Heavy Earthquake in Asia

[Hjaldar 0]

This is just sad. These people have lost everything. Our guys that come back to Europe have made through hell but they return to their homes. The asian people do not.

[Winters 1]

Action Star and Supermodel are ok, British filmakers daughter is not

Now there is talk of death toll topping 100K

more bad news

[kerosene 0]

One of my friends is half sri-lankan, he sent me the address for the Sri-Lankan High Commison in London, their collecting clothes, money, canned food, etc. I imagine there are similiar things going on in other cities.

I need to get a box and i think im gonna put clothes and mabye some canned stuff in there.

The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist

Republic of Sri Lanka

13 Hyde Park Gardens

London W2 2LU

United Kingdom

The death toll there hasnt even factored in the casulaties in areas outside of government control yet.

[Winters 1]

I am attempting to put together a collection at my job for anyone who wants to contribute a donation. I figured since i was going to contribute myself why not see if my co-workers are interested as well.

[ralphwiggum 6]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/29/tsunami.diver/index.html

Quote[/b] ](CNN) -- An American woman who was scuba diving with her husband in Thailand as one of Sunday's tsunamis roared overhead said she was oblivious to the disaster until after they surfaced, her mother told CNN on Tuesday.

Faye Wachs, 34, was diving with her husband, Eugene Kim, Sunday morning off Ko Phi Phi Island in Thailand when they noticed the water visibility worsened and felt as though they were being sucked downward, Helen Wachs said.

Their dive master signaled to them to surface, "but we still didn't know what happened," Faye wrote in an e-mail to her mother Tuesday.

The enormity of what was happening while they were scuba diving was not immediately apparent after they surfaced, Helen Wachs said her daughter told her.

"She said she saw a lot of trash in the water. The dive master said it was really rude for people to throw trash. Then they saw large bits of debris and thought there might have been a boat crash," Helen Wachs said.

She said her daughter didn't know what had happened until the dive master got a text message from his wife telling him about the catastrophe.

Soon they saw bodies floating past them, Wachs' mother said in an interview from Oakland, California, where she lives.

Once they returned to shore, the couple did what they could to help, Helen Wachs said.

"I can't describe carrying a moaning person who just saw his girlfriend killed down a hill in the middle of the night," the e-mail said. "I saw more bodies than I care to report. The hotel where we were staying is mostly gone. We lost everything, but our lives."

Faye Wachs said she was impressed by the efforts of the Thai government and the International Committee for the Red Cross, but "she was appalled at the treatment they got" from the U.S. government, her mother said.

At the airport in Bangkok, other governments had set up booths to greet nationals who had been affected and to help repatriate them, she said.

That was not the case with the U.S. government, Wachs told her mother. It took the couple three hours, she said, to find the officials from the American consulate, who were in the VIP lounge.

Because they had lost all their possessions, including their documentation, they had to have new passports issued.

But the U.S. officials demanded payment to take the passport pictures, Helen Wachs said.

The couple had managed to hold on to their ATM card, so they paid for the photos and helped other Americans who did not have any money get their pictures taken and buy food, Helen Wachs said.

"She was really very surprised" that the government did so little to ease their ordeal, she said.

In an e-mailed response from the State Department, the chief of American Citizen Services said the embassy usually meets and greets every flight personally, but acknowledged there had been confusion the first night in setting up the operation.

Still, "anyone needing assistance is guided to our office in the VIP hall, which is the space allocated to us by the airport authority," the e-mail said.

Typically, anyone needing a passport is directed to go to the embassy, it added.

"If people have no funds to get to the embassy, they are offered a $100 emergency loan on the spot," the e-mail said.

Because of the emergency, the embassy has been issuing no-fee emergency passports since the tsunami hit, it said.

But the photo printer was working only sporadically on the day in question, so its use was reserved for those truly in need; others were asked to walk a building away to get their pictures taken, it said.

"Basically, if you had a decent supply of cash, you were asked to go get photos made so we could try to save the camera for desperate cases."

Helen Wachs said her daughter told her they would need "some serious counseling" upon their return to Los Angeles.

Once aboard the plane, Wachs told her mother, the biggest thing they noticed was the absence of the stench of raw sewage that had permeated the air.

"She said the clean smell was amazing."

Wachs, who described herself as "shell-shocked but happy to be coming home," is scheduled to arrive Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, her mother said.

She returns acutely aware that many thousands of others don't have that option.

"The tourists are able to get out, but those there are left with utter destruction," Helen Wachs said.

[denoir 0]

Quote[/b] ]

That was not the case with the U.S. government, Wachs told her mother. It took the couple three hours, she said, to find the officials from the American consulate, who were in the VIP lounge.

Because they had lost all their possessions, including their documentation, they had to have new passports issued.

But the U.S. officials demanded payment to take the passport pictures, Helen Wachs said.

The couple had managed to hold on to their ATM card, so they paid for the photos and helped other Americans who did not have any money get their pictures taken and buy food, Helen Wachs said.

"She was really very surprised" that the government did so little to ease their ordeal, she said.

In an e-mailed response from the State Department, the chief of American Citizen Services said the embassy usually meets and greets every flight personally, but acknowledged there had been confusion the first night in setting up the operation.

Still, "anyone needing assistance is guided to our office in the VIP hall, which is the space allocated to us by the airport authority," the e-mail said.

Typically, anyone needing a passport is directed to go to the embassy, it added.

"If people have no funds to get to the embassy, they are offered a $100 emergency loan on the spot," the e-mail said.

Because of the emergency, the embassy has been issuing no-fee emergency passports since the tsunami hit, it said.

In Sweden the government is facing sharp criticism over how the Swedish embassies behaved. The first 24 hourse, people were turned away without getting any help. They were told that they were on their own. The embassies refused to loan any money or to provide transportation home. In Sri Lanka, they even refused to let people into the embassy.

The situation seems to be the same with other Nordic countries where the response to the disaster was far too slow.

Many then went to the embassies of other EU states, where they were much better received. A lot of Swedes got some money, help with communicating with their relatives and tickets out that way.

What everbody seems to be in agreement about is that the local population and government were nothing short of amazing. They unselfishly helped stranded toursists with money, food, medical services and clothing. Many people offered quarters to tourists whose hotels had been destroyed.

I really hope that our governments will show the same solidarity and generosity as the Thai, Sri Lankan and other governments showed our citizens.

[Akira 0]

Don't forget Poland...

Quote[/b] ]Bush announces tsunami aid coalition

Disaster is 'beyond our comprehension'

CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- President Bush said Wednesday that he has formed an international coalition to respond to the massive tsunami disaster along coastlines of the Indian Ocean.

The president interrupted his vacation at his Texas ranch to speak with reporters for the first time since Sunday's earthquake-triggered waves killed tens of thousands of people.

"It's just beyond our comprehension to think about how many lives have been lost," Bush said. (Full story)

He announced that the United States has "established a regional core group with India, Japan and Australia to help coordinate relief efforts. I'm confident more nations will join this core group in short order."

Bush said the tsunamis that hit parts of Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other coastal areas represented "one of the major natural disasters in world history." (Full story)

"Clearly there wasn't a proper warning system in place for that part of the world," Bush said. "And it seems like to me it makes sense for the world to come together to develop a warning system that will help all nations." (Full story)

Some of the tsunamis reached as far as 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the epicenter of the 9.0-magnitude quake, which was located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers).

Offering condolences, Bush said, "our prayers go out to the people who've lost so much to this series of disasters."

"Our embassies are working with host governments to locate American citizens who are still missing and to assist those who have been injured or displaced," Bush said. (Full story)

Bush also announced that the Pentagon is "dispatching a Marine expeditionary unit, the aircraft carrier [uSS] Abraham Lincoln and the maritime preposition squadron from Guam to the area to help with relief efforts."

"Our government is focused and will continue to respond to help those who suffer," Bush said.

On Monday, Jan Egeland, U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, criticized the world's "rich countries," saying, in general, that the amount of foreign aid they gave was "stingy."

In response, Bush said he "felt like the person who made that statement was very misguided and ill-informed."

Mentioning the $35 million in already-pledged U.S. aid, Bush said the United States is a "very generous, kind-hearted nation, and, you know, what you're beginning to see is a typical response from America." (Full story)

On Tuesday, Egeland said his comments had been misunderstood. "I have been misinterpreted when I yesterday said that my belief that rich countries in general can be more generous," Egeland said. "This has nothing to do with any particular country or the response to this emergency. We're in early days and the response has so far been overwhelmingly positive."

Link

[Akira 0]

Just saw an article that India has rejected foreign aid stating that they have "adequate resources" to handle the crisis.

[denoir 0]

Don't forget Poland...

Any form of help is good.

So far the biggest contributors:

US: $35 million

Japan: $30 million

Australia: $27 million

EU: €40 million

and also some member states individually:

--UK: €21.5 million

--Germany: €30 million

--Sweden: €10 million

--Norway: €5 million

Saudi Arabia: $10 million

In addition the US is focusing on the long term goals of rebuilding and of setting up a world-wide warning system. The EU is sending large numbers of medical personel and rescue workers and is setting up field hostpitals. In addition a huge logistics operation is in progress to organize and direct aid delivieries and other supplies.

Of course, this all doesn't lessen the tragedy that has happened. As survivor stories keep pouring in, it is first now that the extent of the tragedy is becoming evident. It's really heartbreaking to read how parts of families have parished: a very typical situation is where the parents manage to survive, but the kids get washed away by the water, not to be seen again. There will be lots of dead children

In Sweden, the number of missing has been updated. It turns out that the previous numbers were just of those that went on organized charter trips. So it is no longer 1,500 missing, but somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 people. And as time goes by, the probability that they are alive and well is reduced. There is a fairly good chance that this is the biggest disaster in Sweden's history.

The mood here in Stockholm is subdued, and I doubt it will be a very happy new year.

[denoir 0]

Just saw an article that India has rejected foreign aid stating that they have "adequate resources" to handle the crisis.

'India has not spurned foreign aid…'

Quote[/b] ]

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi | December 30, 2004 01:43 IST

The government of India is not refusing to accept foreign aid; it has only requested foreign countries to wait awhile before sending in aid as funds from the Indian kitty are yet to be fully utilised.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was among the first ministers to tour the entire tsunamis-affected areas, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, denied rumours that the Indian government, out of pride, has turned down an Australian offer to help out. "We are only telling them to wait for some time. Right now, India has the necessary funds. Only after that is disbursed will we be willing to accept all and any aid that comes our way," he said.

Foreign countries have offered aid, and India is willing to accept it, but at this stage, the material would merely pile up since a distribution mechanism is yet to be put in place.

Talking about aid, he said he had been overwhelmed by the offers from across the country. "At moments like these, you realise that we are all Indians," he told the gathered journalists in New Delhi on December 29.

"Already, all the newspapers have announced tsunami relief funds and contributions from people across the country is pouring in. The response of the people has been amazing," he said.

The defence minister said the relief operations being carried out were the largest in recent times.

"Over 4,000 troops are being utilised, some 30 ships, 30 choppers, and 25 aircraft are involved," he said adding that 500 tonnes of food, water, clothing and medicines were being distributed among the affected people. Moreover, 150 tonnes of medical equipment was also being sent to the affected areas, where most houses, offices and clinics have been completely destroyed.

The Centre has directed the state governments to look at long-term rehabilitation plans. "Most of those who have been most badly hit are fishermen who have lost their boats, houses and nets. The central government has decided to ensure that all such affected people are completely rehabilitated so that they can resume their normal lives as soon as possible. They will be given complete assistance to that effect," Mukherjee said adding that insurance companies have been told to disburse funds without hindrance or delay.

While some of the mechanised or fibre-glass boats were insured, most of the catamarans owned by poor fishermen were not, and the government would help them resume their profession.

..

That sounds pretty reasonable to me. There are others in more need of the funds.

Although I do think a relevant question in this context is how much just  throwing money at it will help. For the rebuilding costs, sure, but right now I think they need medicine, clothes, doctors etc

[walker 0]

Hi all

This link explains why the resort in Railay and Ao Nang (Ao Phra Nang) seemed to get off lightly while those on the identical resort of Ko Phi Phi was to quote the ITN news report obliterated.

http://www.yourkrabi.com/flyer/your_krabi_earthquake_update.shtml

Quote[/b] ]Why was Ao Nang spared?

It now looks as though Ao Nang and Railay (Ao Phra Nang) were the least worst hit out of all the southern Thai resorts. Why? An element of luck, of course, and a small factor of geography. But there are also strict building regulations here, which mean that all buildings - hotels, bars, shops and restaurants - must be constructed at least 10m from the sea (6m from the high tidemark). Most other Thai seaside resorts have bungalows directly on the sand.

A wall, which was bitterly complained about when it was built behind Ao Nang's beach front two years ago, also made a large contribution to the lack of structural damage. Originally conceived as storm protection, it also proved remarkably effective in stopping the onrushing 5m waves on Sunday.

It perhaps gives a good indication as to low tech protection that works.

Woryingly looking over the names in Krabi hospital there are ones I recognise.

Sadly walker

[Akira 0]

Just saw an article that India has rejected foreign aid stating that they have "adequate resources" to handle the crisis.

'India has not spurned foreign aid…'

Typical crappy journalism...

Ummm....whats an "Indian kitty"?

Quote[/b] ]Any form of help is good.

Indeed. Was just making an off-hand comment on Bush's love for "coalitions".

[denoir 0]

Indeed. Was just making an off-hand comment on Bush's love for "coalitions".

Heh, yes, that made me chuckle too. And in most other contexts, I would have ridiculed it. But hey, if he provides humanitarian aid rather than creating the need for it, he has my permission to call himself and his dog Spot a "grand international coalition".

I'm just happy he's doesn't appear to be advocating a retaliatory strike against Mother Nature

[Winters 1]

I'm just happy he's doesn't appear to be advocating a retaliatory strike against Mother Nature  

Give him time, i am sure he is planning the "War on Nature"  

On a side note it appears that my idea to take up a collection amongst my co-workers and make a donation from the company is picking up steam as the HR dept. informed before i left that it is do-able.

[Llauma 0]

I'm just happy he's doesn't appear to be advocating a retaliatory strike against Mother Nature  

Give him time, i am sure he is planning the "War on Nature"  

On a side note it appears that my idea to take up a collection amongst my co-workers and make a donation from the company is picking up steam as the HR dept. informed before i left that it is do-able.

I don't wanna go offtopic but Bush already is in war with nature. Who ignores the Kyoto protocol?

To get back in topic.. My friends parents and little brother were in Khao Lak when the tsunami hit it. Both his parent were wiped by the wave but his mother was lucky to get hold of something. His father on the otherhand was dragged out 1km out on the sea but he somehow managed to swim back. His little brother was out fishing on a boat and they had not noticed anything while out on the sea.

[blackdog~ 0]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=kitty

And Poland wasn't hit by the tsunamis afaik, so no need to make petty wise cracks about this terrible situation....

[Badgerboy 0]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=kitty

And Poland wasn't hit by the tsunamis afaik, so no need to make  petty wise cracks about this terrible situation....

I think with Poland being on the nothern part of of the European continent, everyone had already realised that.

(I hope no one had to reference that with a map)

[bonko the sane 2]

several replicas felt over there a couple of hours ago (5. something richter scale), people panicked (who wouldnt) and abandoned salvaging work and coastal areas.

oh, unofficial death toll is at 100.000

several deaths of tyfus and cholera already reported, and that figure will also rise as there are an estimated 5 million homeless people with no acess to basic sanitation, what a nightmare.

[Winters 1]

114,000 Victims

I heard on the news this morning that an elephant trainer was near one of the beaches and saw the tide go out and grabbed some nearby kids and put them on his elephant and hauled ass out of the area. If i can find that link i will post it

[DarkLight 0]

114,000 Victims

I heard on the news this morning that an elephant trainer was near one of the beaches and saw the tide go out and grabbed some nearby kids and put them on his elephant and hauled ass out of the area. If i can find that link i will post it

Elephants kick ass

[Placebo 28]

http://www.news24.com/News24....00.html

Quote[/b] ]London - Several children who were on a Thai beach when the tsunami struck were saved by an elephant, a British tourist said on Wednesday.

The elephant had been brought to the beach in the resort of Phuket to entertain the children, Laura Barnett, 40, told Britain's Press Association news agency.

The youngsters were put on the back of the animal by its keeper, enabling them to escape unscathed as the killer waves approached, she said.

Barnett, of north London, said she was staying in the Sheraton Grande Laguna hotel when the tsunami struck.

She said she and her family escaped "reasonably lightly", but that the resort's beach was destroyed.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common....00.html

Quote[/b] ] AN elephant and a snake the size of a telephone pole helped save the lives of children.

The amazing animal rescue stories buoyed rescuers as the grim task of searching for tsunami survivors continues.

An Indonesian woman from the devastated province of Aceh had a remarkable story of survival.

She saved two children by following a giant snake to navigate flood waters.

Riza, 26, a clothes seller from the village of Penayang, was helplessly dragged in raging currents after the giant tsunami hit.

"Thousands of people were screaming hysterically and were panicking as they saw the water rise higher than their houses," she said.

As rising waters carried her out of her house, she was dragged towards her neighbour, who was struggling to hold on to her nine-year-old twins.

"Please save my twins, just let me go, as long as they're safe," Riza recalled the mother saying.

She grabbed the twins and placed them on her back. As she struggled through the torrent she saw a gigantic snake gliding to her left.

She followed in its wake until she found land.

"Strangely I felt no fear," Riza said.

"Thank God, with the power I had left, I managed to go to higher ground and the water was only a metre high."

Riza said the twins were bruised and battered, but safe. There was no word on the fate of their mother.

In Thailand, a British tourist said several children were playing on a beach when the tsunami struck.

They were saved after being placed on the back of a circus elephant.

Laura Barnett, 40, said the children were led to safety by the elephant's keeper, riding on the back of the giant beast.

[DracoPaladore 0]

Quote[/b] ]

Ottawa aid package now $40M

Ottawa?s tsunami disaster aid soars from $1M in just four days

SUSAN DELACOURT

OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF

OTTAWA?Canada's disaster-relief efforts for southern Asia have shifted into emergency gear at last, with Prime Minister Paul Martin and lead ministers speeding back to Ottawa from their vacations and an announcement of a world-leading, $36 million boost to financial aid for the tsunami-devastated region.

In the face of growing criticism about what some perceived as the faint and tentative nature so far of Canada's response to the tragedy that has left tens of thousands dead across a wide swath of southern Asia, the federal government snapped into large-scale-response mode yesterday.

Another planeload of relief supplies has been sent to Indonesia and a 12-person team is on its way to the region to see how and where Canada's Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART), which has been inexplicably grounded, could be best used. On top of the $4 million already announced to date, Canada added $36 million yesterday in financial aid ? making it one of the leading international donors, along with Britain and the United States, in cash infusions to the disaster.

Martin, who has been in Morocco since shortly before Christmas, will be back in Ottawa by Saturday. He wasn't scheduled to be back until early next week.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and International Co-operation Minister Aileen Carroll, also vacationing outside Canada, are headed back as early as today.

With the death toll threatening to climb near or above 100,000 people and the world presented with probably one of its worst and most costly humanitarian tragedies, this is a moment at which the Martin government would be expected to put its heft behind vows to increase Canada's clout on the global stage.

Martin has staked out a role for himself as an international crusader and the situation now before him appears to demand that he take the leading role he claims to champion.

Yesterday's escalation in Canadian aid cannot help but be seen in that light ? and Martin's decision to return as a sign that the Prime Minister wants to be seen getting out front of what could be one of the biggest tests of the West's ability to aid a massively afflicted region.

In a statement yesterday, Martin stressed the flurry of activity that has been going on behind the scenes as his government comes to grip with the sheer scope of the damage across southern Asia. He has been in touch with the leaders of all the affected countries to express his condolences and is co-ordinating a Canadian response across at least half a dozen departments ? on the phone constantly, his aides say, with ministers and senior government officials since Sunday, when the earthquake and tsunami struck.

"The shocking human toll of the terrible disaster in south and southeast Asia has moved Canadians across the country to do what they can to try and help. Thousands of Canadians have been touched personally by this tragedy. The scope of the devastation will demand that we continue to work together to respond to the immediate and long-term rescue, humanitarian and reconstruction needs," Martin's statement said.

Defence Minister Bill Graham and Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh have been appointed to lead the co-ordinated disaster-relief response while Martin gets back to Ottawa.

It was Graham yesterday who came before the microphones to announce the radically ramped-up Canadian response, but he stressed that it was not a reply to criticism about Western countries being "stingy" or Canada being too slow off the mark.

"It wasn't prompted by the suggestion we're being stingy," Graham said, noting that he has encountered nothing but gratitude among people he's spoken to in the tsunami-struck nations. It has taken time, he said, for Canadians or any other countries to take the measure of this tragedy and determine how and where to get supplies and assistance to the area. Federal ministers and officials have been working flat-out behind the scenes, he said.

A task force, headed up by the deputy minister of foreign affairs, Peter Harder, and made up of senior officials across government, has been meeting daily and will continue to do so.

Today, Graham is due to serve as chairman of a telephone conference call among MPs in the GTA, to give them updates they can pass along to anxious constituents. Toronto is home to the largest Sri Lankan community outside Sri Lanka and many of these people have been inundating foreign affairs department phone lines, trying to find out what Canada is doing to help their loved ones back home.

Scott Reid, a spokesperson for Martin, said the Prime Minister was accomplishing much by telephone from his vacation spot in Morocco, but he decided yesterday that his presence was needed in Ottawa to co-ordinate the efforts across various ministries.

Finance Minister Ralph Goodale spoke yesterday to his U.S. counterpart, Treasury Secretary John Snow, to discuss ways of co-ordinating North America's response to the south Asian crisis. Graham also planned to talk with outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has been conducting exploratory talks with U.S. friends and allies to form a coalition of willing aid partners.

Today, Carroll will outline how the first $20 million will be allocated in aid efforts. The other half of the money ? and more is expected to come ? will be doled out once Canada has heard from experts on the ground.

Canada also announced yesterday that consular staff is being boosted to help on the ground across south Asia and Graham did not rule out that aircraft could be dispatched to ferry Canadians home to safety.

Log In

[Lt_Phoenix 0]

It's terrible what has happened, and the tragedy seems to be growing by the hour,

Check this out:

80% of missing are presumed dead in Thailand

I've just spent 3 hours at the local shopping centre collecting money for the Red Cross, and we collected around 6.000 euro's for the Tsunami victims, so I can safely say I'm doing what I can to help these people get the aid they need.

[DracoPaladore 0]

Just a warning for those going to The Star website for that article, there is a picture of dead corpses being spraid with a antibiotic.

It's not pretty, but the picture is not very large and you can overlook it. At least it isn't as big as it was on the front page of the paper this morning.

[brgnorway 0]

The money donating in Norway breaks all previous records. Good to see people being so generous. The norwegian government is upping the monetary aid from NKR 50 million to 100 million (aprx. 12 million euro) - and promising more is on the way if needed!