#disasters

#disasters

On Nov. 6, 1860, former Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln of the Republican Party was elected president of the United States as he defeated John Breckinridge, John Bell and Stephen Douglas. Also on this date: In 1861, an unopposed Jefferson Davis was elected to a six-year term as president of the Confederate States of America, after serving much of the year as its provisional president.

A mourner holds a photo of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga outside his house after his death Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in a residential district of Las Pinas, where close to 100 families have been left homeless Photograph: Francis R Malasig/EPA Relatives of one of several people who died in a fire gather outside the garment factory where she worked Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

In 1857, the S.S. Central America (also known as the Ship of Gold) sank off the coast of South Carolina after sailing into a hurricane in one of the worst maritime disasters in American history; 425 people were killed and thousands of pounds of gold sank with the ship to the bottom of the ocean. In 1940, the Lascaux cave paintings, estimated to be 17,000 years old, were discovered in southwestern France.

Residents in various districts have emphatically accused local authorities of neglecting their duty to provide evacuation warnings ahead of the deadly flooding and landslides.

Large parts of Asia are experiencing extreme rainfall, with significant impacts observed in Hong Kong, northern India, and Japan. Hong Kong issued multiple black rainstorm warnings, marking a record for a single week. The rainfall in Uttarakhand caused flash floods and landslides, leading to one fatality and numerous missing persons. Japan saw record-level rainfall in Kanazawa, resulting in disruptions to transportation and infrastructure, as an area of low pressure contributed to intense weather. Heavy precipitation is expected to continue across the region, impacting South Korea as well.

On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts, two of whom had been the first humans to set foot on the moon, splashed down safely in the Pacific.

Continuous heavy rains and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh have resulted in 37 deaths and the disarray of daily life, with Mandi district particularly affected.

In an effort to enhance first responders' connectivity during natural disasters, T-Mobile has launched T-Priority, offering reliable data services even in congested environments.

Disasters exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, showing that social circumstances and available resources lead to differing experiences of the same event.