Over
6,500 killed as quake, tsunamis hammer South, SE Asia
Chennai:
Giant tsunami tidal waves triggered by a massive earthquake
measuring 8.9 on the Richter today left behind a swathe
of death and destruction across South and South East Asia.
The epicentre of the earthquake located near Sumatra, believed
to be the strongest in 40 years, hit the region at around
0628 IST hammering the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia,
Thailand, Malaysia and Maldives.
Reports
indicate that the quakes and the waves killed as many as
6,500 people, including 1,500 in Tamil Nadu alone and 3000
in neighbouring Sri Lanka. The worst hit state in India
was Tamil Nadu where the nearly 30 to 40 feet high waves
claimed as many as 1,567 lives. Nagapattinam recorded the
highest toll of 788 and it is feared that the toll could
go up. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh reported 69 deaths mostly
in Guntur, Prakasam and Krishna districts, while in Pondicherry,
over 100 people lost their lives. Kerala's coast along the
Arabian Sea also could not escape the nature's fury with
at least 109 people reported dead in the state on the southwestern
coast. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and her Andhra
counterpart YSR Reddy undertook aerial surveys of the affected
areas and announced a solatium of one lakh rupees for the
families of each of the dead. Cuddalore and Kanniyakumari
with 290 and 261 deaths respectively were the other worst
affected areas in Tamil Nadu along with Chennai where 128
people died. Apart from pressing the Army, Air Force and
the Navy to help in the rescue operations, the government
has also sent in two navy ships to Sri Lanka to help in
the rescue operations there.
President
APJ Abdul Kalam has expressed shock over the scale of devastation
while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured the affected
states all necessary help in rescue and relief operations.
The President has also held a meeting with the PM in this
regard. The casualties in the other countries were: Malaysia
25, Indonesia 1800 and Thailand 160.
PM
grieves for the dead as death toll crosses 2000 (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today committed
support to the families hit by the strong earthquake this
morning. In an address to the nation, Singh said that he
had asked his union ministers and chief ministers and Tamil
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Orissa and Pondicherry
to personally oversee the rescue work. "I have learnt with
the deepest sorrow about the tragic of loss of lives and
destruction brought about by the earthquake and associate
tidal waves in the Andaman Nicobar islands, in Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Orissa and Pondicherry. My heart
goes out to the families who have lost their families. I
have been in touch with the respective governments and our
fullest support and cooperation is with them," Singh said
in the televised address from New Delhi. Oil and Natural
Gas Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and Union Communications
Minister Dayanidhi Maran rushed to their states Kerala and
Tamil Nadu, respectively, to take stock of the situation.
According
to the latest reports, the total death toll in these states
had crossed 2000 with over 1625 people died in Chennai alone.
The Tsunami tidal waves swept the coasts of Tamil Nadu and
Andhra Pradesh and crashed into neighbouring Sri Lanka after
a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Tamil Nadu police
said that about 2000 fishermen had been evacuated from Elliot's
Beach area in Chennai and most of the dead were fishermen.
At Elliot's Beach in Chennai, 200 police had been deployed
for rescue operations. The Nand Coast Guard have also begun
search operations for fishermen who were at sea. "The chief
ministers of these states, I have taken steps to provide
of relief to the affected people. They are in process. The
chief ministers have gone to the area. They are in contact
with each other in the control room," Union Home Minister
Shivraj Patil said in the Capital. In Andhra Pradesh about
400 fishermen were feared missing.
Tsunami
plays havoc in South-Asia (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Thousands of people have been killed in India
and some adjacent countries after a massive earthquake rocked
the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The earthquake
triggered tidal waves and flash floods, which unleashed
a swathe of destruction. Although the epicentre of the quake
was Indonesia, India was the worst affected with over 1000
people killed throughout the nation. At least 1,297 people
were killed and many more are missing in Sri Lanka as tsunami
tidal waves lashed the eastern and southern coastal regions
of the island today following the massive quake, which left
a trail of destruction. Reports of fatalities from across
the affected coastal regions of the island added upto at
least 1,297 dead. Sri Lanka has declared a "state of disaster"
after the reports of devastation flooded in to deal with
what is being described as the region's worst ever-natural
calamity in recent times. Around 100 people were killed
in Indonesia, which was the epicenter of the 8.5 magnitude
earthquake in northern Sumatra Island. Sixty-one people
died in Thailand and seven in Malaysia. Home Minister Shivraj
Patil said in Delhi that over 800 people were killed in
Tamil Nadu alone and 200 in Andhra Pradesh. Andaman Nicobar
Islands where a lot of damage was reported there were 14
deaths.
Two
killed, 50 injured in Cherthala (Go
To Top)
Thiruvananthapuram:
High tidal waves have hit Azhikel coastal area in Cherthala
in Allpuzha district in Kerala killing two people and injuring
more than 50 others. Nearly, 70 houses in the coastal areas
of Azhikel were damaged in sea erosion. Those injured have
been admitted to various hospitals at Cherthala. According
to the police, the victims are yet to be identified. The
district administration has opened a relief camp at Azhikel.
High tidal waves and sea erosion were also reported from
other coastal areas including Kollam, Kannur, Kozhikode
and Kochi.
Andhra
govt starts large-scale rescue measures, army alerted (Go
To Top)
Hyderabad:
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has launched massive
rescue operations and has alerted the armed forces. Large-scale
evacuation has also begun in nine coastal districts of the
state, which were rocked by tidal waves and tremors claiming
38 lives today. "We have taken up massive evacuation from
the low-lying areas of the coastal districts and alerted
Army, Air Force and Navy. A control room has been set up
to monitor the situation," said the Chief Minister of the
state Y S Rajsekhar Reddy, while leaving for the worst hit
Prakasham district. Before leaving, the CM held a high level
review meeting with officials to assess the situation and
chalk out rescue operations. He deputed his cabinet colleagues
to monitor the rescue operations at various places in coastal
areas.
Earlier,
huge tidal waves lashed the nine coastal districts -- from
Srikakulam bordering Orissa to Nellore near neighbouring
Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, state administration has started
evacuating people from the low-lying areas to safer places.
Giving the information about deaths, the Chief Minister
said, deaths have been reported from Manginapudi in Krishnsa
district, Vullapaka, Pakala and Kothapatnam in Prakasham
district and Verala in West Godavari district. "The extent
of damage is yet to be assessed after the tremors and the
resultant tidal waves marooned several fishing villages,"
Reddy said. He also informed that he had talked to Prime
Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who has assured all necessary
Central assistance.
Cold
wave grips north India, Amritsar the coldest (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi/ Chandigarh: Severe cold waves swept through northern
parts of the country today, even as mercury continued to
drop. Dense fog threw life out of gear leading to frequent
traffic jams in early morning and evenings. The minimum
temperature came down by 2 degrees in the Capital and stood
at 7.7 degrees Celcius, sources in the Meteorological Department
said. The minimum temperature in Chandigarh too plunged
by two degrees to record 6 degree celsius while Ambala was
colder at 5.6 C, the Metmen said. Amritsar was recorded
as the coldest zone in the plains as temperature plummeted
four degrees below normal to settle at 1.3 C. Ludhiana also
had a cold night at 4 C while Patiala braved the chill at
6.4 C. Srinagar recorded a bone chilling low temperature
at -4.3 C, two degrees below normal, while Jammu recorded
6.5 degree Celcius. Himachal Pradesh also continued to reel
under intense cold and temperature dropped to 2.1 degree
Celcius in Shimla. Bhuntar and Sundernagar had a frezzing
zero degree celsius.
