Pakistan’s restive province of Baluchistan was hit with devastating floods when torrential rains burst the Shadikor Dam near Pasni, sweeping people, homes and livestock into the Arabian Sea. A smaller dam also burst elsewhere in the province, while landslides also claimed casualties in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. The confirmed death toll has reached 360, with 1,500 more missing. (The Scotsman, Feb. 14)
Floods have also left 14 dead and thousands homeless in coastal Venezuela in recent days. President Hugo Chavez said the extreme weather is a symptom of "global warming, which the powerful nations do not want to discuss," alluding to United States’ rejection of the Kyoto treaty. (AFP, Feb. 11)
See our last post on Venezuela.
