Earthquake and tsunami across Asia

[Sacha]

At least 162 dead as huge Indonesia quake wreaks havoc across Asia


JAKARTA: At least 162 people were killed after a huge earthquake rocked Indonesia on Sunday, unleashing tidal waves and flash floods across Asia that swamped coastal areas and displaced thousands.

The quake, which seismologists said measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, struck in the Indian ocean southwest of Aceh province on Sumatra island and sparked panic across the region.


Sri Lanka's eastern and southern coastline was one of the worst hit areas, with rescuers saying at least 162 people had been killed by tidal waves that battered villages.

Sri Lankan relief official M.D. Rodrigo said workers found at least 150 bodies in the Muslim village of Muttur while another 10 were found in the town of Trincomalee which went under several feet of sea water.

"The casualties could be higher," Rodrigo said.

He said water level was going down, leaving a massive trail of destruction. A large number of people were also believed to be missing.

Tsunamis in the southern Thailand resort of Phuket meanwhile left at least four foreign tourists missing after they were swept out to sea.

Indian officials meanwhile also reported deaths after two people drowned after being swamped by a tidal wave in Agarpara in West Bengal state, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the capital city of Calcutta.

Unconfirmed radio reports said at least nine people had been killed in Indonesia.

Waves up to five metres high hit the coast of Aceh forcing hundreds to flee to higher ground.

In Aceh, a region currently closed off to foreign media and aid agencies due to a long-running separatist conflict, there were unconfirmed reports of casualties, with buildings including a mosque and a hotel collapsing.

A reporter from the private ElShinta radio said that the earthquake caused substantial damage in provincial capital Banda Aceh, including the partial collapse of Kuala Tripa hotel and several shops as well as cracks on the road.

Reports differed on the the exact location and size of the quake.

The US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center put the tremor at 8.5, which would make it one of the largest in history, off the west coast of Sumatra while the Strasbourg Observatory in France said the tremor hit 8.0 and was located north of the island.

Jakarta's Meteorology and Geophysics Office put the quake at 6.8, saying it was centered in the Indian Ocean some 149 kilometer (92.38 miles) south of Meulaboh, a town on the western coast of Aceh.

The office said there were reports of tsunamis, collapsed bridges and downed powerlines.

Telephone lines were also down, making communications with the region difficult.

First Lieutenant Suyitno of Aceh's southwestern Sigli district police said that water began to rise some 30 minutes after the quake and added that hundreds of people residing near the coast or along rivers had evacuated.

Suyitno said that there were no report of casualties yet and that the depth of the flood was around one meter.

Similar conditions were also reported in the coastal town of Lhokseumawe, in North Aceh district, 216 kilometers (134 miles) east of Banda Aceh.

The state Antara news agency said that several shops under construction in the Beurawe area of Banda Aceh collapsed and search teams were searching for possible victims -- construction workers who might have been in the buildings.

A witness also told the radio from Sigli the quake caused the dome of the main mosque there to collapse.

The witness said there were no reports of any casualties.

The quake was also felt in the North Sumatra province capital of Medan, sparking panic among the population.

Indra Suwarta from the meteorology office in Medan said that there were no reports of any damage or casualties in Medan.

"Damage has been reported in Banda Aceh and also in Meulaboh....electricity poles and bridges collapsed. But here has not been any report of casualties so far," Suwarta said.

The tremors were felt as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok, some 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) north of the epicenter, where buildings swayed but no serious damage was reported.

Guests of a high-rise hotel reported chandeliers swinging, according to a manager of the city's Conrad Hotel, while the Charoen Krung Pracha Rak Hospital evacuated all 400 of its patients as a precaution.

Buildings suffered minor damage in the southern Thai town of Hat Yai, some 800 kilometres (around 500 miles) from the epicenter.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 18,000 islands, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" noted for its volcanic and seismic activity, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.

Lying at the collision point of three tectonic plates results in frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as pressure between the massive segments of the Earth's crust is released.

Last month, a succession of powerful earthquakes struck Alor island in eastern Indonesia, killing 26 people. - AFP


Related News »
• At least 160 dead as tsunami waves hit Sri Lanka
• Singapore feels tremors from massive Indonesian earthquake
• Tremors rattle eastern India after Indonesian quake
• Strong quake rocks north of Indonesia's Sumatra island

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...124073/1/.html

[Funky Monkey]

daaaaaaamn.....

[exitwound]

initial quake apparently registered at least an 8.5 on the Richter scale, the most intense earthquake recorded since 1965....

[kidcanuck]

8.9.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/

You can check my record on IH.

I predicted an 8 or better before the end of 2004.

I predicted it would hit in California. I got the location wrong but the year isn't over yet.

That's two quakes 8 or better in the last week.

Get ready on the west coast of North America.

Alaska to Mexico.

Damn I'm good.

[kidcanuck]

20 foot high tidal waves kill 700.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...earthquake&e=4

[kidcanuck]

Picutres from Asia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4125643.stm


Why earthquakes happen.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopi...thquakes.shtml

[kidcanuck]

More pictures.

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/...&c=news_photos

California quake insurance at the bottom.

[Sacha]

Pardon me kidcanuck, but would you mind refraining from revelling in such a tragedy. Your attitude sickens me.

How about.........a moments silence for all the thousands that have now lost their lives through such a tragedy and let us pray for the safety of the many hundreds still missing in many many countries.

It is indeed very sad that nature can create such carnage.

Sacha

[exitwound]

Mag 8.9 is the estimate now -- nearly 5,000 believed dead, mainly in Sri Lanka and the Indian coast....

[kidcanuck]

11,500 dead.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...0838&printer=1

Sacha, I'm the greatest predictor of earthquakes on the globe.

I can't can't help by gloat.