Environmental disasters across globe in August 2021

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - A host of environmental disasters, including deadly rains and floods in Turkey, China and the US, and massive forest fires in several countries as well as a hurricane in Mexico were reported in August.

Below is a timeline compiled by Anadolu Agency:

Aug. 1:

- A wildfire erupts in the northwestern Peloponnese region of Achaia, according to fire officials.

- Southern regions of Italy, especially on the island of Sicily, are struggling with fires in forests and rural areas.

Aug. 2:

- The US is combatting 91 active large wildfires across much of the western half of the country that have already burned over 1.8 million acres.

- The number of people who lost their lives due to massive forest fires in southern Turkey increases to eight.

Aug. 3:

- A total of 152 fires are contained since they started burning last Wednesday in Turkey.

Aug. 5:

- Dozens of villages are evacuated and thousands of residents are forced to leave their homes because of forest fires in Greece.

Aug. 7:

- Turkey has contained 209 wildfires in 47 provinces in the last 10 days, according to the country's forestry minister.

Aug. 10:

- At least 42 people die, including 25 military personnel, in the eastern part of Algeria, where wildfires spread to 36 locations across 18 provinces.

Aug. 11:

- A new wave of floods due to heavy rains hit Turkey’s northern Black Sea provinces, leaving an elderly woman missing and 13 people injured.

- Algeria’s death toll from wildfires that broke out east of the capital rises to 65, including 28 soldiers, as the country declares three days of national mourning.

- At least 10 people die and more than 40 others are feared buried under the debris after a landslide in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

Aug. 13:

- Flooding sparked by heavy rains kills at least 21 people and four others remain missing in central parts of China.

- The western Canadian province of British Columbia is still battling massive forest fires caused by increasing temperatures.

Aug. 14:

- A firefighting plane linked to Turkey's General Directorate of Forestry crashes in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, killing all eight people on board.

- The death toll from a massive landslide in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh rises to 23.

Aug. 16:

- The death toll from floods in Turkey's Black Sea region rises to 70.

- At least four people are dead and five others are missing after torrential rains pelt parts of Japan.

Aug. 17:

- Like many other parts of the world, Chimanimani district in the landlocked southern African country of Zimbabwe has been witnessing wildfires since June, destroying trees and exposing the soil to possible landslides.

- Thousands of inhabitants and tourists are rescued after a major fire breaks out in the Var department in the south of France.

Aug. 19:

- Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa may face more floods due to heavy torrential rains, a government agency warns, as eight people were killed in flash flooding.

Aug. 20

- Wildfires continue raging in eastern Russia with 128 blazes in 20 regions of particular concern, says the country's Federal Agency for Forestry.

- Greek and Polish firefighters continue efforts to contain somewhat abated forest fires that break out five days ago northwest of Greece's capital Athens.

Aug. 21:

- The death toll from floods in Turkey's Black Sea region rises to 82.

Aug. 22:

- At least eight people were killed on Saturday as Hurricane Grace hit Mexico.

Aug. 23:

- At least 22 people are killed while search and rescue efforts continues for 45 missing people as flash floods swept through the US state of Tennessee.

Aug. 24:

- Wildfires that break out last week in southern France's Var department have not yet been extinguished.

Aug. 26

- Floods and landslides in Venezuela caused by torrential rains in the western state of Merida claim at least 20 lives. Over 1,200 homes were destroyed and 17 people remain missing after severe flooding occurred in mountainous regions, with towns such as Tovar, Bailadores, Zea and Santa Cruz de Mora among the most affected areas.

Aug. 29:

- More than 100,000 people from nearly 20,000 families are affected by floods in at least 12 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts.