Earthquake strands thousands at Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea

by Joel Bullock on

Thousands of guests were stranded in Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea after the massive earthquake that rocked the island nation on Friday. Park employees have been giving out humanitarian aid including blankets, heaters, plastic raincoats, food, and water. While Disney has reported only a few minor injuries and minimal property damage, other reports state that the earthquake has liquefied the parking lot. Authorities suspect that shaking from the earthquake caused water from the coastline to mix with the soil. The Disney parks were built on a landfill making the parks susceptible to flooding.

According to Disney, Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea will remained closed to allow for a thorough inspection of the attractions and facilities. Inside the Magic has pictures from social media sites of the stranded guests and damage to the park. Below is a video of park guests experiencing the earthquake while they were waiting for a parade.

Raw video: New Zealand devastation one minute after the major earthquake

by Scott Carmichael on

When Christchurch was hit by a magnitude 6.3 7.1 earthquake earlier this week, the devastation was immense – normally we get “up close” with events like this days later when the news shows footage, but this video shows the event just 60 seconds after it happened.

Watch for yourself to see what kind of damage the shaking earth can cause. Warning: there may be parts of this video not suitable for kids.

If you’d like to donate to the New Zealand Red Cross, head on over to this page for their secure donation site.

Powerful earthquake hits Christchurch, New Zealand

by Mike Barish on

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake was recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand on Tuesday, causing widespread damage and killing at least 65 people. The South Island city was severely damaged and the death toll is expected to rise as victims are located in the wreckage.

Aftershocks continued to rock the city as rescue workers spent the night searching for survivors in the rubble. Emergency services have been pushed to the limit and video has shown injured citizens being loaded into personal vehicles because of the lack of available ambulances.

Christchurch is home to approximately 400,000 people. The seismic activity occured at around 1pm local time on Tuesday. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the city has been besieged by landslides.

The region experienced a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in September 2010 but no casualties were reported.

Photo: AP

Help arrives for Indonesian tsunami victims

by Meg Nesterov on

After a 7.7-magnitude earthquake and 10-foot tsunami hit Indonesia Monday, killing at least 272 people, relief efforts have arrived to help the wounded, search for the hundreds still missing, and bury the dead. The first cargo plane loaded down with 16 tons of tents, medicine, food and clothes arrived today after weather relented long enough for search and rescue teams to arrive. Many villages near the coast were completely destroyed by the waves.

The Mentawai Islands are a popular destination for surfers, though their location in the Pacific Ring of Fire make them prone to seismic activity. Ten tourists arrived in Pedang today to tell their story after 24 hours lost in the Indian Ocean, including an American. According to the Associated Press, the anchored tourist boat was hit by a wall of water smashed them into a neighboring vessel, triggering a fire that quickly ripped through their cabin. “They hit us directly in the side of the boat, piercing a fuel tank,” said Daniel North, the American crew member. “Almost immediately, the captain gave the order to abandon ship and everyone got off the boat.” They clung to surfboards and then climbed the highest trees they could find to await rescue.

The tsunami hit the Mentawai Islands, about 149 miles south of Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra, along the same fault line as the 2004 earthquake and tsunami that killed 230,000. Less than a day after the tsunami, a volcano erupted 800 miles to the east, killing more than two dozen people and displacing thousands. No travel alert has been set yet by the US Department of State for Indonesia, though a June alert is in affect for Pacific typhoons until December 1.

[Photo source: Wikipedia Commons]

The world’s most dangerous destinations (according to the Los Angeles Times)

by Kraig Becker on

The Los Angeles Times recently compiled a list of their picks for the world’s most dangerous places, with some popular tourist destinations earning amongst their ranks. Unlike other lists of this kind however, they automatically omitted places like Baghdad or Afghanistan, which are not travel friendly to begin with. Instead, this list points out the the very real dangers that a tourist might face while visiting one of these places.

For example, Gansbaai, South Africa earns a spot amongst the world’s most dangerous destinations because of the shark infested waters that surround the city. The region has an abundance of seals and penguins, which attract hordes of great white sharks, making it a popular place for visitors who want to see those predators up close. Thrill seekers can take a dip in those dangerous waters inside a shark cage, while most will look on from the safety of their boat.

Other dangerous destinations include Mt. Everest in Nepal for the extreme conditions and high altitude. The entire country of Australia gets the nod thanks to all the dangerous snakes and spiders that live there, and Memphis, Tennessee is a surprise entry for its proclivity for earthquakes. The city sits on a major fault line that could make it a major disaster waiting to happen.

There are a number of other popular destinations on the list, each with a unique threat to those that visit there. The list is a good reminder that we don’t have to visit a war torn nation to face real dangers on our next trip.