Cold Snap in Peru Kills 70 Children, Media Couldn’t Care Less

July 28th, 2007 4:33 PM

By now, you've likely heard about the floods in England, and how the media believe them to be caused by global warming.

However, have you heard about the cold snap in Peru that has already killed 70 children?

You haven't? Well, how could you? After all, no American media outlet has felt it to be newsworthy.

Yet, the following was reported by the BBC on Wednesday, and, as amazing as it might seem, was republished by Press TV Iran's website Thursday (h/t NB reader Rolf Rothermel):

At least 70 children have died during a spell of freezing weather in the Andean regions of Peru, officials have said.

The children, all under five years old, died of pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses over the past three months.

They lived in rural areas at high altitude, where temperatures in some cases are reported to have plummeted to as low as -20C (-4F).

Sadly, this situation is expected to get worse before it gets any better:

Forecasters in Peru are predicting the cold spell will continue until September.

[...]

Many adults have also died during the harsh winter, and thousands of people are suffering from pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

This is one of the worst cold-related disasters in Peru's history. Yet, Google news and LexisNexis searches found no American media covering this story.

Think they'd be so disinterested if there was a heat-related disaster killing children somewhere?

No. I don't either.