Tag Archives: evacuation
Countries evaluate evacuation of citizens in virus epicenter
Countries with citizens in the central Chinese city that’s the epicenter of a viral outbreak are planning evacuations as the number of illnesses grow and China takes drastic measures to try to stop the spread of the virus. — CHINA: The government cut transportation links to and from the city of Wuhan on Jan. 22 and has since expanded those controls to several nearby cities. Anyone traveling from Wuhan is required to register and quarantine themselves for 14 days — the virus’ maximum incubation period.
Evacuation crackdown ordered as Philippine volcano 'recharges'
Philippine authorities ordered a crackdown Monday on evacuees’ daily visits to their homes in the danger zone around Taal volcano as scientists warned it could be “recharging” for a more powerful explosion. More than 110,000 people have taken refuge in evacuation centres since Taal burst to life a week ago, but many hard-hit towns have let residents back for hours each day to fetch items, feed livestock and clean up their houses. “We are directing DRRMCs (civil defence officers)… not to allow anyone to enter the danger zone,” said Epimaco Densing, undersecretary for the Department of Interior.
New evacuation order for Texas city hit by explosion, chemical fire
Authorities issued a second evacuation order in a week for thousands of residents of a Texas city after air monitors discovered cancer-causing chemicals following an explosion and fire at a petrochemical plant. Officials issued the order late on Wednesday in Port Neches, Texas, a city of about 14,000 people 95 miles east of Houston, when monitors found elevated levels of butane and butadiene, a cancer-causing petrochemical. Butadiene is the main product of a TPC Group [TPCL.UL] facility in the city struck by last week’s blaze and blast.
The Latest: Sonoma County notes fire evacuation success
Officials say more than half of Sonoma County’s staff of about 1,800 people worked to help evacuate residents and deal with emergency services, communications and other needs after the Northern California county declared a state of emergency because of wildfire. The Sonoma County Board reviewed its operations at an emergency board meeting Wednesday night. The Northern California wine country county has been aggressive about its disaster response preparation in the wake of a series of devastating wildfires that killed 44 people and destroyed thousands of homes two years ago.
The Latest: More evacuation warnings issued in California
The threat from a wildfire that destroyed 21 homes in Northern California’s wine country is growing. Crews are struggling in the battle against the Sonoma County fire. Pacific Gas & Electric said a faulty transmission line near the start of a wildfire in California wine country has prompted a change in strategy about when to shut down such high-voltage lines in windy weather.
UPDATE 1-Northern California wildfire evacuation orders rise to 180,000
The southward march of a Northern California wildfire toward the more populated areas above the San Francisco Bay led officials on Sunday to raise the number of residents ordered to leave their homes in the area to 180,000. The increase, from 130,000 earlier on Sunday, came as wind gusts pushed the Kincade Fire down from the rolling hills and wine regions of northern Sonoma County and threatened communities as far south as northern Santa Rosa, officials said. Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick, defending the evacuation orders which he said had been criticized by some as overly cautious, increased the police presence in evacuation zones.
Hundreds of Nigerians to take free evacuation from S. Africa
At least 640 Nigerians have signed up to take free flights home from South Africa after xenophobic attacks on foreigners, a spokeswoman for Nigeria’s president said on Tuesday. Private Nigerian airline Air Peace plans to operate two flights with Boeing 777 aircraft, the first leaving Lagos late on Tuesday to return on Wednesday with evacuees. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday called for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians wanting to return home, and Air Peace offered free flights last week.