Seven dead in suicide attack in Nigeria mosque
Abuja, July 23 : Seven people were killed and seven others injured following a suicide attack in a mosque in Nigeria's Borno state on Monday, officials said.
The injured have been evacuated to a hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, Xinhua quoted Bello Dambatta, head of rescue operations at the State Emergency Management Agency, as saying.
The remains of the male suicide attacker, who caused the havoc, were among those evacuated from the scene.
The attacker entered the mosque during the morning prayer, pretending to be a worshipper, before detonating the improvised explosive device strapped to his back, said Dambatta.
"It is not clear how the suicide bomber infiltrated the town and attacked the mosque," said Ali Kolo, head of a local vigilante group in Konduga.
He said the building collapsed during the explosion and the victims were evacuated from the rubble.
Yunusa Bello, a resident who witnessed the blast, said all the victims were worshippers at the mosque.
Bello said he saw bodies of seven of the victims who died inside the mosque while two bodies were found at the entrance of the building.
"One died on the way to the hospital and one other died at the hospital," he said after assisting victims to the hospital in his van.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast but locals suspect the Nigeria-based armed group Boko Haram was to blame.
Despite the efforts by the government and the armed forces to destabilize the group, Boko Haram has been attacking soft targets recently, mostly in the northeast region of the country.
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Groundwater depletion causes Earth's axis to shift by 31.5 inches: Study
A recent study has uncovered a significant impact of human activity on the planet: Earth's axis has shifted by 31.5 inches (nearly 80 centimeters) due to extensive groundwater extraction. Published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the research highlights how large-scale pumping of groundwater has changed the distribution of Earth's mass, affecting its rotation and contributing to sea-level rise. The shift in Earth's tilt is linked to a sea-level increase of 0.24 inches, according to Popular Mechanics.
Lead researcher Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University, explained that among climate-related factors, the redistribution of groundwater has had the most significant effect on the movement of Earth's rotational pole. The planet's tilt, or axial precession, is influenced by changes in mass distribution. As glaciers and polar ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica melt, water migrates towards the equator, shifting the planet's balance—a phenomenon comparable to how a figure skater’s spin changes when they alter their body position.
The study examined data from 1993 to 2010, revealing that approximately 2,150 gigatons of groundwater were pumped out during this time, largely for agricultural and human consumption. This large-scale extraction has contributed to a shift in Earth's axis of about 31.5 inches.
Groundwater, which is water stored underground in soil and rock, plays a crucial role in the hydrological cycle. It originates from precipitation that seeps into the earth, replenishing natural aquifers. These aquifers are vital freshwater resources, supporting drinking water supplies, agriculture, and industry. The availability and quality of groundwater depend on natural factors like recharge rates and human activity.
While the 31.5-inch shift in Earth's axis might seem minor, the consequences could be far-reaching over geological timescales. Changes in water distribution can lead to varying sea-level changes across regions, affecting coastal areas differently. Additionally, shifts in Earth's tilt can influence its internal systems, such as the magnetic field, which acts as a shield against harmful solar radiation.
