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Syria
Bomb Attack in Damascus Kills 14
On early Wednesday, a bomb blast left 14 dead and more than 30 injured in Damascus, making it the most notable attack on Syria’s capital in years. According to state media, two bombs were attached to a military bus in advance which were then detonated as the bus passed under a bridge. A third undetonated explosive device was discovered and defused by the army. Although in a war-stricken area, Damascus has avoided major attacks in recent years, with the last significant event leaving 30 dead in 2018. The majority of those killed Wednesday were military personnel; however, three children and one teacher were also killed in the blast.
This map depicts the location of the blast that killed 14 military personnel in Damascus, Syria, as well as other notable landmarks. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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India
Himalayan Floods Kill Dozens
Drenching rains in India’s Uttarakhand state have caused widespread flash floods, destroying homes and killing at least 46 people over the past two days. The Himalayan state normally averages around 1.2 inches (30.5 mm) of rain in the month of October, but a 24-hour stretch over October 18-19 alone brought 4.8 inches (122.4 mm). Authorities in neighboring Nepal have reported 31 deaths from floods and landslides, with 43 missing. Landslides are a regular hazard in Nepal and the Himalayan regions of India, but heavy rain events appear to be increasing in frequency and volume, which many scientists attribute to climate change. Construction of hydroelectric dams and deforestation have also raised landslide risks.
This map depicts the unusual amounts of rain that have fallen in Uttarakhand and the general Himalayan region of northern India and Nepal. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Japan
Eruption Spews Plumes of Ash
On Wednesday afternoon, Japan’s Mount Aso erupted, sending plumes of ash 2.2 miles (3.5 km) into the air. Although no casualties have been reported, officials have warned the public to keep their distance from the mountain to avoid risk of dangerous pyroclastic flows and falling rocks. Mount Aso, on the Japanese Island of Kyushu, last erupted in 2019. Japan, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the most volcanically active areas in the world, with 110 active volcanoes and 47 of them monitored constantly. This eruption comes seven years after Japan’s most deadly volcanic disaster in recent memory, when Mount Ontake erupted unexpectedly in 2014, leaving 63 dead.
This map depicts the location of Mount Aso, Japan, which erupted on Wednesday. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What river, the second largest in western Asia, and meaning “the fast one” in Farsi (Persian), runs 1,180 miles (1,900 km) through Baghdad, Iraq?
A: The Tigris River
For most of its length, the Tigris River flows parallel and to the east of the Euphrates River. It originates from Lake Hazer in Turkey’s southern mountainous region and eventually merges with the Euphrates to empty into the Persian Gulf at Shatt al Arab. The Tigris is surrounded by four countries—Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria—and provides a key source of irrigation, power, and trade to millions of people. While local populations use the Tigris for fresh water, its main use is for agriculture, as the largely arid region receives low rainfall and endures hot summers.
Source
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Q: Living only in fresh water, where in the world are pink dolphins found?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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