A major sinking of ship , an oil spill or chemical plant explosion- man made disaster often share a common element: complacency. Managers who do not think things can go wrong, faulty technology and really bad luck can all lead to costly mishaps. But steps can be taken to try to prevent calamities before they happen. Sometimes the best response to man-made disasters can be effective planning before tragedy strikes. After 12 posts related to human made disasters present around the world, we can conclude that it is important to give full attention on safety and precautions. It is called or known as feedforward control. It is control that prevents anticipated problem before actual occurrences of the problem. For examples, building in quality through design. Most of disaster have taken many innocent lives from human, animals and forest. To make things worse, disasters that involve spread of radiation such as Chernobyl disaster make dozens of people suffered radiation burns that include birthchild babies. Clearly, the only key to prevent it is by preparations. Some people ask why bother preparing? it is simple. It is because the world is not safe as we would like to think. Accidents may happen anywhere.
Leia Mais…Thursday 7 May 2015
Thursday 23 April 2015
THE LOVE CANAL BY FAZIRA AMIRA
Quite
simply, Love Canal is one of the most terrible environmental tragedies in
American history. But that's not the most worrying fact. What is poorer is that
it cannot be regarded as an isolated event. It could happen again anywhere in
this country unless we move expeditiously to prevent it. It is a cruel irony
that Love Canal was originally meant to be a dream community. That vision
belonged to the man for whom the three-block tract of land on the eastern edge
of Niagara Falls, New York, was named William T. Love. Love felt that by
digging a short canal between the upper and lower Niagara Rivers, power could
be produced cheaply to fuel the industry and homes of his would be model city. But
despite considerable backing, Love's project was unable to tolerate the one-two
punch of fluctuations in the economy and Nikola Tesla's discovery of how to
economically transmit electricity over great distances by means of an
alternating current. By 1910, the dream was devastated. All that was left to
commemorate Love's hope was a half ditch where construction of the canal had
begun.
In the 1920s
the seeds of a genuine nightmare were planted. The canal was turned into a
municipal and industrial chemical dumpsite. Landfills can of course be an
environmentally acceptable method of dangerous waste disposal, assuming they
are properly sited, managed, and regulated. Love Canal will always remain a
perfect historical example of how not to run such an operation.
In 1953, the
Hooker Chemical Company, then the owners and operators of the property, covered
the canal with earth and sold it to the city for one dollar. It was a bad buy.
In the late
'50s, about 100 homes and a school were built at the site. Perhaps it wasn't
William T. Love's model city, but it was a solid, working class community.
 |
| PROTEST BY LOVE CANAL RESIDENT |
Leia Mais…
Tuesday 14 April 2015
JILIN CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION BY FAZIRA AMIRA
The Jilin chemical plant explosion were a series of explosion which occurred on 13 November 2005, in the No.101 Petrochemical Plant in Jilin City, Jilin Province, China, over the period of an hour. The explosions killed six, injured dozens and caused the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The No.101 Jilin Chemical plant was located in Jilin City in Jilin Province, China around 380 kilometers up river from Harbin City. The plant was located next to the Songhua River, which is the main water source for much of northeastern China, including Jilin and Harbin. The Songhua River eventually runs into the Amur RIver which flows through southern Russia.
The Jilin Chemical Plant itself was the first major, large scale chemical industry base to be built in China, producing chemicals such as benzene. nitrobenzene, and aniline which are often used in the production of different plastics.
EXPLOSION
The initial explosion happened on November 13, 2005. Around noon on the day of the blast a blockage occurred in the chemical plant’s processing nitration tower for the the production of benzene. A plant worker attempted to clear the blockage on his own, but was unsuccessful.3 The blockage and the workers inability to clear the blockage eventually lead to an explosion at 1:40 p.m.
The plants initial explosion was so powerful that they shattered windows that were at least 100 to 200 meters way from the chemical plants. Explosions continued throughout the plant for about and hour and eventually lead to a large scale fire at the plants. The fire was eventually put out in the early morning of November 14,6 by around three hundred firefighters.
After the blast and the resulting fire was put out at the chemical plant, Jilin Petrochemicals denied that the Songhua River has been polluted by spilled chemical from the plant. The local Jilin officials also claimed that as a result of the explosions and resulting fire had not released any toxic chemicals into the air, but that the fire had burned all the chemicals and that it had only produced carbon dioxide and water.2
There were initial worries that the explosion may have been caused by a terrorist groups, but it was later discovered that the explosion was not caused by terrorists and instead was operator error.
The plants initial explosion was so powerful that they shattered windows that were at least 100 to 200 meters way from the chemical plants. Explosions continued throughout the plant for about and hour and eventually lead to a large scale fire at the plants. The fire was eventually put out in the early morning of November 14,6 by around three hundred firefighters.
After the blast and the resulting fire was put out at the chemical plant, Jilin Petrochemicals denied that the Songhua River has been polluted by spilled chemical from the plant. The local Jilin officials also claimed that as a result of the explosions and resulting fire had not released any toxic chemicals into the air, but that the fire had burned all the chemicals and that it had only produced carbon dioxide and water.2
There were initial worries that the explosion may have been caused by a terrorist groups, but it was later discovered that the explosion was not caused by terrorists and instead was operator error.
EVACUATION
After the explosion and resulting fire the residents of Jilin City did evacuate the city, not because they were warned to by the local government, but because they discovered what the actual situation of the chemical explosion was. Soon after the explosion occurred a large amount of yellow and dark smoke filled the sky around the city, the smoke made it extremely difficult for the residents to breathe. By 4 p.m. almost everyone that was able to met at the cities center and began leaving the city. But because the police blocked off city streets for emergency vehicles like cars, taxi,and buses were unable to make there way through the city and greatly reduced the evacuation. Initially more then 30,000 residents of the city evacuated the city along with 12,000 university students, including 5,000 students form the Jilin Petrochemical College. But because residents were unable to use vehicles, large amount of the old and sick were left behind. Eventually 10,000 more residents had to be evacuated by the Chinese Government.
Shortly after the explosion and during the cities evacuation, electricity, water, heat, and all telecommunications were shout off, except for radio broadcasting. In the city all schools and business were closed and by 7pm [that not almost no one had electricity. The communication that was being sent out by the Chinese government suggested that the city was safe and that only non-toxic carbon dioxide had been generated by the incident, despite the fact the sky above the city was still largely covered in thick yellow smoke.
Leia Mais…
Sunday 12 April 2015
DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL BY MUHAMAD AFIG
In the wake of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling
rig in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010. Federal agencies, state and local
government agencies, and responsible parties faced an unprecedented challenge.
An oil discharge continued for 87 days, resulting in the largest ever oil spill
in United State waters. 11 workers are dead in this disaster.
 |
| Area of oil spill |
Oil spill of this size was estimated at approximately 206 million
gallons (4.9 million barrels) are occurred in United State waters.
Oil Spill Response Activities
The uncontrolled discharge from the Deepwater Horizon continued for approximately 87 days until, following several attempts, responders gained control of the release on July 15, 2010. The response involved multiple agencies. During the height of operations in the summer of 2010, response personnel levels reached 47,000, and response vessel numbers approached 7,000;4 and the maximum extent of shoreline oiling involved almost 1,100 miles of shoreline.
Recipients
|
Purpose
|
Amount
of Payment
($
millions)
|
|
Federal
government
|
Reimbursements for oil spill response costs
|
705
|
|
Behavioral health
|
10
|
||
Contributions
|
20
|
||
States
|
Reimbursements for response costs and
other claims
|
738
|
|
Tourism promotion
|
179
|
||
Seafood marketing
|
49
|
||
Seafood testing
|
25
|
||
Behavioral health
|
42
|
||
Contributions
|
5
|
||
Individuals
or businesses
|
Economic claims
|
12253
|
|
TOTAL
|
14028
|
||
Selected
BP Payments and Commitments Related to the 2010 Oil Spill
As of March 31,
2014
Notes: More information about the above payments is available at http://www.bpgulfupdate.com.
Cleanup
On 15 April 2014, BP claimed that cleanup along the coast was substantially complete, but the United States Coast Guard responded that a lot of work remained. The details of the cleanup operations are unclear.The State of Louisiana was funded by BP to do regular testing of fish, shellfish, water, and sand. Initial testing regularly showed detectible levels of Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, a chemical used in the clean up. Testing over the past year reported by GulfSource.org for the pollutants tested have not produced results.
Thank you for reading.
Wednesday 1 April 2015
BAIA MARE CYANIDE SPILL BY MUHAMMAD HAZIQ
Occur in January 2000,the Baia Mare cyanide spill was a leak of cyanide near Baia Mare, Romania into the Somes river by the gold mining company, Aurul, a joint venture of the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration and the Romanian goverment.The polluted waters eventually spread and reached the Tisza, poisoning the river of Tisza and then the Danube, killing a large number of fish in Hungary and Yugoslavia. the spill has been called the worst environmental disaster in Europe since the Chernobyl disaster, Russia in 1986.
 |
| Sasar river in Baia Mare |
Background
Aurul company claimed that it had the ability to clean up a by-product of gold mining, the toxic tailings which began to be spread as toxic dust by the wind. Promising to deal with them and to extract remaining gold from them via gold cyanidation, the company shipped its waste product to a dam near Bozinta Mare, Maramures county. if you wonder about gold cyanidation, gold cyanidation is a technique of extracting gold from low-grade ore by converting a gold into water soluble complex and what happened next triggered the beginning of disaster. on the night of January 30, 2000, a dam holding contaminated waters burst and 100,000 cubic metres of cyanide-contaminated waters spilled over some farmland and then into the Somes river. Esmeralda Exploration blamed excessive snowfall for the dam failure as the spill was actually the result of poor dam design and unusual weather conditions.
 |
| Tisza river in Hungary |
Effects
.jpg) |
 |
Two years after the spill, the ecosystem began to recover, but it was still far from better at that time as the fishermen of Hungary claimed that their catches in 2002 were only at a fifth of their original levels. The Aurul company, now known as Transgold restarted the operation some month after the accident. Though Transgold has improved its safety standard and precautions, it still under heavy criticism of environmentalists because the company still choose cyanide in its gold mining operation. As there have been no additional accident in recent years, the river of Tisza could slowly recover back to its initial state.Today, the number of fish is close to the number before the accident, but there are still fewer species in Tisza river.
The legacy of the Baia Mare cyanide spill is a strong reminder on the importance of environmentally safe gold mining techniques environmental care, for sure.We hope this post can enlighten all of you about the importance of environmental care.
Monday 23 March 2015
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL BY FAZIRA AMIRA
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on
March 24, 1989, the American oil taker the Exxon Valdez collided with the Bligh
Reef. This created an oil spill with far reaching consequences in the Prince
William Soundin Alaska. Over 11 million gallons of oil spilled over nearly 500
miles polluting the coastline. Over a quarter million birds were killed and countless
other wildlife. Over 11 000 peoples aided in the clean-up process.
How did the oil spill
happened on 24 March 1989?
Here's the answer;
1. The failure of the
third mate to property maneuver the vessel, possibly due to fatigue and
excessive workload.
2. The failure of the
master to provide a proper navigation watch, possibly due to impairment from
alcohol.
3. The failure of
Exxon Shipping Company to supervise the master and provide a rested and
sufficient crew for the Exxon Valdez.
4. The lack of
effective pilot and escort services.
But what really happened? The Exxon Valdez departed from the Trans Alaska Pipeline terminal at 9:12 pm on 23 March 1989. William Murphy is an expert ship's pilot hired to maneuver through Valdez Narrows was in control of the wheelhouse. At his side was the captain of the vessel. Joe Hazelwood and Helmsman Harry Claar was steering. After passing through Valdez Narrows, Murphy left the vessel and Captain Hazelwood took over the wheelhouse. The Exxon Valdez encountered icebergs in the shipping lanes and captain Hazelwood ordered Claar to take the Exxon Valdez out of the shipping lanes to go around the icebergs. He then handed over control of the wheelhouse to Third Mate Gregory Cousins with precise instructions to turn back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point. At that time, Claar was replaced by Helmsman Robert Kagan. For reasons that remain unclear, Cousin and Kagan failed to make the turn back into the shipping lanes and the ship ran around on Bligh Reef at 12:04 am on March 1989 and Captain Hazelwood was in his quarters at that time.
But what really happened? The Exxon Valdez departed from the Trans Alaska Pipeline terminal at 9:12 pm on 23 March 1989. William Murphy is an expert ship's pilot hired to maneuver through Valdez Narrows was in control of the wheelhouse. At his side was the captain of the vessel. Joe Hazelwood and Helmsman Harry Claar was steering. After passing through Valdez Narrows, Murphy left the vessel and Captain Hazelwood took over the wheelhouse. The Exxon Valdez encountered icebergs in the shipping lanes and captain Hazelwood ordered Claar to take the Exxon Valdez out of the shipping lanes to go around the icebergs. He then handed over control of the wheelhouse to Third Mate Gregory Cousins with precise instructions to turn back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point. At that time, Claar was replaced by Helmsman Robert Kagan. For reasons that remain unclear, Cousin and Kagan failed to make the turn back into the shipping lanes and the ship ran around on Bligh Reef at 12:04 am on March 1989 and Captain Hazelwood was in his quarters at that time.
 |
| Exxon Valdez on 24 March 1989 |
Friday 6 March 2015
CHERNOBYL DISASTER BY NUR RAHMAH HAYATI
On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear power plant accident occurs at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union. Thirty-two people died and dozens more suffered radiation burns in the opening days of the crisis. That moment marked the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever encountered, releasing catastrophic amounts of radioactive material into the environment, which quickly spread over Ukraine, Belarus and as far away as Western Europe.
WHAT
The
explosion of the reactor at Chernobyl's nuclear power plant was so
all-encompassing and unprecedented in scope, that the devastation and consequences.
The explosion released into the atmosphere 126 different radioisotopes with
half-lives that will last for years. Radiation intensity at Chernobyl was 100
times the radiation caused by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The
explosion left damage in its wake, instantly taking lives and sealing the fate
of generations to come.
WHERE
On the evening of April 25, 1986, a group
of engineers began an electrical-engineering experiment on the Number 4
reactor. The engineers, who had little information of reactor physics, wanted
to see if the reactor’s turbine could run emergency water pumps on inertial
power.
Today, Chernobyl’s thirty-kilometre
circumference was label as “dead zone.” It is one of several closed areas in
Ukraine and Belarus that are estimated too jeopardise to inhabit--though some
people continue to live there. Today, thousands of people still live in Russia,
Belarus, and Ukraine, the region affected by the radiation generated from
Chernobyl and the area once known as the Jewish Pale of Settlement.
WHEN
APRIL 25, 1986
1:05 pm: Power Plant decreasing, signifying the start of the reactor shutdown.
2:00 pm: Emergency Core Cooling System is disconnected and power is reduced to 30 MW.
11:10 pm: Power reduction resumed.
2:00 pm: Emergency Core Cooling System is disconnected and power is reduced to 30 MW.
11:10 pm: Power reduction resumed.
APRIL 26, 1986
Operating Reactivity Margin (ORM) decreases to below 30 rods. No station manager’s approval for operation with less than 30 rods.
1:00 am: Increased power to 200 MW by removing rods.
1:07 am: 2 additional recirculation pumps started—all 8 are running. All but six rods are removed.
1:19 am: Increased feed water flow to steam drums. Required immediate shutdown— warning ignored and test initiated.
1:22:30 am: Feed water flow to steam drums decreased to very low value - 30 seconds later reactor inlet temperature begins to rise.
1:23:04 am: Turbine valves closed.
1:23:40 am: Emergency Scram initiated by button AZ-5
1:23:43 am: Power increasing rapidly due to positive void coefficient.
1:23:48 am: Explosion occurs, followed by a second explosion seconds later.
1:07 am: 2 additional recirculation pumps started—all 8 are running. All but six rods are removed.
1:19 am: Increased feed water flow to steam drums. Required immediate shutdown— warning ignored and test initiated.
1:22:30 am: Feed water flow to steam drums decreased to very low value - 30 seconds later reactor inlet temperature begins to rise.
1:23:04 am: Turbine valves closed.
1:23:40 am: Emergency Scram initiated by button AZ-5
1:23:43 am: Power increasing rapidly due to positive void coefficient.
1:23:48 am: Explosion occurs, followed by a second explosion seconds later.
AFTERMATH
Up to 60 sq. mi. of Soviet farmland is
likely to remain severely polluted for decades, unless steps are taken to
eliminate the tainted topsoil. Reason: caesium 137 and strontium 90, two
radioactive particles spewed by the blaze, decay very slowly. It could take
years for the ground to be free of them. Together with the shorter-lived iodine
131, the substances promise to pose short- and long-term problems for people,
crops and animals.
Based on Belarus national cancer
statistics, Greenpeace expected that up to 270,000 cancers and 93,000 fatal
cancer cases have been caused by Chernobyl. The report also estimated that
60,000 people have additionally died in Russia because of the Chernobyl
accident, and estimates of the total death toll for the Ukraine and Belarus
could reach another 140,000. The Greenpeace report said the rate of cancer in
Belarus had jumped 40 percent between 1990 and 2000, with children not yet born
at the time of the disaster showing an 88.5-fold increase in thyroid
cancers.—Greenpeace 2006.
Friday 27 February 2015
THE SINKING OF THE MV SEWOL BY MUHAMAD AFIG
This time talks about MV Sewol sinking at South Korea.The
Japanese-built South Korean ferry capsized while carrying 476 people, mostly
secondary school students from Danwon High School (Anson City).
The
sinking of MV Sewol occurred
on the morning of 16 April 2014 en route from Incheon to Jeju and 304 passengers
died in the disaster.Of the approximately 172 survivors, many were rescued by
fishing boats and other commercial vessels that arrived at the scene
approximately 30 minutes before any South Korean coast guard or Republic of
Korea (ROK) Navy ship. Convictions 36
years (captain) 30 years (chief engineer) and 5–20 years (13 other
crew)
BACKGROUND OF SHIP
Mv Sewol was built by the Japanese company
Hayashikane Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd in 1994.[14] At 146 m (479
ft) in length and 22 m (72 ft) in width, it could carry 921 passenger or a
total of 956 persons, including her 35 man crew. It had been reported to have
space for 180 or 220 cars and could carry 152 twenty-foot shipping containers.
The maximum speed of the ship was 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
CAUSES OF SHIP SINK
As of 17 April, the ROK Coast Guard has concluded that an
"unreasonably sudden turn" to starboard was the cause of
the capsizing. According to ROK,the sudden turn caused the cargo to shift to
the left, causing the ship to experience an incline and to eventually become
unmanageable for the crew to handle.
Secondary causes have also affected the capsizing of the ferry
by decreasing the restoring force. The crew of the ferry stated that
the lack of restoring force was a cause of the disaster. The police
are currently investigating secondary causes which could have lessened the
ship's restoring force.
Other causes are overloading and not properly securing
cargo.The MV Sewol was carrying 3,608 tons of cargo, more than three
times the limit of 987 tons. The overloading was also previously
noted by an off-duty captain and the first mate.
MISSING AND DEATH PASSENGERS
Initial
reports stated that rescuers retrieved 368 people from cold waters as the
passengers, mostly school students, had jumped overboard when the vessel
started sinking, but the South Korean government later corrected this
statement, saying 295 passengers remained missing, 22 of the 29 crew survived,
including 15 responsible for the navigation. New report said that the death
toll has gone up to 275, with dozens more still missing.
'Don’t be sad if God separates you from something or someone you love. If only we knew what His plans were for us, our hearts would melt with the warmth of His love'.
Thank you for reading. . .
Sunday 22 February 2015
THE DOOR TO HELL BY MUHD HAZIQ
Today, let move on from Japan to Turkmenistan where The Door
to Hell is located.Through the pictures you can find in internet, it is really awesome to watch this
field. Door to Hell also known as Darvaza Gas Crater is situated
near the Darvaza village. It is in the middle of the Karakum Desert, which
about 260 kilometres north of Ashgabat . The gas reserve found here
is one of the largest on earth. The name "Door to Hell"
was given by the locals, which refers to the fire, boiling mud, and
orange flames in the large hole that has a diameter of more than 60 meters and
20 meters deep.
 |
| Door to Hell in 2011 |
HISTORY AND SCIENCE
It was in 1971 when a group of soviet petroleum
geologist set out to explore Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. For your
information, about 70% of Turkmenistan is occupied by the Karakum Desert.
Basically, they were looking for oil field but the region also rich in
natural gas. It was also thought to be a significant oil field site. The
engineers set up a drilling rig and camp nearby specifically in Ashgabat and
started drilling operations to estimate the quantity of gas reserve available
at the site. As the Soviets were excited with the success of finding the gas
resources, they started store the gas they found. But unnoticed to them, they
drilled right over a big cavernous pocket of natural gas and soon, The ground
beneath the drilling rig and camp collapsed into a wide crater and disappeared.
Fortunate for them, no live was lost at that time.
 |
| Location of The Door of Hell in Turkmenistan |
Frighting the further release of poisonous gases which
make it harder to breath when nearby from the cavern, the engineers decided to
burn the gas off. Natural gas composed primarily from methane. Methane in fact
is easy to explode! becoming combustible in air at levels as low as 5%.
Eventhough there are no global warming back then, it is worth to point out that
methane is greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Anyway
there are 2 choices for the soviet union scientists; Let the dangerous methane
vent into the air or light the crater on fire. The decision has been made. They
believed that it would be safer to burn it than to extract it from underground
through expensive methods. At that time, expectations were that the gas would
burn out within a few weeks, but has continued to burn more than four decades
after it was set on fire and no one knows when it will be ended.
TOURISM
Eventhough it is generally man-made disaster, surprisingly the burning holes is appealing more and more interest all over the world every year, especially among foreign tourists, boosting the tourism itself at once. Let me tell you something, although it is hot to be near the crater, it's view is beautiful especially at night. Foreign tourists who visit the burning crater can feel the mixed emotions - awe at the first sight but also at the profligacy of the Turk people, who have simply let the gas burns for so many years.
 |
| Panorama Door to Hell at night |
Last words, for those who are planning to go there, just go on with your plan. Maybe it will be the most bizarre plus amazing destination for holiday on your list.
Leia Mais…
Sunday 15 February 2015
STORY OF NAGASAKI BY AMIRA AMIR
After Hiroshima, we going to share a story about Nagasaki.
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the
island of Kyushu in Japan. During World War II, the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Nagasaki the second and, to date, last city in the
world to experience a nuclear attack. At 11:02 a.m. on August 9,1945, The
explosion of an atomic bomb devastated Nagasaki. Even the people who managed to
survive continue to this day to suffer from late effects. On the day of
the nuclear strike on Thursday, August 9, 1945, the population in Nagasaki was
estimated to be 263,000, which consisted of 240,000 Japanese residents, 10,000
Korean residents, 2,500 conscripted Korean workers, 9,000 Japanese soldiers,
and 600 conscripted Chinese workers.The bomb exploded at 11:02 a.m. at an
approximate altitude of 1,800 feet. This was the second and, to date, the last
use of nuclear weaponry in combat, and also the second detonation of a
plutonium bomb. The first was tested in central New Mexico, USA.Within less
than a second after the detonation, the north of the city was destroyed.
Roughly 39,000–80,000 people were killed. About half of these died immediately,
while the other half suffered lingering deaths.Among the deaths were 6,200 out
of the 7,500 employees of the Mitsubishi Munitions plant, and thousands of
others (including 2,000 Koreans) who worked in other war plants and factories
in the city, as well as 150 Japanese soldiers. The industrial damage in
Nagasaki was high, partly owing to the inadvertent targeting of the industrial
zone, leaving 68-80 percent of the non-dock industrial production destroyed.
The bomb was somewhat more powerful than the "Little Boy" bomb
dropped over Hiroshima, but because of Nagasaki's more uneven terrain, there
was less damage.
 |
| Nagasaki about a month after the atomic bombing. |
 |
| The atomic bomb mushroom cloud over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. |
AFTER THE ATOMIC BOMBING
The city was rebuilt after the war, albeit dramatically
changed. The pace of reconstruction was slow. The first simple emergency
dwellings were not provided until 1946. The focus on redevelopment was the
replacement of war industries with foreign trade, ship building and
fishing. Five decades have passed since that day. Now the atomic bomb
survivors are advancing into old age and their memories are fading into the
mist of history. The question of how to inform young people about the horror of
war, the threat of nuclear weapons and the importance of the peace is therefore
a matter of passing concern. The citizens of Nagasaki pray that this miserable
experience will never be repeated on Earth. We also consider it our duty to
ensure that the experience is not forgotten but passed on intact to future
generations. It is imperative that we join hands with all peace-loving
people around the world and strive together for the realization of lasting
world peace.
 |
| This is a photo of Nagasaki waterfront area. |
Thursday 5 February 2015
STORY OF HIROSHIMA BY NUR RAHMAH HAYATI
This week, we are going to share a story of
Hiroshima. As we know, America has released an American B-29 bomber
dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the southern Japanese city
of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945,. The explosion immediately wiped out around 90%
of the city and killed around 80,000 people. After that, tens of thousands more
would later die of radiation exposure, and the devastating power of what
Japanese emperor Hirohito described as a "new and most cruel bomb"
was unleashed. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on
Nagasaki, killing around 40,000 people.
 |
| "little boy" |
Length:
|
120.0 inches (10 feet / 3.0 meters)
|
Diameter:
|
28.0 inches (71.1 cm)
|
Weight:
|
9,700 lbs (4,400 kg)
|
Yield:
|
15 kiltons (+/- 20%)
|
 |
| "fat boy" |
Length:
|
128.375
inches (10 feet 8 inches / 3.25 meters)
|
Diameter:
|
60.25
inches (5 feet / 1.5 meters)
|
Weight:
|
10,265
lbs (4,656 kg)
|
Yield:
|
21
kilotons (+/- 10%)
|
One minute after...
At 8.15am Japan time, US bomber Enola Gay
released the nuclear bomb named 'Little Boy' above central of Hiroshima. The
9,000-pound uranium-235 bomb was released and took 43 seconds to fall from the
aircraft. The aircraft travelled 11.5 miles away before it was buffeted by
shock waves from the blast.The aircraft, flown by Colonel Paul Tibbets and 11
other men of the United States military forces, had just dropped the first
atomic bomb. Due to crosswind, the bomb missed the aiming point which is the
Aioi Bridge by approximately 800ft and detonated directly over Shima Surgical
Clinic. One minute after the A-bomb was released from the plane, it
exploded 2,000 feet above the clinic in a blast equal to 12-15,000 tons of TNT,
destroying five square miles of the city. People on the ground reported seeing
a brilliant flash of light followed by a loud boom. Some 70,000–80,000 people
(around 30% of the population) of whom 20,000 were soldiers, were killed
instantaneously by the firestorm.
One hour later...
An hour after the explosion, the remains of
Hiroshima were still burning. As well as the 10,000 dead, an estimated 70,000
people were injured as the impact flattened the majority of the city. Some of
the reinforced concrete buildings in Hiroshima had survived the bang, and as
the bomb detonated in the air, it was directed downwards rather than sideways.
Over 90% of the doctors and 93% of the nurses in Hiroshima were killed or
injured, as most had been in the downtown area which received the greatest
damage. The hospitals were destroyed, hindering aid to the injured. In the
communications room of Chugoku Military District Headquarters, which was
responsible for issuing and lifting air raid warnings, a female high school
student who had been mobilised to serve as a communications officers informed
Fukuyama Headquarters of the attack. Using a special telephone, Yoshie Oka
said: "Hiroshima has been attacked by a new type of bomb. The city is in a
state of near-total destruction."
Ten years later...
Around a decade after the attack in Hiroshima,
the long-term effects suffered by atomic bomb survivors began to become
apparent. The increase in cancer incidences was first noted in 1956, and
shortly afterwards, tumour registries were started in both Hiroshima and
Nagasaki to collect data on the excess cancer risks caused by the radiation
exposure. Among the effects, one of the most deadly was leukaemia - mostly
affecting children. An increase in leukaemia appeared about two years after the
attacks and peaked around four to six years later. Around 1,900 cancer deaths
can be attributed to the after-effects of the bombs. An epidemiology study by
the Radiation Effects Research Foundation states that from 1950 to 2000,
46% of leukaemia deaths and 11% of solid cancer deaths among the bomb survivors
were due to radiation from the bombs.
THE REASONS OF THE BOMBING
Many
reasons are given as to why the US administration decided to drop the atomic
bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Reasons include the following:
· The
United States wanted to force Japan's surrender as quickly as possible to minimize
American casualties.
· The
United States needed to use the atomic bomb before the Soviet Union entered the
war against Japan to establish US dominance afterwards
· The
United States wanted to use the world's first atomic bomb for an actual attack
and observe its effect.
Given all
of these reasons, the US was in quite a hurry to drop the bomb. Shortly after
successfully testing history's first atomic explosion at Trinity, New Mexico,
on July 16, 1945, the order to drop the atomic bomb on Japan was issued on July
25.
THE IMPACT OF BOMBING
From
the story, we know the bombing give extremely impact to them. Especially, the
radiation and physical damage. Psychologists in Hiroshima reported increased
complaints among the survivors of neurotic symptoms, including general fatigue,
amnesia, and lack of concentration. They also having symptoms likes nightmares,
flashbacks, intense anxiety, feeling numb, anger and irritability, insomnia,
having trouble concentrating, depression, and suicidal thoughts. However, 90 percent
of all medical personnel were killed or disabled, and the remaining medical
supplies quickly ran out. Many survivors began to notice the effects of
exposure to the bomb’s radiation. Most of them experience hair loss caused by
exposure to radiation.
Video above shows what happened on 6 August 1945 at Hiroshima
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