa, Mers and Nipah. All three are caused by viruses that have come from animals to infect humans and could trigger dangerous global epidemics.
    5. A [link url=”http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/red-toxic-smog-alert-issued-in-eight-london-boroughs-as-filthy-air-arrives-from-germany-a3444166.html” title=”toxic air alert has been issued for London today”], as Mayor Sadiq Khan warned of a “public health emergency”. Air pollution is set to hit ‘red alert’ levels in central parts of the capital, caused by a combination of a cloud of toxic air from Germany’s industrial heartlands and locally produced nitrogen dioxide, much of which is spewed out by diesel vehicles in Britain’s congested capital.

  1. The daily economic cost to the U.S. from [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/01/19/space-weather-forecasters-remain-vigilant-in-2017-for-potentially-crippling-solar-storms/?utm_term=.f48f02d1aae2″ title=”solar storm-induced electricity blackouts could be in the tens of billions of dollars”], with more than half the loss from indirect costs outside the blackout zone, according to a new study led by University of Cambridge researchers.
  2. More than [link url=”http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/19/middleeast/iran-tehran-building-fire-collapse/” title=”20 firefighters are reported to have been killed”] with many people injured when a burning building in the capital of Iran collapsed. Dozens more are reported to be injured. Authorities say some people are trapped inside the rubble of the collapsed building. The cause of the fire is not yet known.[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/psychiatric-emergencies-pose-hazards-for-public-safety-professionals/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/extreme-weather-killed-thousands-and-cost-billions-across-the-globe-in-2016/”]
  3. A massive [link url=”http://www.abc10.com/news/local/california/massive-sinkhole-prompts-state-of-emergency-in-grass-valley/387129058″ title=”sinkhole that appeared in Grass Valley”] could take crews until April to repair after it opened up following storms earlier this month. The discovery of the seven story, 80 foot wide hole prompted city officials and Nevada County council members to declare a state of emergency for the area. The cost of the damages is estimated to be around $2.5 million.

Glynn Cosker is a Managing Editor at AMU Edge. In addition to his background in journalism, corporate writing, web and content development, Glynn served as Vice Consul in the Consular Section of the British Embassy located in Washington, D.C. Glynn is located in New England.

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