Tragedy Shakes the World

After a terrible end last week it seems we are doomed to endure more after a massive earthquake hit Nepal and violence broke out in Baltimore over police brutality.

Earthquake in Nepal

A 7.8 earthquake struck in the Gorkha district of Nepal on Saturday, 25 April causing widespread damage throughout the region including affecting climbers on Mt. Everest. Following the quake nearly 2000 bodies were found with fears of landslides  in the future, the UN estimated that nearly 8 million people were affected by the earthquake with the death toll passing 4000 early in the week, a day later 6.7 magnitude tremor hit leaving fears for those still trapped on Mt. Everest. On Mt. Everest hundreds of climbers were stuck with at least 10 people killed on the mountain, a video of the earthquake and avalanche filmed by German climbers captured the moment of impact.

As the death toll rose over the following days Nepal grappled with a humanitarian disaster with many hospitals overwhelmed. As search efforts carried on people were being found trapped under rubble days later with one man was found trapped in a room for 80 hours with 3 dead bodies and a baby being pulled from the rubble after 22 hours but even with the best efforts anger grew due to the slow pace of support and help with victims in remote areas struggling to find aid.

Protests in Baltimore

While some struggled with mother nature the other side of the world was thrust into chaos with protests turning to riots after Freddie Gray died in police custody on 19 April after falling into a coma, later reports would claim Freddy had slammed his head against the police van causing the fatal injury. While the initial protests were peaceful they soon deteriorated with shops being looted and other casualties of the protests including a senior citizen home which was burnt down along with police cars being vandalized. Arrests were made outside the Camden Yards baseball stadium while those inside were asked not to leave while other games in the area were played in empty stadiums. As protests grew a state of emergency was declared with curfews introduced and the national guard called in, as temper flared and protestors defied the curfews the police fired gas canisters into the crowds echoing the events of Ferguson mere months earlier.

In other parts of the US protestors took to the streets outside the Chicago police headquarters to protest police brutality along with protests in Philadelphia and Cincinnati and more. While the approach used to tackle rioters was considered a disaster Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake defending their actions but while politician's argued and protestors and police fought unlikely figures stood out including Vietnam veteran Robert Valentine who stood between the two waring parties and a mother who became famous for her tough love approach slapping her son for joining the protestors. As the incidents and protests continue to grow and spread across the US it is clear that the current approach isn't working.