Sunday, December 26, 2004
298 killed, hundreds missing in high tidal waves in India
MADRAS, India: A massive tidal wave triggered by an earthquake in Indonesia slammed into several parts of southern India Sunday, killing at least 298 people, most of them in Tamil Nadu state, as thick walls of water swept away boats, homes and vehicles, officials said.
The beaches of Tamil Nadu turned into virtual open air mortuaries as bodies of fishermen lost at seat were washed ashore and others killed inland were dumped on the sand by retreating waters. Streets of Cuddalore town were flooded with sea water, and dozens of cars were overturned and some were seen perched at awkward angles atop road dividers. At least 150 bodies were recovered from Cuddalore and its outlying areas, said the area's deputy superintendent of police K. Panniselvan. Another 100 bodies were found on various beaches in Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu, said R. Nataraj, the city police chief. Besides, 46 people were killed in neighboring Andhra Pradesh's three districts, including 32 in Krishna district, said police. They said the 32 people including 15 children had gone into the sea for a Hindu religious bath to mark the full moon day. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states are on India's southeastern coast along the Bay of Bengal, which stretches further southeast toward Indonesia that was hit earlier Sunday by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9. Two people were killed and 100 injured in Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a remote sparsely populated area in the Bay of Bengal, about 1,500 kilometers (915 miles) east of Madras. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands also was hit by an earthquake of 7.3 magnitude on Sunday. Residents in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu spoke of massive walls of water as high as 12 feet (3.6 meters) slamming into the shore. "I was shocked to see innumerable fishing boats flying on the shoulder of the waves, going back and forth into the sea, as if made of paper,'' said P. Ramanamurthy, 40, a resident of Kakinada town in Andhra Pradesh. He said he saw the macabre sight of nature's fury from a safe distance on the beach. "Many boats were upturned but fishermen were still holding on to them boats. They also were pushed into the sea. it was shocking. I had never imagined anything like this could happen. I have never seen anything like this in my life,'' he said. The tidal wave, known as Tsunami, swelled in the Bay of Bengal and hit after the earthquake occurred in Indonesia, hundreds of kilometers (miles) away. Rising sea water flooded the huts of nearly 2,500 poor fishermen living in low lying areas of Madras, also known as Chennai. In Nellore district, a light house was felled by the waves. Officials said the Tsunami came so suddenly that it caught residents and the administration by surprise. The water receded quickly from the beaches but rising in others. "This is the impact of the earthquake in Indonesia this morning. There were tidal waves in the sea and the entire coastal belt from Vishakhapatnam to Nellore (districts) has been effected,'' said Y. Rajashekhar Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. He said water entered the Vishakhapatnam harbor but no casualties were reported there because it was closed for the weekend. Officials have advised fishermen not to go into the sea for another two days. "There is no guarantee that the tidal waves will not appear again,'' said K. Kaushalya of the National Geophysical Laboratories in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Panic-stricken residents, especially those living in multistory buildings, rushed out of their homes after they were jolted awake in the eastern states of Orissa and West Bengal and in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Tremors lasting a few seconds were felt around 6:30 a.m. (0100 GMT), PTI said. That was shortly after the quake hit near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In New Delhi, the federal government ordered the navy to help state authorities in rescue operations, and was closely monitoring the situation.--AP
News Poll
- Court ruling takes bite out of local council summonses
- Chin Peng apologises for death of innocents
- Girl and stepmum held over bid to kill first wife
- Biggest karaoke session a blast
- New evidence on MCA snoop squad case arrives at doorstep
- Victim’s dad nabs kidnapper
- Teoh's second autopsy started at noon
- Teoh’s body exhumed for second autopsy today
- Foreigner falls to her death from condominium
- Malaysians must get regular dental checks
- Court ruling takes bite out of local council summonses
- Chin Peng apologises for death of innocents
- Malaysians must get regular dental checks
- No licence to try offenders
- Big impact in ‘small’ man’s win
- New evidence on MCA snoop squad case arrives at doorstep
- Weapons drawn for new battle
- Johor set to be a medical hub
- Joy for 2,500 housebuyers as SPNB takes over project
- More Indonesian maids by year end?
RSS
