Pope’s thoughts for victims in Indonesia and Hurricane Ian

Fausta Speranza – Vatican City

After the prayer of Marianne Angelos, Pope Francis called the victims of the hurricane that first hit the island of Cuba and then the state of Florida, and then also confirmed his prayers for the dead and injured in the tragedy in the Indonesian stadium of Malang.

Think Hurricane Ian Victims

“I am close to the people of Cuba and Florida, who were hit by a violent hurricane.” With these words, the Pope recalled the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, affirming his prayer:

May the Lord welcome the victims, give comfort and hope to those who suffer and uphold the commitment of solidarity

Damage in Cuba and Florida

After a severe impact on the Cuban island and Florida, Hurricane Ian reached South Carolina. It is one of the strongest rates recorded in the United States over the past decade. Ian appears to have arrived in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane, with weaker winds and rain than those that hit Florida, arriving as a Category 4 hurricane (maximum is 5, also referred to as “catastrophic”), with winds of up to 240 km. an hour, but then retreated as the hurricane moved inland. Meanwhile, Hurricane Orlean is also concerned about reaching Mexico. On the island of the Caribbean there is talk of three deaths. The entire island was embroiled when Sistema Eléctrico Nacional collapsed completely on Tuesday, along with internet and mobile phone services. It appears that Tabacuba, which operates tobacco production, has been seriously damaged. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, at least 8,500 hectares of crops will be damaged. Five buildings have completely collapsed in Havana and about 68 others have collapsed.

As elsewhere, there were protests in the capital on Thursday night. According to unofficial estimates are still The New York Times, Florida, has killed 30 people and left about 2.6 million homes and businesses without power. The number is expected to increase and it may take days for a definitive number to be obtained. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said electricity has been restored in some counties, but damage in others is inevitable that infrastructure will need to be completely rebuilt. In South Carolina, Hurricane Ian reached its coast near Georgetown, according to a report from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the US National Hurricane Monitoring Center. In the meantime, fear in Mexico of Hurricane Orlene, which willI’m strengthening, moving to Category 3 of 5, as it approaches the eastern shores of Mexico, which is expected to be hit in the next few days, according to a Miami-based US Hurricane Center (NHC) report. The storm, which is currently located 205 kilometers east of Playa Perola in the Mexican state of Jalisco and is moving north at 7 kilometers per hour, is already developing winds of 185 kilometers per hour and very heavy rain.

Sunken prayer in the Indonesian stadium

Also after the evangelism, Francis addressed a thought to the victims of the tragedy in Indonesia:

I also pray for those who lost their lives and were injured in the clashes that erupted after a football match in Malang, Indonesia.

About 200 dead

The facts refer to the fans who provoked a fight at the end of a football competition in Malang, in the province of East Java: in the crowd, nearly 200 people lost their lives. The President talks about security measures that need to be carefully re-evaluated. At least 182 people have died at the Malang Stadium in Indonesia’s East Java province. According to local media reports, Arima FC fans stormed the field after their team’s 3-2 loss to Persibaya Surabaya. Police officers tried to persuade fans to return to the stands by firing tear gas. There was a general escape and an impressive crowd. Indonesia’s head of state, Joko Widodo, has ordered a review of the safety plan for soccer matches. Widodo confirmed in a televised statement that the Minister of Sports and Youth, the National Police chief and the head of the Indonesian Football Association (PMI) had been ordered to “conduct a comprehensive assessment”.