Natural Disasters & Epidemics In The Year 2023

FBI Director Christopher Wray confirms the bureau believes COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab accident in Wuhan, China [1]

Hamas launches a major air and ground attack on Israel from Gaza, killing over a thousand people and taking hundreds of hostages, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare "We are at war." [1]

Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashes during final approach into Pokhara, Nepal, killing all 72 people on board.

The World Health Organization ends its declaration of COVID-19 being a global health emergency, but continues to refer to it as a pandemic.

Cyclone Mocha forms in the Indian Ocean, killing over 400 people and injuring over 700 as it strikes Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Marrakesh–Safi earthquake: A 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes Marrakesh–Safi province in western Morocco, killing at least 2,960 people and damaging historic buildings.

A series of earthquakes occur in Herat Province in Afghanistan, killing over 1,000 people and injuring nearly 2,000, with tremors felt in Iran and Turkmenistan. The earthquakes are the deadliest in the country since 1998.

Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russia launches the largest wave of drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities since the start of the war in a overnight assault, killing at least 39 people and injuring at least 160 others. Ukraine launches a drone assault the following day, killing at least 21 people, including three children, and injuring 110 others, including 17 children.