![]() ![]() Thick clouds of volcanic ash blocked out the Northern European sky after a series of eruptions of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull intermittently halted air traffic throughout Europe until May 17. As one of China's poorest provinces, there were few locations less prepared to deal with the fallout. More than 85% of the homes in Jiegu were leveled by a 6.9 magnitude quake in the Qinghai province that killed 400 and injured 10,000. In June, floods befell the nation again, killing 42 and leaving 115,000 homeless. Record rainfall led to a tragic mud slide in Rio de Janiero that killed at least 200 and caused an estimated $13 billion in economic losses. (See "Time Line: Mining for Disaster" for more.) mine regulator to ramp up enforcement - a crack of the whip that all mining companies are still feeling. The company was cited for improper ventilation procedures and safety violations, prompting the U.S. Massey Mine Explosion Prompts Improved Industry OversightĪn explosion at a Massey-operated mine in West Virginia killed 29 workers, making it the worst U.S. Later in the year, the SEC revealed that Bank of America and Citi also hid billions in recent years through similar Repo 105-type "window dressing" accounting irregularities. Total insured losses eclipsed $8 billion, but the relatively low loss of life - compared to the Haitian disaster a month prior - illustrated the grave importance of well-constructed infrastructure and enforced building standards.Ī report uncovered a sleight-of-hand accounting trick that the now-bankrupt Lehman Brothers used to cloak some $50 billion in bad investments from its balance sheet. (See "When the Toyota Way Went Wrong" for more.)Īn 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit off the Chilean coast, killing as many as 800, spurring a tsunami that devastated several towns and causing a near-nationwide blackout. It was the largest fine an automaker ever paid to the U.S. Less than two months later, Toyota agreed to a $16.4 million fine for improperly notifying the Transportation Department of the gas pedal defect. In testimony to Congress that followed Toyota's recall of 8.5 million automobiles for manufacturing defects that led to numerous deaths from unintended sudden acceleration accidents, chief executive Akio Toyoda admitted that his company's "priorities became confused" while striving for growth without proper vigilance to safety. Toyota Apologizes for "Confused" Priority on Safety The dangers of texting while driving have received increasing attention for years, but it was Oprah Winfrey's launch of her "No Phone Zone" campaign that gave the movement the mainstream momentum safety advocates had been seeking. ![]() ![]() Nearly 11 months later, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere remains ill-equipped to manage the nation's ongoing health, food, housing and infrastructure crises - something tragically illustrated by a fall cholera outbreak that killed hundreds. Creating a comprehensive list would be impossible, but the following represent the stories of 2010 that defined the Year in Risk.ĭeadliest Disaster in Western Hemisphere History Hits HaitiĪ 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, killing up to 230,000, according to Haitian officials (the true total will never be known), and leaving another two million homeless. But there was, of course, a lot more that happened over the past 12 months. When we look back on 2010, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Haitian earthquake and Chilean mine disaster will likely top the list of memorable moments. ![]()
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