Sea surges kill thousands in Asia

[tasrit]

Sea surges kill thousands in Asia

More than 7,000 people have been killed across southern Asia in massive sea surges triggered by the strongest earthquake in the world for 40 years.
The 8.9 magnitude quake struck under the sea near Aceh in north Indonesia, generating a wall of water that sped across thousands of kilometres of sea.

More than 3,200 died in Sri Lanka, 2,200 in Indonesia and 2,000 in India.

Casualty figures are rising over a wide area, including tourist resorts on Thailand packed with holidaymakers.



DISASTER TOLL
Sri Lanka: 3,225 dead
Indonesia: 2,200 dead
India: 2,000 dead
Thailand: 257 dead
Malaysia: 28 dead
Maldives: 10 dead
Bangladesh: 2 dead
Source: Government officials



Exact numbers of people killed, injured or missing in the countries hit, are impossible to confirm.

Hundreds are still thought to be missing from coastal regions and, in Sri Lanka alone, officials say more than a million people have been forced from their homes.



Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared a national disaster and the military has been deployed to help rescue efforts.


Hundreds of fishermen are missing off India's southern coast, and there are reports of scores of bodies now being washed up on beaches.

Night has fallen in Indonesia and communications remain difficult, particularly to the strife-torn region of Aceh where the main quake was followed by nine aftershocks. Reports speak of bodies being recovered from trees.

A national disaster has also been announced in the low-lying Maldives islands, more than 2,500km (1,500 miles) from the quake's epicentre, after they were hit by severe flooding.


The Indian-owned Andaman and Nicobar islands, much nearer the epicentre, were also badly hit.

Casualty reports could not be officially confirmed, but a police chief told Reuters 300 people had died and another 700 were feared dead.

Waves forced out from the earthquake are even reported to have reached Somalia, on the east coast of Africa.


Resort 'wiped out'

International aid agencies have called for a rapid response to the emergency to avert further deaths.

The European Union immediately pledged 3m euros (£2.1m) to disaster relief efforts.



Messages of condolences have poured in from around the world.

Pope John Paul said he was praying for "the victims of this enormous tragedy".

Harrowing reports of people caught in the devastation and dramatic tales of escape are emerging from the region.


Jayanti Lakshmi, 70, had gone shopping with his daughter-in-law in Cuddalore in southern India, only to return to find her son and twin grandsons dead in their hut.


"I wish I had died instead of the others, my daughter-in-law would have a life. I can't bear to watch her pain," he said.



All of us fear the final death toll, and in particular are worried that many tourists who went out on boat trips this morning have not returned
Charles Dickson,
Phuket, Thailand


In Thailand, hundreds of holiday bungalows are reported to have been destroyed on the popular Phi Phi island.


Resort owner Chan Marongtaechar told AP: "I am afraid there will be a high figure of foreigners missing in the sea, and also my staff."

Indonesia's location - along the Pacific geological "Ring of Fire" - makes it prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Sunday's tremor - the fifth strongest since 1900 - had a particularly widespread effect because it seems to have taken place just below the surface of the ocean, analysts say.

Bruce Presgrave of the US Geological service told the Reuters news agency: "These big earthquakes, when they occur in shallow water... basically slosh the ocean floor... and it's as if you're rocking water in the bathtub and that wave can travel throughout the ocean."

Experts say tsunamis generated by earthquakes can travel at up to 500km/h.


IMPACT OF THE EARTHQUAKE

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/h...ia/4125481.stm

Published: 2004/12/26 17:50:57 GMT

© BBC MMIV

[opticrush]

dead count has increased to over 12,000. fucked up shit.

[SlickSlider]

Jesus. It's horrible.

[obby]

Death toll now at 22,000

Really sad stuff !!!!!



http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041227/D877MDP80.html


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ake_tidal_wave

[howardstone]

23,000 and counting . . . .. .. ....

very crazy sh*t indeed

[howardstone]

[daprofessional]

time for donations to the International Red Cross

[raver_mania]

This is terrible. Waves at 500 miles per hour!! I can't even begin to comprehend how much energy was released when the waves hit land even at a fraction of that speed!

I'm surprised g420 hasn't come on here and said "good things happen in the holidays" or some other stupid shit like that. Must be too busy celebrating on the streets.

[vicman]

this is why we need the United Nations. I doubt that any country would actually do anything other than give financial aid to help the countries devastated by this. the UN along with the Red Cross/Red Crescent are the only organizations that can do the job of getting the provided aid to those in need.

[bigpoppanils]

Originally Posted by vicman

this is why we need the United Nations. I doubt that any country would actually do anything other than give financial aid to help the countries devastated by this.

considering the massive human losses and the billions of property damage, the financial aid being handed out is pretty weak if you ask me. The US is giving only $15 million. The EU is giving only $4 million. Australia is only giving $7.6 million.

[somebitch]

it is pretty insane. i have family in thailand and i was so worried. they said they saw the wave coming and ran to the highest point they could find. they didnt get hurt, thank god. it is too bad there was no warning for the people close to the beach

[tony41]

So sad....Did u see the front page of the NYT.....I could not bare to look at it a second time.

Now I see on the news that some of the celebrities are upset because it messed up there vacation plans.Inconsiderate bastards! thousands of lives lost, a 3rd of them are children.

[siceone]

Originally Posted by tony41

So sad....Did u see the front page of the NYT.....I could not bare to look at it a second time.

Now I see on the news that some of the celebrities are upset because it messed up there vacation plans.Inconsiderate bastards! thousands of lives lost, a 3rd of them are children.

Body count is up to 70g Us aid is 35 million and rising

[vicman]

up to 77,000. please make any type of donations if you guys can.

i was watching CNN last night some of the footage people in the tsunami hit areas were taking as the tidal waves came crashing in and flooding everything. at some point i just got teary-eyed from watching it. i got a few friends that live in the southern tip of india and who have family there. most of them havent been able to reach family in the area.

[bigpoppanils]