Earthquake in Asia.
Discussion
Oh my 
Been watching and listening to the news as this emerged today, it's looking very bad indeed and still likely to get much worse as the scene unfolds. Know many of the places hit and probably several of those involved. Not much anyone can do against a tsunami, hardly the most predictable of events.
Been watching and listening to the news as this emerged today, it's looking very bad indeed and still likely to get much worse as the scene unfolds. Know many of the places hit and probably several of those involved. Not much anyone can do against a tsunami, hardly the most predictable of events.
ananova said:
Thousands killed in quake floods
A devastating tidal wave triggered by a massive earthquake has killed more than 3,700 and left thousands of British holidaymakers stranded in Asia.
The death toll is still rising and many are reported missing following the quake, which registered 8.9 on the Richter scale and powered a wall of water across the region, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Thailand.
People, homes and cars were swept away by the force of the tsunami unleashed by the quake, the fifth largest since 1900, which was centred off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
In Sri Lanka police reported 2,000 dead and more than one million affected. India officials said as many as 1,130 had been killed along the southern coast. Another 168 were confirmed dead in Thailand, 28 in Malaysia and 2 in Bangladesh.
So far only one Briton has been confirmed dead - a man on holiday in the Maldives died of a heart attack as the tidal wave struck, said a government official there. But tourist chiefs believe around 10,000 British holidaymakers could be affected by the disaster.
The Foreign Office said British Embassy staff throughout southeast Asia are on hand to offer assistance and an emergency telephone number has been set up in the wake of the disaster. The number is 0207 008 0000.
Thai government officials said the death toll included at least four tourists, and visitors were swept from a beach in the southern Thailand resort of Phuket by waves surging as high as 16ft.
Other resorts where people were killed were the beach havens of Songkhla, Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani.
An emergency team from the British embassy in Bangkok is travelling to Phuket to provide assistance, the Foreign Office said. A similar team from the UK mission in Sri Lanka has been despatched to aid the emergency operation.
The European Union had announced an initial 3 million euros to help the victims, and a spokeswoman for the Department for International Development said: "The United Nations has put on UN disaster assessment and co-ordination teams already and the Department for International Development has offered a number of team members to them."
My best mate operates for six months of the year, a liveaboard dive charter boat out of southern Phuket(Chaloonga Bay). Christmas/New Year 2001 we were happily cruising around the myriad islands south of Phuket - we had planned to do the same this Xmas but he had double booked! It has now been deferred till Feb.
I can tell you that I have had a few whiskies this sarvo as the dreadful news continues to unfold! (happy to report that he had chosen to head for a less commercial destination over Xmas break and was moored up in Myanmar (Burma) and can confirm that he is thoroughly shaken but okay)
Divine intervention?
apprentice
I can tell you that I have had a few whiskies this sarvo as the dreadful news continues to unfold! (happy to report that he had chosen to head for a less commercial destination over Xmas break and was moored up in Myanmar (Burma) and can confirm that he is thoroughly shaken but okay)
Divine intervention?
apprentice
Good to hear. Hopefully there will be quite a few more "lucky escape" stories to come.
These tidal waves must have been very similar to the ones caused when the island of Krakatoa blew itself to pieces in 1883. Krakatoa is in the same general area where this incident was centered. 40,000 people died as result of the tsunamis raised in 1883.
These tidal waves must have been very similar to the ones caused when the island of Krakatoa blew itself to pieces in 1883. Krakatoa is in the same general area where this incident was centered. 40,000 people died as result of the tsunamis raised in 1883.
Eric Mc said:
Good to hear. Hopefully there will be quite a few more "lucky escape" stories to come.
These tidal waves must have been very similar to the ones caused when the island of Krakatoa blew itself to pieces in 1883. Krakatoa is in the same general area where this incident was centered. 40,000 people died as result of the tsunamis raised in 1883.
I think it's important to realise that these were not tidal waves coming ashore, they were tsunamis, an entirely different and very devastating occurrence.
Despite the fact that this has hit several countries and thousands of miles of shoreline, we so far haven't a single piece of film actually showing it coming ashore.
This is probably because one report from India describes it as over 6 metres high and travelling at 500 MPH; absolutely awesome natural power.
>> Edited by IOLAIRE on Sunday 26th December 17:04
I have just found out that a load of my fashion mates (all 16-25) were down in Puket for xmas. Being Brazilian the chances of them being at the beach are great.
Nobody has heard from anyone yet so it is a really crazy day. I just hope that there won't be any parents waiting for kids that aren't coming home stories at the end of today.
The bad news is that it looked like a clear sunny day so people were at the beach and just got swept away.
According to FOX
the toll so far is 6,000! Can't be right can it. What are they saying on the Beeb?
In an instant, things change.
>> Edited by maranellouk on Sunday 26th December 17:05
Nobody has heard from anyone yet so it is a really crazy day. I just hope that there won't be any parents waiting for kids that aren't coming home stories at the end of today.
The bad news is that it looked like a clear sunny day so people were at the beach and just got swept away.
According to FOX
the toll so far is 6,000! Can't be right can it. What are they saying on the Beeb? In an instant, things change.
>> Edited by maranellouk on Sunday 26th December 17:05
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff