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Update: At Least 31 People Feared Dead After Japan Volcano Erupts
An anonymous reader writes "More than 30 people may be dead in a volcanic eruption in central Japan, the nation's second natural disaster in the past month. Nagano prefecture posted on its website that about 30 people had heart and lung failure, the customary way for Japanese authorities to describe a body until police doctors can examine it. At least four of the victims were being brought down from Mount Ontake on Sunday afternoon, one day after the volcano erupted."
I don't think I have ever heard of a volcano erupting without any warning whatsoever.
They found 31 bodies this morning. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-mount-ontake-eruption-in-japan-surprises-locals/
Has this website turned into CNN?
Science already knows that not all eruptions produce tell-tale precursors.
154,889 other people died around the world today.
(source http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/xx.html, outdated, broken link)
Have you ever driven up to Mt St Helens? There's nothing to loot except the Bigfoot museum.
First, I see all deaths as negative things so am not trying to belittle the loss of any lives. That said, I believe that the person you responded to was missing a sarcasm tag. We have gotten much better at detecting volcanic activity ahead of an event, but not always, and the severity of the event is always a big question mark. I remember reports about bulging at Mt. St. Helen that had scientists giving out warnings of another eminent eruption for about a year. I used to check a watch site they had set up with camera feeds directly to the internet (site may still be active?). Seems like it became a scenario of the boy crying wolf, so people started ignoring the warnings after a time.
We have had other volcanic events occur without warning, and this very well could be the case here. (Minutes of seismic activity as a warning is not really a warning for those on the volcano). Obviously tragic for anyone on the volcano at the time of the eruption, but not unheard of.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Then the exchange rate for the dollar drops through the floor because nobody wants to hold them as a reserve currency anymore. Bank capital held in dollars becomes nearly worthless and lending seizes up, probably much worse than in 2008. When the economies finally recover, contracts for foreign goods and resources will probably be settled in Euros, Rubles or Renminbi.
Have gnu, will travel.
You have got it backwards. The Japanese have already banned guns, which is why they couldn't defend themselves against the volcano.
false, Japan allows those who have passed the hunter's licensing exam to own guns.
You have got it backwards. The Japanese have already banned guns, which is why they couldn't defend themselves against the volcano.
No guns? They are screwed when the giant lizard arrives.
Guns in the sense of hunting rifles are not what most gun laws are about, e.g. like owning and carrying a 6 shot colt/revolver around with you.
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
Sue the volcano
Table-ized A.I.
Sayonara.
First Fukushima, now Mount Ontake?
We should push for more stringent regulation of these kinds of disasters.