Bangladesh reels under worst dengue outbreak
Dhaka, Nov 20: Dengue cases in Bangladesh have crossed the 300,000 mark as the nation grapples with its worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease, media reports said on Monday. Bangladesh’s overall tally of dengue infections stood at 301,255, with the country logging 1,549 deaths by the viral disease this year, the bdnews24.com news portal reported, citing data from the Directorate General of Health Services. On Sunday alone, 1,291 new cases of the viral fever were reported, according to the report. A total of 4,949 patients, including 1,127 in Dhaka, are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. After August saw 71,976 cases and 342 deaths, a record 79,598 dengue cases and 396 deaths were recorded in September amid the worst outbreak of the disease, while 67,769 cases and 359 deaths were reported in October. The death toll in the first 19 days of November was 201, while 30,080 new dengue cases were recorded during this period. Last year, hospitals reported 62,382 patients who took medical care for the disease. (PTI)
Papua New Guinea volcano erupts
Tokyo, Nov 20: A volcano in Papua New Guinea erupted on Monday, and the Japan Meteorological Agency said it was assessing a possible risk of a tsunami for Japanese coasts. Mount Ulawun on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea erupted at around 3:30 pm (0630 GMT) Monday, spewing volcanic smoke as high as 15,000 meters (50,000 feet), the agency said, quoting the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia. The agency said it was assessing a possible impact, including the risk of a tsunami approaching Japan later Monday. First tsunami waves could reach Izu and Ogasawara islands about three hours after the shaking caused by the eruption, JMA said. The agency has not issued any tsunami advisory or warning. It said that no notable change to sea levels has been detected at observation sites in and outside Japan. Papua New Guinea’s Geohazards Management Division said Ulawun’s volcanic activity started Monday afternoon. The eruption is expected to continue indefinitely, it said, and raised the volcano’s risk level to the highest stage of four. Ulawun is one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean. (AP)
Turkish cargo vessel sinks off Black Sea coast
Ankara, Nov 20: Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Monday confirmed that a cargo ship and its 12-member crew capsized off the country’s Black Sea coast during a storm overnight. The authorities have been unable to make contact with the crew, Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying to reporters in the northwestern city of Eregli. The “Kafkametler” vessel, which was transporting ferrosilicon from the Russian port of Temryuk to Aliaga in Turkey, sank after hitting the breakwater in Eregli, he said. The region was hit by powerful storms on Sunday and the bad weather prevented authorities from carrying out searches, he added. “When the adverse weather conditions improve, search and rescue activities will start,” Yerlikaya said. (IANS)