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. . .

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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.

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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.

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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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INTRODUCTION OF HUMAN MADE DISASTER

INTRODUCTION OF HUMAN MADE DISASTER

We are now living in a civilized society. The day of illiteracy and ignorance have gone. Human has made much progress in the field of science and technology. Human has created wealth of our natural resources for his greediness. Man has cut forests recklessly to clear the land for cultivation and along with this environmental degradation has taken place, which also effect the life. Man is becoming his own enemy he has also created weapons of mass destruction and these weapons are used against humanity, which further bring sorrow and suffering of mankind. This is just an example of human mistake and greed. For these, our blog is created to talk about these issue.

WHAT IS HUMAN MADE DISASTER???

A disastrous event caused directly and principally by one or more identifiable deliberate or negligent human actions.

TYPES OF HUMAN MADE DISASTER

• Nuclear disaster

Firstly,nuclear disaster refers to undesirable effect caused to the environment due to radioactive substances or radiations. Major source is the nuclear power plants. If traces of the radioactive substances are present in the water that is released from the plant, it will cause nuclear pollution. It affects almost all life forms in the surrounding environment. Besides, the radiations can cause mutations that lead to cancer, and the dose of radiation or the level of pollution determines lethality.

• Biological disaster

Secondly, biological disasters also one of the effects. They may described as a disaster are causative of process or phenomenon of organic origin may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage. Examples of biological disasters include outbreaks of epidemic diseases, plant or animal contagion, insect or other animal plagues and infestation.

• Chemical disaster

Thirdly, chemical disaster is the unintentional refuse of one or more hazardous substances which could harm human health or the environment. Chemical hazards are systems where chemical accidents could occur under certain circumstances. Such events include fires, explosions, leakages or releases of toxic or hazardous materials that can cause people illness, injury, disability or death.

• Global warming

Lastly, one of the biggest problems facing the world today is global warming. Many scientists believe that our production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is having a heating effect on the atmosphere, and this could be very dangerous for human life.  One of the biggest problems is rising sea level. This could result in the flooding of low lying coastal areas and cities, such as Egypt, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh. Some countries might even disappear completely. Another problem caused by global warming is changes in weather patterns. Many areas of the world are experiencing increased hurricanes, floods, and other unusual weather.

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