NEWS: 9.0 Quake, Tsunamis Strike SE Asia - 275,000+ Dead

Heres another question.. in this photo below is a satelitte picture taken of the receeding waters... was that river there, or is the river a result of the wave pushing that far inward? (IE, instantly formed river of receeding water)




[edit on 12/28/2004 by QuietSoul]

Here's a picture where an estimated 10,000 people lived.. and are now presumed dead..




Houses were made to withstand a tsunami.. but their foundations werent.. They never expected a wave large enough to literally erode a foundation under the house.. hence why the houses still strand.. but no longer on any foundations..



Heres a pic of an entire ISLAND underwater.. scary..


City? What city...






Thousands of pictures at: news.search.yahoo.com...

[edit on 12/28/2004 by QuietSoul]

I have been following this, hearing it just as you all have. I fear that not enough is being done in terms of aid. $10 million here, and there. That's rainy day money that goes in the first day of the disaster. Real money is needed. I.... don't think it will come in time. And those of us in the U.S. have been left in the dark. Very few companies that I know of have come forward. At least Amazon.com has realized the level of loss. I asked eBay to do the same thing, they probably will do something small in all.

Donate

Geeze, these people do not have anything left and there is a big risk that many of those who survived will not when aid doesn't reach them in time. Aid must flow and today, I pray these large relief organizations coordinate and agree that there is no time to be wasted. What they have in stock today needed to be there yesterday, leave tomorrows aid to the rest of us. When there is a need, it will be filled.

God may not have any mercy, but praying for those affected is his way of giving you the power to do the good work yourself.

I pray, for what, I leave that up to the big guy.

Jesse
Seattle, Wa

Here's an article from the Washington Post that points out that many are criticizing President Bush for not saying more about the tragedy:
www.washingtonpost.com...


Between mentioning that Bill Clinton is already all over the European press with calls for international coordination... and claims that an immediate US action could show the mostly muslim nation of Indonesia that we care (both presume that we aren't doing those things), it mentions that Bush has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln's battle group out to the region to help with the relief efforts.

Now, I don't know about you guys, but ordering AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER BATTLE GROUP into the region means a lot more than glamming it up on BBC.

Oh, while I'm on the carrier issue, isn't it kinda odd that the Lincoln was anchored in Hong Kong?

I wont flood this thread with many more pictures, or videos, or anything.. it's all very well known this is a world catasrophic event..

I just cant seem to get over the awe of how big this really was.. and I'm getting angry at the people playing it down like this kind of thing always happens...

Just one last thing.. If you can spare it.. think of all the people down there right now with no homes, no food, no where to go.. you all say you wish you could do something for them.. well, you can...

s1.amazon.com...

Contribute.. I myself have sent $500.. its all I can spare.. and I'll be living bare bones for a few weeks because of it.. but it's the very least I can do.. live with a tight belt for a week and give some family out there a place to sleep, eat, and rest.. they're going to need it.

Originally posted by onlyinmydreams
Oh, while I'm on the carrier issue, isn't it kinda odd that the Lincoln was anchored in Hong Kong?

Are you projecting that the US knew this was going to happen, or.. even more extreme.. made this happen? .. please elaborate on that last sentence..

Originally posted by QuietSoul

Originally posted by onlyinmydreams
Oh, while I'm on the carrier issue, isn't it kinda odd that the Lincoln was anchored in Hong Kong?

Are you projecting that the US knew this was going to happen, or.. even more extreme.. made this happen? .. please elaborate on that last sentence..

No. I don't think the US has the power to move tectonic plates.

Hong Kong is a part of the People's Republic of China, the only nation in the pacific which is even remotely capable of engaging the US Navy in a battle for dominance at sea. The PRC is also a communist nation that has long-term goals that conflict with US interests. In short, I was pointing out that it's odd that one of the US's main warships (and, presumably, its escorts) were anchored in the harbor of a potentially hostile nation.

Then, again, ships traditionally make good-will stops at the ports of even adversarial nations... so maybe it's pretty common for the US to anchor its ships in Hong Kong.

[edit on 28-12-2004 by onlyinmydreams]

Originally posted by onlyinmydreams
No. I don't think the US has the power to move tectonic plates.

Good, I was hoping you wouldnt have gone that path..

But as for your assumption about US ship docked in China, well, thats an entirely different subject.. one that should be started perhaps? Great observation.. maybe the US and china are in cohoots with eachother but playing like they dont like eachother? hmm? Talk about a surprise ally

Back on topic though ;p

I've been doing some poking around, and following are how countries are reportedly offering assistance to the region (all dollars in US$):

Australia: $7.6m, 4 transport planes full of supplies
Belgium: 22 tons of supplies
Canada: $814,000
China: $2.6m worth of supplies
Czech Republic: $444,000, transport plane full of drinking water
EU: $4m, will attempt to raise additional $40m
France: $135,000, 100 rescue workers, 5 tons of supplies
Germany: $1.35m, disaster relief team dispatched
Greece: 17 doctors & staff, additional medical supplies
Israel: Medical team & medical supplies, military search & rescue team
Japan: $30m, 3 Navy vessels with drinking water
Kuwait: $1m worth of supplies
Netherlands: $2.7m
Singapore: $1.2m, medical teams, additional supplies
Spain: $1.35m, transport plane with medical supplies
Sweden: $750,000, communications specialists, communications equipment
UAE: $2m, 3 transport planes of supplies
UK: $800,000, aircraft with tents and plastic sheets
UN: $500,000
United States: $35m, disaster relief teams, aircraft carrier & fleet of 5 ships w/personnel, additional supplies


[edit on 28-12-2004 by Banshee]

Originally posted by Banshee
I've been doing some poking around, and following are how countries are reportedly offering assistance to the region (all dollars in US$):

Australia: $7.6m, 4 transport planes full of supplies
Belgium: 22 tons of supplies
Canada: $814,000
China: $2.6m worth of supplies
Czech Republic: $444,000, transport plane full of drinking water
EU: $4m, will attempt to raise additional $40m
France: $135,000, 100 rescue workers, 5 tons of supplies
Germany: $1.35m, disaster relief team dispatched
Greece: 17 doctors & staff, additional medical supplies
Israel: Medical team & medical supplies, military search & rescue team
Japan: $30m, 3 Navy vessels with drinking water
Kuwait: $1m worth of supplies
Netherlands: $2.7m
Singapore: $1.2m, medical teams, additional supplies
Spain: $1.35m, transport plane with medical supplies
Sweden: $750,000, communications specialists, communications equipment
UAE: $2m, 3 transport planes of supplies
UK: $800,000, aircraft with tents and plastic sheets
UN: $500,000
United States: $35m, disaster relief teams, aircraft carrier & fleet of 5 ships w/personnel, additional supplies

What scares me is that all of these countries are still sending people THERE, instead of getting the people out.. the likelihood of another big quake is very real, and that region couldnt handle another tsunami.. and millions of people running to the rescue could be killed doing the very thing that will be needed on them..

If you look at this chart you'll see the aftershocks arent little itty bitty quakes.. they're pretty damn big.. 5.0-6.1 earthquakes shake alot of ground. The entire region is trembling and it could take nothing to thrust another megaquake out of the ring of fire..

Though the number of quakes have reduced over the past 3 days from 17 quakes to 2, the intensity hasnt changed.. meaning the ground is very angry ;p

Hope it all settles in without another slip.. or we're gonna be counting body bags twice..

[edit on 12/29/2004 by QuietSoul]

Originally posted by QuietSoul

What scares me is that all of these countries are still sending people THERE, instead of getting the people out.. the likelihood of another big quake is very real, and that region couldnt handle another tsunami.. and millions of people running to the rescue could be killed doing the very thing that will be needed on them..

You would think that with all the transport planes going there, an evacuation of the survivors would be one of the top priorities. Why are they making them stay where there is nothing left?

Originally posted by Kidfinger

Originally posted by QuietSoul

What scares me is that all of these countries are still sending people THERE, instead of getting the people out.. the likelihood of another big quake is very real, and that region couldnt handle another tsunami.. and millions of people running to the rescue could be killed doing the very thing that will be needed on them..

You would think that with all the transport planes going there, an evacuation of the survivors would be one of the top priorities. Why are they making them stay where there is nothing left?

Probably because theres no where to take them. The amount of land/countries destroyed by this tsunami is huge.. where are you going to transport millions of people to assure them they'll be safe? Or do you just calm them down and pray the worst has finished?

Edit: I'm sure the ones in the severly torn regions will be relocated though, but that doesnt mean the less ravaged lands that still lost several thousand arent still in risk.. move em to livable land, then worry about everything else..

Like mass disease, starvation, and possibly more tsunamis..

[edit on 12/29/2004 by QuietSoul]

Heres the map of the quakes.. I took the 10scale images and spliced them together to get this image of the activity over the past 2 days...




[edit on 12/29/2004 by QuietSoul]

I won't start a debate over the pros/cons of capitalism but this is what happens when people put profit first. Those who chose to not to issue the warning for the sake of money should face criminal charges. When the people that are hired to protect you put economic interests ahead of your safety it is time to change governments.

Australia boosts tsunami aid efforts

The Federal Government has announced a further $25 million in emergency relief to help tsunami-affected nations in Asia.

More than 65,000 people are believed to have been killed across Asia, with many thousands more missing and feared dead.

Eight Australians are among those killed and the Foreign Affairs Department says it still has serious concerns for the wellbeing of another eight.

Australia has committed $10 million to Indonesia's Aceh region to buy emergency equipment and supplies for people displaced by the weekend waves.

More than 32,000 people are confirmed dead in Indonesia from the tsunami and the undersea earthquake which sparked it.

Australia will also give $5 million in aid to Sri Lanka, while another $5 million will be donated to aid agencies.

The remainder of the new spending will support the relief efforts in Thailand and the Maldives.

The Government's overall contribution to emergency aid in the wake of the tsunami now totals $35 million.

Link

Kamalvathi, a survivor of Sunday's devastating tsunami, undergoes treatment in Cuddalore, 112 miles south of the Indian city of Madras, December 28, 2004.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Buddhist monks handed out rice and curry parcels to grieving tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka and aircraft dropped food to isolated Indonesian towns on Wednesday as Asia's disaster relief operation struggled to kick in.


International aid teams landed in devastated villages on Wednesday to restore drinking water in a desperate race to prevent the spread of diseases, but in many remote areas -- three days after a giant wave hit seven Asian nations killing more than 68,000 -- observers said aid was non-existent.

As the world pledged tens of millions of dollars in aid and sent an international flotilla of ships and fleet of aircraft carrying hundreds of tons of food and emergency supplies, it seemed one of history's biggest relief operations continued to struggle with the sheer enormity of the task.
Aid

PARIS (AFP) - Thousands of European tourists in Asian beach resorts were listed dead or missing in the wake of the tidal waves that engulfed the region after an earthquake.

Austria:
Five Austrians have been confirmed dead, the foreign ministry said, although the Austrian tourist office earlier said six had died. The ministry said 55 were missing. At least 1,500 Austrians were in the affected area, including India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, according to Austrian travel agencies.

Belgium:
Three Belgians, including two babies, have died, the Belgian foreign ministry said. Another 20 Belgians were missing, the foreign ministry said. It said it was worried about several hundred other Belgians out of around 1,000 believed to have been holidaying in Thailand.

Britain:
At least 18 Britons died, the Foreign Office said Tuesday, but British officials at the scene said this total could mount considerably. Twelve Britons had died in Thailand, three in Sri Lanka, and three in the Maldives. On Monday officials said 50 teachers holidaying in Sri Lanka were unaccounted for. Up to 10,000 British tourists were believed to be in the vast southern area of Asia affected.

Croatia:
A three-year-old daughter of a Croatian-Dutch couple was killed in Thailand while 20 Croatian nationals vacationing in south Asia were unaccounted for, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Czech Republic:
Czech officials said on Tuesday that 224 Czech nationals were unaccounted for in the regions hit by the tidal waves. There were no confirmed reports of deaths to date.

Denmark:
Three Danish citizens, a 71-year-old man, a 63-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy, have been reported dead from flooding in the Phuket area of Thailand, the Danish Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said it feared the number of Danish victims would rise. Thirteen Danes still listed as missing around Phuket were presumed dead and at least 11 others had been hospitalized, according to the ministry.

Finland:
Finland's government said Tuesday it had reports of a second Finnish death from the tsunamis. More casualties were likely. Some 2,000 Finnish holidaymakers are believed to have been in the affected areas, including 1,500 in Thailand.

France:
Twenty French tourists -- one in Sri Lanka and nineteen in Thailand -- have been confirmed dead and several hundred are unaccounted for according to French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier. He said during a visit to Phuket that 165 were confirmed injured in Thailand "but also hundreds of people are being looked for about whom we have no information." However, he said only 27 French nationals were officially listed as missing.

Germany:
Several hundred German citizens were missing in Thailand. Tour operator Thomas Cook said the company had been unable to contact about 300 Germans in the resort areas of Phuket and Khao Lak. Dozens of German clients at a 319-room hotel in Khao Lak that was demolished by the waves were also missing. At least 4,000 Germans were believed to have been holidaying in the region when the quake struck.

Hungary:
Two Hungarians were injured, one seriously, on Phuket, the foreign ministry said. Several hundred Hungarians had been vacationing in southeast Asia, mostly in Thailand and the Maldive Islands.

Italy:
At least 13 Italians died, Foreign Minister Giafranco Fini said, 11 of them in Thailand and two in Sri Lanka. About 100 were missing. Dozens of Italians have been hospitalized, the foreign ministry said. Some 5,000 Italians had been vacationing in the region, tour operators said.

The Netherlands:
At least three Dutch nationals have died in the tidal waves that hit Southeast Asia this weekend, a foreign ministy spokesman said Tuesday. The ministry would not give further details about the deaths and declined to give a figure for the total number of Dutch people missing and presumed dead. On Monday Dutch travel organisation ANWB reported that 13 Dutch nationals were missing in Thailand.

Norway:
The foreign ministry said Tuesday that 13 Norwegians were dead, of whom 11 in Thailand and two in Sri Lanka. Some 700 to 800 Norwegians were unaccounted for. Some 2,000 to 3,000 Norwegians were believed to have been holidaying in Thailand over Christmas.

Poland:
Four Polish citizens were "probably dead" and a further 43 were missing in the wake of the Asian quake wave, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Up to 2,000 Poles were believed to be in the affected region.

Portugal:
Five Portuguese were missing, the foreign ministry said, including a baby who was swept out of her mother's arms by a wave.

Romania:
Two Romanian tourists vacationing on Phuket earlier reported as missing were found safe at their hotel, the Romanian travel agency association said.

Russia:
A young woman from Moscow has been identified as the first known Russian victim, killed when the waves struck the island of Phuket. About 1,000 Russians and others from 12 former Soviet republics were in Thailand when the disaster struck. Some 120 are listed as missing.

Spain:
Several Spaniards were hospitalised on Phuket, but there were no reports of Spanish nationals killed, officials said.

Sweden:
Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said on Tuesday that 1,500 Swedish tourists in Thailand were still unaccounted for and "we fear that many of them will not be found". Six Swedes have been confirmed dead.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 Swedish tourists were believed to have been vacationing in the Phuket region.

Switzerland:
At least nine Swiss nationals were killed by the tidal waves in South Asia, of whom six in Thailand, one in India and two and Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said Tuesday. Some 2,500 Swiss were believed to have been holidaying in the region.

Turkey:
Two Turks were injured and 41 remain unaccounted for in the region, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Turkish authorities are still looking for 18 nationals in Thailand, six in Malaysia, six in India, three in Sri Lanka, three in Myanmar, two in the Maldives, two in Singapore and one in Indonesia, the official told AFP.

Missing

Even though it was 2800 miles away the death toll in Africa has hit 111:

ARUSHA, Tanzania - The death toll in Africa from Sunday's tsunami has risen to at least 111 people in Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya and the Seychelles islands, countries with coasts among the farthest from the epicenter of the earthquake that touched off the waves some 2,800 miles away across the Indian Ocean.

In Somalia, Africa's hardest-hit nation, at least 100 people died and an unknown number of fishermen went missing, Somalia's newly elected Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi said Tuesday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where he presides over a government in exile.

The damage along the country's 621-mile coastline was difficult to assess because Somalia is controlled by warring clan-based militias.
Africa

After looking at various sources on the net, and taking into account factors such as missing people, the fact that there is still no official or unofficial death toll for Sumatra. I would now say you could conservatively say that the final death toll as a direct consequence of the 9.0 earthquake and the related quakes (38 total quakes in excess of 5.0, including 3 today. The latest being a 6.2 less than 4 hours ago) will be well in excess of 100,000 and might approach 150,000.

In situations such as this you can generally double any such number when you take into account deaths of an indirect consequence. So we could quite easily be looking at a deathtoll in excess of 300,000 people by the end of this. You also have it seems in excess of 1.5 million made homeless by the disaster.

edit: Sorry Sanctum, I missed your post! But anyway:

Yes Australia's aid has been trebled to $35 million AUD ($27 million USD) and will most likely be enlarged further. This disaster is in our region and I think it is great that we have contributed the most (per capita) as this could have easily been our country affected, having concentrated coastal populations. Then we would be the ones in need of aid. We need to send a message to our neigbours that we are here to help them.

Australia trebles tsunami aid



[edit on 29-12-2004 by cargo]

WOA! Check this out. One more data point toward learning how to use animals for predicting tectonic activity!!!

No Dead Animals???

Oh my...please note this statement:

Indonesia's official death toll of almost 33,000 does not yet include those killed in districts on the West coast.

The West coast was obliterated, the military is stating 3/4 of the coastline is destroyed and town after town is roof-deep in mud...so the fact that these numbers are not included is disturbing.

ap.tbo.com...