I sounds more like stories from the bible - floods and earthquakes and now a plague of locusts. Bloomberg reports that 33,000 people have been mobilized in Inner Mongolia to thwart off a potential locust plague, about 430 kilometers from Beijing.

“We are aware and we’re coordinating with the relevant authorities to look into the issue,” said Sun Weide, a Beijing Games organizing committee spokesman, in an interview.

Pesticides are being sprayed in the affected areas to control the pests.