279 reported dead in Turkey earthquake,1,300 more hurt

Using shovels, heavy machinery and their bare hands, rescue workers scrambled through piles of rubble to find survivors Monday after a deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of eastern Turkey. (more…)

Turkey earthquake leaves as many as 1,000 people feared dead

Many hundreds of people are feared dead after a powerful earthquake hit eastern Turkey, destroying scores of buildings and leaving many victims trapped in the rubble.

Scientists from Turkey’s Kandilli earthquake institute said that given the force of the 7.2-magnitude quake, which struck at 1.41pm local time (11.41am BST), and often shoddy construction standards in the mountainous area near Turkey’s border with Iran, up to 1,000 people may have lost their lives. (more…)

Earthquake-damaged Washington Monument closes indefinitely

Visitors to one of the capital’s most iconic monuments — the Washington Monument — are out of luck: The 5.8-magnitude earthquake that was centered in Virginia on Tuesday and rocked the East Coast from the Carolinas on up to Boston and beyond also caused lasting damage to the world’s tallest obelisk. (more…)

A day after quake, Washington awakes to closures

An unsettled Washington region awoke Wednesday to the closure of many area schools, some federal buildings and landmarks including the Washington Monument, a day after a rare, powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the eastern third of the United States and unnerved tens of millions of people from Georgia to New England. (more…)

Italians evacuate Rome over ‘big one’ fears

Businesses have reported requests from one in five people to have time off work and many are also keeping children away from school and heading to the beach or country for the day. (more…)

An earthquake rocked south-eastern Spain, update

An earthquake of 4.5 degrees on Wednesday rocked south-eastern Spain, causing some damage but no injuries, officials said.
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New Japan Earthquake Brings Tsunami Warning

A powerful earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan shook a large area late Thursday. The jolt appeared to be an aftershock from the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan nearly four weeks ago. (more…)

Strong earthquake rocks Greek island, felt in Egypt

A strong earthquake struck off the Greek island of Crete on late Friday afternoon, seismologists said, damaging some homes but causing no casualties. (more…)

Japan’s Fukushima 1/100 as bad as Chernobyl incident, report

We know that the nuclear situation in Japan is critical. But how bad is it? Japan’s nuclear safety agency on Friday raised the rating of the crisis at Fukushima from 4 to 5 on the 7-step international scale. (more…)

New Zealand earthquake damage in excess of $12 billion

Christchurch has always concealed a deadly secret under its quaint English-style gardens and historic center of stone buildings and Tuesday’s killer earthquake will leave it permanently altered.

Mayor Bob Parker, a popular former television presenter with close-cropped white hair, said still-stunned locals would not abandon New Zealand’s second-largest city, but it may be a dramatically different Christchurch that emerges from a reconstruction tipped to cost upwards of $12 billion. (more…)