Tag: mountain

Tens of thousands trek rugged trail to glimpse Iceland volcano

Iceland (AFP) – Tens of thousands of people have braved a steep, rugged trail in Iceland to catch a rare glimpse of an active volcano after it erupted last week, spewing red-hot lava into the sky. Tourism officials said Thursday that almost 23,000 people had made the difficult, hours-long trek to spot the volcano in the Meradalir valley, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the capital. “We’ve been here for three, four hours and we […]

Hopes dim in search for 93 missing in China landslide

by Becky Davis Agence France Presse Rescuers kept digging through rocks and earth for more than 90 people still missing Sunday after a huge landslide entombed a village in southwest China, but some relatives lost hope of finding them alive. At least 10 people have been confirmed dead, a day after the avalanche of rocks buried 62 homes in Xinmo, a once-picturesque mountain village nestled by a river in Sichuan province, the local government said. […]

Five dead, 120 people missing in China landslide

by Ludovic Ehret Agence France Presse At least five people were found dead and over 120 remained missing hours after a massive landslide buried a mountain village in southwest China on Saturday as rescuers scoured through rocks for survivors. A couple and a baby were rescued and taken to hospital after dozens of homes in the village of Xinmo were swallowed by boulders when the side of a mountain collapsed, according to the local Maoxian, […]

Around 100 people feared buried in China landslide

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese authorities launched a frantic search for around 100 people feared buried after a landslide smashed through a mountain village in southwest Sichuan province on Saturday, local authorities said. Some 40 homes in the village of Xinmo were swallowed by huge boulders after the side of a mountain collapsed, blocking a two-kilometer (one mile) stretch of river, according to a statement and images released by the Maoxian government. Rescuers used ropes […]

Global warming is melting mountain glaciers: study

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Global warming is responsible for the melting of mountain glaciers around the world in the last century, scientists said Monday. Since glaciers respond slowly to climate change and are susceptible to yearly weather changes, there has been some debate in the scientific community about whether climate change was entirely to blame for their ice melt. For instance, the last report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded only […]

Japan dad apologises for abandoning son, thanks rescuers

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The father of a seven-year-old Japanese boy who went missing for nearly a week after his parents abandoned him in a mountain forest as punishment apologized on Friday hours after his son was found safe. “My excessive act forced my son to have a painful time,” Yamato Tanooka’s father told reporters outside the hospital where his son was being treated. “I deeply apologize to people at his school, people in the […]