"Throat of Fire" Produces Fire - Volcano in Ecuador Erupts

Ecuador - As the country's National Agency of Risk Control issued a 'red alert' a few days ago, residents evacuated the area immediately.  Proving that an early warning and mandatory evacuations are effective; seeing as no casualties have been reported.  The volcano named Tungurahua means 'Throat of Fire' and last week it opened its throat right up and projected that fire straight up into the sky.  In fact, ash and lava shot a mile into the sky!!  An ash cloud eventually formed 2 miles above the volcano's caldera.  Tungurahua reaches an elevation of 16,478 feet and has erupted periodically since 1999.

Colombian Landslide

       Colombia's rainfall this year is the highest on record since the country's weather service was created 42 years ago.  The large amounts of rain have been partially caused by the La Nina weather phenomenon; also creating havoc for Venezuela and surrounding countries. In Colombia alone, an estimated 1.6 million people's houses have been damaged or completely lost due to massive amounts of flooding.  This number is so high because of terrible development planning; about 70% of the population lives in inundated flood plains.  Recently, a landslide buried a less developed suburb where 100 people are still missing and 23 deaths have been reported; 11 of which are children.  An estimated 1.7 million cubic feet of earth buried thirty brick houses.  The death toll from mudslides and floods for Colombia this year is now up to 199.  Last year they were at 110 and the previous year there were a total of 48 people killed.

Earthquake in Fiji

    A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck in the waters near Fiji this morning.  No immediate injuries or damages were reported.  The quake struck at a depth of 9.4 miles and 115 miles east-northeast of Lambasa.  Fortunately, no tsunami warning was in effect after the quake hit.