Tsunami Kills 22,000 in Nine Countries

“COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Rescuers piled up bodies along southern Asian coastlines devastated by tidal waves that obliterated seaside towns and killed more than 22,000 people in nine countries, and officials indicated Monday the death toll could climb far higher.

Hundreds of children were buried in mass graves in India, and morgues and hospitals struggled to cope with the catastrophe. Somalia, some 3,000 miles away, reported hundreds of deaths.

The death toll rose sharply a day after the magnitude 9 quake struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia. It was the most powerful earthquake in the world in four decades.

Government and aid officials suggested the death toll could increase significantly, citing unconfirmed reports of thousands more deaths on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on India’s Andaman and Nikobar islands.

Walls of water sped away from the quake’s epicenter at more than 500 mph before crashing into the region’s shorelines, sweeping people and fishing villages out to sea. Millions were displaced from their homes and thousands remained missing Monday.

The governments of Indonesia and Thailand conceded that public warnings came too late or not at all. But officials insisted they could not know the seriousness of the threat because no tsunami warning system exists for the Indian Ocean.”

Tragic, just tragic. What else can you say.

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3 Comments

  1. ALG December 27, 2004 at 6:20 pm

    I read your blog semi-regularly, and I just wanted to mention that the following organizations (among others, perhaps), are accepting donations to help people in the countries affected. I got this information from someone who works for the International Red Cross, so I trust it.

    American Red Cross
    International Response Fund
    PO Box 37243
    Washington DC 20013
    1-800-HELP-NOW
    http://www.redcross.org

    Direct Relief International
    27 South La Patera Lane
    Santa Barbara CA 93117
    1-805-964-4767
    http://www.directrelief.org

    Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres
    PO Box 2247
    New York NY 10116-2247
    1-888-392-0392
    http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

    International Medical Corps
    11500 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite #506
    Los Angeles CA 90064
    1-800-481-4462
    http://www.imcworldwide.org

    Operation USA
    8320 Melrose Avenue, Suite #200
    Los Angeles, CA 90069
    1-800-678-7255
    http://www.opusa.org

  2. mquest December 27, 2004 at 6:00 pm

    Amazing. The earth is Alive with power. When mother nature / earth decides to move the power that is created is amazing. I have listened to many reports on NPR from the BBC. The whole thing is tragic. (why does the BBC have better coverage?) What will happen to these countries? I hope I never have to live through a major event like this in my life. The loss of life is at such a staggering number.

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