Massive earthquake hits Indonesia, Tsunami kills thousands.

[Mels]

The death toll hit over 44,000 people...Gawd, my Indian colleagues at work were right. They told me the toll would be 50-100k or more. I did not want to believe them, but here it is at this enormous number.
sad

[Mels]

Yakinoumiso........I could not believe what I just saw in the pictures and the videos. Brought tears to my eyes.

Sad, hardly any of my american friends are in tune. It is so far away from them that it is like they dont care. Only one american friend mentioned it to me. Damn, the biggest news one of my friends could tell me was Reggie died at 43..he is an ex NFL football player. I said, that is sad, but did you hear about one of the biggest earthquakes in 40 years? She was so non chalant about it.

Im not pissed, I suppose people are people...but it is so true when people complain that when things happen in other countries. people dont care or they choose not to concern themselves.

Hell, the fucking quake's aftermath killed so many people and it did affect the earth....I heard the earth shifted slightly ...NOW that is damn big for something to do that to the earth.

Sorry for my ranting. I am so glad I found this site.....really keeps me in sync and fucking sane.

[jim katta]

steve b said,

Sadly what most people overlook is that in such cases almost all of the money given by Japan is in the form of grants and loans which must be paid back with intrest The US makes many outright gifts of cash to needed nations.

not quite on the mark there...

The U.S. Agency for International Development is adding $20 million to an initial $15 million contribution for Asian earthquake relief as Secretary of State Colin Powell bristled at a United Nations official's suggestion the United States has been "stingy." Describing the $20 million as a "line of credit," Deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the money will be made available to countries devastated by the most powerful earthquake in 40 years. This new total of $35 million is bound to be increased, he said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=2&u=/ap/20041228/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_quake

where I come from, a "line of credit" means "you have to pay it back at some point."

off with the rose colored glasses when it come to the good old usa.

[GuyJean]

The US makes many outright gifts of cash to needed nations.

I thought there were always 'strings attached' in dealing with the US..

Like someone mentioned, the US is sending transport and search planes, along with some military aid, as far as I know.. Don't know if they've arrived yet.

GJ

[Mels]

I read that the Okinawan US military installations, Kadena AFB, Camp Hansen, etc.. were to deploy supplies and help. I wonder if Mainland military bases, Yokata AFB, etc. will also deploy help. I certainly hope they do.

What is really scary is the need for medical help and medication those people need, not to mention, clean water and food to prevent futher illnesses and deathes, I heard that in some places, people were looting for food. Cant imagine the deperation they are feeling now.

I also read that Thailand had to use ships as floating hospitals because there was not available space or places on land.....and that freaking death toll is climbing, now it is 50k or more.....damn

[Caustic Saint]

I got a brief email from GG last night:

Everything is fine. Cnn sensationising what is happening as usual. explain fully when i get some wifi coverage. tell fg that we are all great.

I'm not sure if she's going to post the full scoop here or via email. If she sends it to me in another email I'll post that here as well.

[jim katta]

good to hear that GG is okay. still kind of baffled as to why she still went there knowing the disaster happening. hope she makes it back okay.

by the way, just watched a British reporter essentially rip a UK government official in half for not having offered any substantial aid to the disaster area. I 'was' looking at the french offering as small, but since the UK is the fourth largest economy on the planet and a former colonial power in the region, I guess the spotlight should be on them and why they aren't out front on this. this is why I LOVE UK journalists, they absolutely don't take any crap and will always ask the hard questions.

[Steve Bildermann]

where I come from, a "line of credit" means "you have to pay it back at some point."

off with the rose colored glasses when it come to the good old usa.

Oh yeah I agree that the US does add lots of conditions and does make loans more often than gifts but compared to what Japan does the US is downright bountiful in it's generosity to help coutries needing aid.

*** except if you support whaling - then it's all aboard the gravy train Whooo whooo!!!

[Mels]

Been reading blogs from the effected areas. 'They do say it is pretty bad.' They also expect the death toll to reach closer to 100k or more because of the lack of medication, clean water, disease, no food etc.

Seeing those pictures posted earlier show how bad it was. I dont think anyone is sensationalizing anything, in my opinion, but then again, I am not there.

[Mels]

In case anyone is looking for a loved one, here are some numbers:
Queries
The State Department on Monday established a toll-free telephone number for inquiries about U.S. citizens affected by the Asian earthquake and tsunamis.

The public may call toll free at 888-407-4747. Overseas, people may call 317-472-2328.

Those seeking information also can contact the department's Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management, 202-647-5225.

General information about disaster relief, preparation and emergency services to U.S. citizens abroad can be found at the State Department Web page travel.state.gov/travel/crisismg.html.

[GuyJean]

Hotel Phone Numbers and Severity of Damage:
http://www.sneaknews.com/2004/12/thailand-resorts-hotels-contact-number.html

Missing Persons Board:
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=68

"Tsunami Warning was Stopped"
http://www.expressen.se/expressen/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=223277

Just minutes after the earthquake in the Indian Ocean on Sunday morning, Thailand's foremost meterological experts were sitting together in a crisis meeting. But they decided not to warn about the tsunami "out of courtesy to the tourist industry", write the Thailand daily newspaper The Nation.

The experts got the news around 8:00 am on Sunday morning local time. An hour later, the first massive wave struck. But the experts started to discuss the economic impacts when they were discussing if a tsunami warning should be made. The main argument against such a warning was that there have not been any floods in 300 years. Also, the experts believed the Indonesian island Sumatra would be a "cushion" for the southern coast of Thailand. The experts also had bad information; they thought the tremor was 8.1. A similar earthquake occurred in the same area in 2002 with no flooding at all.

This is a Swedish online newspaper.. Translated by: CLiss (?)..

They thought wrong.. Looks like someone besides McCreery had some phone numbers in their 'address book'.. But nobody was listening.

GJ

[AssKissinger]

Some pictures of the devistation. *Warning* some of the pictures are pretty shocking.

Click "neste" to see the next pic

http://www.vg.no/bilderigg/index.hbs?rigg_id=2601
http://www.vg.no/bilderigg/index.hbs?rigg_id=2600

The videos shot by various tourists are really surprising. I don't know what I would think faced with such a thing, and I hope I never have to find out...

http://moose.cc/tmp/ts/tsunamiphuket.wmv
http://moose.cc/tmp/ts/patong_beach.wmv
http://moose.cc/tmp/ts/sri_lanka_tsunami.wmv

Those are all incredible links. Thanks. And to all of yall who see this as just another excuse to bash America: Shame on you. Can't you for just one second change your mental midget thought patterns?

[GuyJean]

Those are all incredible links. Thanks. And to all of yall who see this as just another excuse to bash America: Shame on you. Can't you for just one second change your mental midget thought patterns? [/b]

Well, the UN 'bashing' the US as 'stingy' got an immediate response of $20 million..

GJ

[DJEB]

UPDATE: Jet Li is not dead.

Whew! So he and Ernest Borgnineare ok. That's good.

[GuyJean]

Check out some satellite images:

http://www.digitalglobe.com/images/tsunami/Sri_Lanka_Tsunami_Damage.pdf

GJ

[jim katta]

Well, the UN 'bashing' the US as 'stingy' got an immediate response of $20 million..

exactly. well put.

[DJEB]

...to all of yall who see this as just another excuse to bash America: Shame on you. Can't you for just one second change your mental midget thought patterns?

It's a bit early to bash anyone over aid. How large is this disaster? With every new report the death toll goes up by a few thousand. Additionally, when it comes to real aid (military training and equipment given to suppress the local population of the recipient country doesn't count as aid in my books) Americans are very, very generous. Keep that in mind and don't equate them with their government.

[Mels]

U.N. Says Death Toll May Hit 100,000

By LELY T. DJUHARI, AP

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia Dec. 28 - Thousands of bodies lay rotting and unidentified on lawns and streets of battered Sumatra island Wednesday and authorities called out bulldozers to dig mass graves, as the number killed in a mammoth earthquake and tsunami soared above 55,000 with tens of thousands still missing. The U.N. health agency warned that disease could double the toll yet again.

[Watcher]

In the sickening entertainment that is the mounting death toll (Must be entertainment as it leads every news broadcast and commands headlines almost as bug as World Series Champs and Man Walks On Moon) have any of you noticed that Reuters has led the pack with calling on higher numbers? I mean just 30 minutes ago both Reuters and AP released new figures with Reuters putting it at 68,000 and AP at 55,000. That's quite a spread. Is Reuters that much better at gathering news in the damaged regions?
By the way... they are getting excited with their verbs using such words as "Race" (Race to Bury Asia's Dead) and "Soars" (Tsunami Death Toll Soars Past 55,000). These are entertainment verbs, no? Wouldn't more solemn words be "Urgency" or "Reaches"?

[Charles]

Just to keep this all in perspective, here is a list of the most destructive quakes in history. It's astonishing to note quakes in China as recent as 1976 that killed an estimated 650,000 people. And that was only a 7.5 quake.

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqsmosde.html

[jingai]

FYI: The US (government, not charitable $ from citizens) is the largest foreign aid donor in the world. Japan overtook it in the 1990s, but has been pulling back recently, as it's been harder to justify sending money abroad when the economy isn't doing well. Based on that, we the US should be pulling our weight here.
How about actually winning some hearts and minds in countries with Muslim populations when an opportunity like this presents itself? I'll chant USA! to that.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

In the sickening entertainment that is the mounting death toll (Must be entertainment as it leads every news broadcast and commands headlines almost as bug as World Series Champs and Man Walks On Moon) have any of you noticed that Reuters has led the pack with calling on higher numbers? I mean just 30 minutes ago both Reuters and AP released new figures with Reuters putting it at 68,000 and AP at 55,000. That's quite a spread. Is Reuters that much better at gathering news in the damaged regions?
By the way... they are getting excited with their verbs using such words as "Race" (Race to Bury Asia's Dead) and "Soars" (Tsunami Death Toll Soars Past 55,000). These are entertainment verbs, no? Wouldn't more solemn words be "Urgency" or "Reaches"?

At least its not as sensational as 911 in america that hysteria and soft propaganda was pumped out for 3 years, it even spawned a war.

In 911 the deather toll was initialy 120,000 less than 3000 was the actual 'mericans really have a flair sensational media.

Worst of all was the crap about the fire fighters, just filling the 'merican hero void.

[jim katta]

So, is the Washington Post a U.S. basher too, or are they more empowered to offer critique than the average american citizen (like me)? Rhetorical question; I know the answer.

Aid Grows Amid Remarks About President's Absence

Although U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland yesterday withdrew his earlier comment, domestic criticism of Bush continued to rise. Skeptics said the initial aid sums -- as well as Bush's decision at first to remain cloistered on his Texas ranch for the Christmas holiday rather than speak in person about the tragedy -- showed scant appreciation for the magnitude of suffering and for the rescue and rebuilding work facing such nations as Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia.

link to full story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32337-2004Dec28.html

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/eco_com_to_for_aid

has a good representation for teh distribution of foreign aid. 'merika is lagging

[Kuang_Grade]

[GomiGirl]

Hi All,

Firstly, apologies for rehashing a group email I sent to friends and family, but it is all relevent. Everybody who knows I am in Thailand have been so wonderful by making sure that I was alive and kicking and up to no good as usual so I thought I would send a big update to all.

The earthquake and resulting tsunami hit on Sunday. We left Tokyo on Monday after checking with the airline and hotel that we would be able to get to Phuket and that we would have a dry bed to sleep in. We were offered the opportunity of canceling or changing our plans but made the conscious decision to travel regardless. Most people would think that we were mad, but we Gomi's do not scare easily - we are serious about our travel. We had seen all the same reports on the news and the internet about the terrible natural disaster that had befallen our chosen destination. However, we felt that the best way we could help was to continue on with our plans and not take our spending money elsewhere.

After a few minor delays at Bangkok and another opportunity to turn back given by a kindly ANA staff member, we arrived in Phuket and took a minibus to the hotel at Karon Beach (yes right where the tsunami hit with full force). We drove through Patong Beach and the place was humming with the expected crowds of tourists at the numerous outdoor bars and cafes. We were expecting to see cars strewn across the street as we had seen in the paper (under the headline "Catastrophe"). However, the streets were clean, the atmosphere was what I had seen in other tourist resort areas in Asia - rampant consumerism and general hedonism.

Sadly, we did travel for a while behind three small trucks that were carrying a coffin each.. this was our first visible clue of the tsunami and its tragic effects. Otherwise, all the other cars on the road were newish SUV's, trucks and cars all in good condition and driving in true SE asian style - anyway they wanted.

Our hotel was clean and ready for our arrival at around 10.30pm and no body was acting as if there was anything amiss given that the sea had been lapping at the hotel driveway only 24 hours earlier. We settled into our comfortable and very dry room for an early-ish night and fell asleep to scenes from CNN and BBC World of the devastation supposedly at our dooorstep.

The next morning (Tuesday) we walked around the town and along the beach to see what all the fuss was about. A hotel across the street and closer to the beach seemed to have had a wall of water pass through the ground floor. The scene was nothing I had witnessed before with a few damaged cars filled with mud and sand in the lobby/restaurant area. Mattresses had already been pulled out of the room for pickup and there were staff everywhere sweeping, cleaning and salvaging what they could. But all these people seemed relatively relaxed and enthusiastic about their work. A few of them, with a wonderful sense of irony, called over to us asking if we wanted a table for lunch - given that the tables were either in the pool or upended in the garden or missing a leg or two, I found this to be charming. (Humour under duress and all that) I have photos that I will share on another email for those who are interested.

We then walked along a raised sandbank with a path that separated the beach from a small lake. The wave had washed everything from beach chairs, tables and building materials into this lake. Again people were quite relaxed while cleaning and salvaging whatever could be re-used. Odd bits of kitchen supplies, cutlery etc strewn around which were from all of the shack-like beach bars, cafes and tourist tat stalls that originally ran the length of the beach. (Think Kamakura beach in Summer)

Here we encountered a fairly gruesome sight - the workers were dragging the lake with anchors for bodies and we had heard from a random stranger that two bodies had been pulled from this lake this morning. We moved away quickly as it felt wrong to watch in waiting for anymore to be discovered. (No I don't slow down to gawp at car wrecks either.) We moved on further and most of the damage was on the first row of buildings closest to the beach. Shop fronts were missing glass, stock looked damaged etc however, the roads and paths had been cleaned and people were going about their business in an orderly and generally relaxed manner.

From one store back from the beach street, business was being conducted as usual. Shop staff encouraging everybody inside, taxi drivers/tuk tuks were offering transport, bars and restaurants were serving food, money changers were changing money, massage salons were touting for warm bodies and full wallets, tailors offering to sew me a new wardrobe, street vendors trying to sell tourist tat (phuket stubbie holder anyone?).. thus it seemed to be business as usual. There was no looting, no panic on the streets, no general mayhem or crushing despair.

We walked up to a nearby temple and donated some money to very placid gentlemen in orange robes who were assisting locals. We wanted to make sure our cash donations went as directly as possible to those who would need it the most. It seemed that a group of foreigners had set up a table in the street requesting money and clothes for "people who had lost everything". On closer inspection, these donations were not for locals but for tourists. Surely this is the job of the Embassy and travel insurance companies? OK call me a cynic, but I smelled something fishy so moved on quickly.

We briefly stopped meandering so my father and brother could refresh with a pint of guinness and spoke to the bar keep for a while. He was saying the same thing that we had discovered, that all of the coverage of Phuket had missed the balance of the situation. This may sell newspapers, however, this was keeping away tourists that are the lifeblood of the economy. Everybody is able to rebuild, however, without the tourists this is a double blow to the area. After speaking with a few people, we discovered that many tourists had left and many more had canceled. We could see for ourselves that this was not necessary as the town is bustling, vibrant and energetic. The friendly Irish barkeep had said that, (paraphrased) "in a way, it had turned Phuket into the beach it was 20 years ago, without all of the "vermin" (his words) selling crap to tourists and bothering them every few metres while trying to enjoy a walk along the beach." For him it is business as usual.

We spent the rest of the day walking around, shopping, having massages, eating delicious seafood, swimming, drinking mai-tais beside the pool, walking along the beach etc. The beach is clean with sparkling white sand, calm warm water and a stunning view of the boats and pleasure craft bobbing on the ocean. The sunset over the ocean was amazing.

Shops that were in clean-up mode in the morning were fully stocked and open for business by the afternoon. The restaurant where we ate dinner, an open walled venue with a concrete floor, had seen 3 feet of seawater through their front door but it was not obvious from either the manner of the staff or the appearance of the interior or the quality of the food.

For some places it will take a few more days (not weeks or years) to open their doors again, but it will not take long.

In conclusion, while I have seen the after effects of a truly terrible natural occurrence, I have also seen the tenacity of the people combined with charming and relaxed nature that marks the Thai culture. People are getting on with things, they are working hard to get their businesses working again so they can earn their living. I do not want to discount the lives that have been lost or the people who have been injured. This undeniably is the high human cost of this natural disaster and should not be overlooked or understated. I am sure that for those who have lost friends and family, there is much private grief.

However, I am a little frustrated that the news I see and read, is not the complete story. The reporting is actually hurting the already shocked and bruised population of this area. It is sensationalising the situation and scaring away the tourists which are the lifeblood of this economy. I know that my Owellian sensibilities tend toward a certain cynicism towards the mass media in general, but I can say with all certainty, that way too many adjectives have been bandied around in the interest of headlines, airtime on cable networks and sales of newspapers. There are lots of earnest journalists standing in front of rubble and quoting death and injury statistics and damage reports but one wonders what can be seen if the camera pans back by 15 metres??? So as some of my friends will understand "Divide by 5 people!!" (Sorry for the in-joke that some may or may not get.) I have thrown things at the TV in disgust over the last few days more than I usually do..

If you are planning to visit here soon, there is nothing to be scared about and you can help those who have lived through it much more effectively than sending a cheque to a relief agency.

I cannot speak for Sri Lanka, India or the other countries that were also hit at the same time as Phuket. The news is reporting severe devastation and a much higher human toll. These countries must be suffering greatly and for those affected, I hope they are able to restore their lives and towns soon. That said, I would like to hear a first hand account from somebody there as I can compare first hand the disparities between the news coverage and the reality that I can see in Phuket.

We have not been inconvenienced in the slightest so while our actions may seem altruistic, they are truthfully not. There is no need for me to roll up my sleeves and work side by side on the clean-up as it is all well under control. We are having a great holiday so far but also feel like we are doing something useful. How often can one say that you are helping out while sitting beside a pool, getting a tan and drinking cocktails?

Wishing you all the best for the New Year,
GG

[GomiGirl]

A side note..

In the paper today, the Red Cross have requested donations of blood. We will be donating when we get to bangkok especially as they are requesting RH - blood types (I am AB -)

[kotatsuneko]

good to hear you are all ok

[AssKissinger]

Thanks a lot for the excellent update, Gomi. That's got to be one of the all time greatest posts in the history of FG. You're a damn fine writer. Take care down there.

[dimwit]

I glad to here things are not as bad as reported. With the number of resorts down there, many of them that were on higher ground or protected from the sea are likely to be undamaged. I would love to here if the flight of tourist is as big as they say, or if the beaches are full of wrecked cars and originic remains as the web seems to show. Very insightful report.