Salem-News.com Earthquake articles

UN Mobilizes Relief Efforts After Deadly Tsunami Strikes South Pacific (VIDEO)

Food shortages are expected to occur in both Samoa and Tonga.

(AMERICAN SAMOA) - United Nations aid agencies are working with authorities across the South Pacific to help coordinate relief efforts in the wake of a tsunami that has struck Samoa, American Samoa and an island in northern Tonga, killing dozens of people, swamping towns and villages, and damaging vital infrastructure.

At least 62 people are confirmed to have died in Samoa, while six others are dead on the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu, according to information provided to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, there are unconfirmed reports of 19 fatalities.

Deadly Indonesian Earthquakes Leave 75 Dead and Thousands Trapped

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered his condolences to the victims of the quake and their families, and said he was closely following reports of the impact of the disaster.

(SUMATRA) - Devastating back-to-back earthquakes have rocked the Indonesian island of Sumatra today, killing at least 75 people and leaving thousands trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, the United Nations humanitarian wing has reported.

A powerful 7.9-magnitude tremor, originating from the same fault-line that produced the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, struck near the city of Padang at 5:16 pm local time, and was followed by a quake measuring 6.2 about 22 minutes later.

Survivors of Afghan Quakes Await Relief

The death toll of 19 could rise, according to people on the ground in Afghanistan.

(MIR GADKHEL, Afghanistan) - Survivors of two earthquakes in Afghanistan told Reuters they spent a freezing night in the rain outside the collapsed remains of their homes because promised government help did not reach them.

The two quakes - one measuring 5.5 and the other of 5.1 magnitude - rocked Nangarhar province, 90km east of Kabul, within a span of two hours early on Friday.

House Slides Down Hillside as Neighbors Rescue Occupant‏

There are two streets closed indefinitely in the area. SW Terwilliger Blvd from Capitol Highway to Chestnut Street SW and Burlingame Place at the scene of the slide. City officials are asking drivers to please avoid these areas.

(PORTLAND, Ore) - Portland Fire & Rescue crews responded to a report of a house sliding down the hill and the occupant was sliding down in front of the building.

Neighbors said that just after 5:30 AM, they saw the occupant "surfing" down the hill on a slab of concrete and quickly grabbed a ladder. Kim Kosmas with Portland Fire & Rescue says they reached with the ladder to the occupant and she grabbed the last rung of the ladder.

"The three neighbors then pulled the ladder and the occupant up the hill as the slab of concrete continued down the hillside."

Limited Access Hampers Efforts to Assess Impact of Earthquake in Kyrgyzstan

The worst-affected areas were located in Chon-Alai and Alai, 220 kilometres from the main city of Osh, which had already been struck by an earthquake in January.

(Osh, Kyrgyzstan) - United Nations humanitarian agencies are dispatching aid and staff to southern Kyrgyzstan, where dozens of people have been killed and hundreds of homes destroyed after an earthquake struck the remote, mountainous region.

it is reported that at least 60 people died when the quake, which measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and was recorded as being about 27 kilometres below the surface, struck close to Nura, a village near the Kyrgyz border with China.

Limited access and communication are making it difficult to assess the full impact of the deadly earthquake that struck this section of southern Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, according to United Nations relief officials.

Earthquake in China Leaves Thousands Dead, Some Buried (VIDEO)

China's state news agency estimates that 7,651 people have died from injuries suffered in the earthquake.

(SALEM, Ore.) - As many as 5,000 people were killed in China today during a major earthquake. The disaster that jolted southwestern China on Monday measured a magnitude of 7.8.

In China's Sichuan province alone, officials report an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 victims reported the Xinhua news agency said. The military was also dispatched to quake-hit areas.

5.2 Magnitude Quake Rocks Southern Illinois

The USGS says the largest earthquake in the region -- magnitude 5.4 -- shook in 1968.

(WEST SALEM, Illinois ) - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake rocked southern Illinois early Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the earthquake was about three miles below ground, six miles northwest of Mount Carmel, Illinois, 38 miles north-northwest of Evansville, Indiana, and 128 miles east of St. Louis according to the USGS.

Earthquake Swarm Off Oregon Coast Puzzles Scientists

Few, if any, of these earthquakes would be felt on shore because they originate offshore and deep within the ocean.

(NEWPORT, Ore.) - Scientists at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center have recorded more than 600 earthquakes in the last 10 days off the central Oregon coast in an area not typically known for a high degree of seismic activity.

This earthquake “swarm” is unique, according to OSU marine geologist Robert Dziak, because it is occurring within the middle of the Juan de Fuca plate – away from the major, regional tectonic boundaries.

No Tsunami Threat From Oregon Earthquake

Historically, there have been quite a few earthquakes that changed Oregon, luckily this wasn't one.

(SALEM, Ore.) - There was a big rumble out in the ocean this morning. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck about 112 miles west of Port Orford, at 7:44 AM PT. Luckily, it didn't cause enough of a stir to set off tsunami warnings in Oregon's coastal towns.

The quake was a depth of 6.2 miles, according to Angel Gutierrez, a geophysicist with the U.S.Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado. The USGS initially put the quake at 6.0 magnitude.

Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Shakes Off Oregon Coast

There were no reports of injuries or damage.

(COOS BAY, Ore. ) - A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the Oregon coast Wednesday night, the USGS reported.

The earthquake occurred at 5:37 PM and was located 153 miles west of Winchester Bay. The quake had a depth of 6.2 miles.