Earthquake, Natural Disaster | featured news

An earthquake centered in Afghanistan's east killed at least four people and injured almost 70, after wet weather weakened the country's traditional mud-brick homes, officials said on Wednesday.

A strong earthquake struck China’s mountainous Sichuan province Saturday morning, leaving at least 113 people dead and more than 3,000 injured. Chinese authorities assessed the magnitude of the quake at 7.0, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported 6.6.

Powerful aftershocks rocked the border between Iran and Pakistan Wednesday, a day after a major earthquake tore through the region, collapsing buildings and killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 170. The Pakistani town of Mashkel was “totally destroyed,” according to a local journalist at the scene.

Iran has been struck by its most powerful earthquake for more than 50 years, with tremors felt across Pakistan, India and the Middle East. The epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude quake was near the south-eastern city of Khash, close to Pakistan.

A powerful earthquake struck close to Iran's only nuclear power station on Tuesday, killing 32 people and injuring 850 as it destroyed homes and devastated two small villages, Iranian media reported.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mexico, on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway as far away as Mexico City, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Oaxaca is about 300 miles from Mexico City, where the tremors set off earthquake alarms, The Associated Press reported.

Sensors gave 30 seconds' warning before Monday's desert temblor was felt at Caltech. Scientists hope to get funds to expand the pilot project into a statewide network. In the seismic annals of California, Monday's magnitude 4.7 earthquake was little more than a footnote. It gave Southern California a small morning jolt but caused no damage and was largely shrugged off by noon.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a strong but deep earthquake has shaken western Colombia. The agency says the quake struck at 9:16 a.m. (1606 GMT) Saturday and had a magnitude of 7.0. it was located about 7 miles (11 kilometers) from Pasto.

A 1-meter tsunami was confirmed by instruments near the Solomon Islands after an 8.0-magnitude quake, said a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center geophysicist.

A strong earthquake struck Myanmar, also known as Burma, on Sunday, collapsing a bridge and a gold mine, damaging several old Buddhist pagodas and leaving as many as 12 people feared dead.