Taken from 'XtraMSN News':
A huge earthquake hit southern Asia on Sunday, setting off a tsunami that drowned hundreds in Sri Lanka and India, sent Indonesians rushing to high ground and washed away bathers on the Thai tourist island of Phuket.

The earthquake of magnitude 8.5 as measured by the US Geological Survey first struck at 7:59 am off the coast of the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra and swung north with multiple tremors into the Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean.

A wall of water up to 10 metres (30 feet) high set off by the tremor swept into Indonesia, over the coast of Sri Lanka and India and along the southern Thai tourist island of Phuket, leaving at least 650 people feared dead, officials said.

"Nothing like this has ever happened in our country before," said Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The earthquake was the world's biggest since 1965, said Julie Martinez, geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey. "It is multiple earthquakes along the same faultline," she said.

The worst-hit area appeared to be the tourist region of Sri Lanka's south and east and the chairman of the John Keells hotel chain said five of his hotels had been badly flooded.

At least 500 were feared dead in Sri Lanka, the National Disaster Management Centre said.

"The army and the navy have sent rescue teams, we have deployed over four choppers and half the navy's eastern fleet to look for survivors," said military spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake.

An official in eastern Trincomalee said 3,000 people had been displaced and six villages destroyed.

Along the southern Indian coast, as many as 74 people were killed and many injured by a tsunami there, hospital and government officials said.

Big Parts Of Maldives Under Water

Officials said 400 fishermen were missing in south India.

"Thirty-four are dead and 14 are admitted in hospital," said an official at the Government Royapettah Hospital in Chennai, formerly known as Madras and the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

Dozens more were dead in Prakasam district in southern Andhra Pradesh and in Machalipatnam district, taking the total death toll in the state to 40, officials said.

The wave swept into the low-lying Maldive islands whose coral atolls are a magnet for tourists, flooding two-thirds of the capital Male, said chief government spokesman Dr Ahmed Shaheed.

"The damage is considerable. The island is only about three feet above sea level and a wave of water four feet high swept over us," he said.

"It is a very bad situation. It is terrible," he said.

"We have no communications with some of the outlying atolls. At this stage we fear the worst. We are trying to send boats to assess the damage, but our resources are stretched to the limit."

The world's worst tsunami in recent history struck on July 17, 1998, when three tsunamis ripped through Papua New Guinea's northwest coast, killing 2,500.

As many as 65 people were killed on Sunday in Indonesia's Aceh province on northern Sumatra island.

"They were mostly drowned by the waves," Bireuen regency mayor Mustofa said by telephone, adding that hundreds of houses had been swept away.

Indonesia's geophysics and meteorology office put the epicentre of the earthquake at 149 km (90 miles) off the southern coast of the island and said the earthquake measured 6.8 on the open-ended Richter scale.

"There was no warning and suddenly the sea water just hit the city," said Bustami, a resident of the Aceh coastal town of Lhokseumawe. "In some parts the water was up to a chest level.

"People are quite panicked now, some of us are walking by foot and others are on military trucks going to higher ground."

Residents said waves as high as five metres (15 ft) struck the northern coast, killing at least nine, causing widespread damage and sending thousands fleeing in panic.

Residents said buildings collapsed and people fled their houses.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire where plate boundaries intersect and volcanoes regularly erupt.

In the Thai tourist island of Phuket at least one person was killed, four were missing and 100 injured when the wave, 5 to 10 metres (16 to 32 feet) high, crashed onto beaches lined with luxury hotels at the peak of the tourist season.

"There was a very large ocean wave after the earthquake and about 100 people were injured," Suparerk Tansriratanawong, director general of Thailand's Meteorological Department, told Reuters.

More than 10 people were killed and 100 injured or missing in the southern Thai province of Phang Nga.

The prime minister called for the evacuation of areas hit by a tsunami wave in three southern provinces, including Phuket.

"I have ordered that rescue officials move people out of the risk area," Thaksin told reporters.That's some nasty stuff. And I would know, I'm staying in Phuket at the moment. My hotel has been flooded, I'm pretty much at ground zero here.

I was very fortunate to have been on a fishing trip when the wave hit. We launched at 9:15am Bangkok time and about an hour and 45 minutes later the dock we took off from was reduced to driftwood, yet we didn't even see the wave - as far as I know, we passed over it but didn't even notice! I got back to find that a fair number of people had been killed and my hotel was flooded.

One thing I'm not enjoying is the lack of information provided by the Thai government. My hotel is flooded but I can't get to it because it's on the other side of the island. I can't recover any of my possessions that I had there. I have insurance but I would prefer that my room isn't looted and I can't recover anything. I became friends with a Sweedish Bar owner and even he isn't allowed back to check on his business (he was on the fishing trip with me). I figure his bar will be looted first.

I'll try to keep you guys posted on any new developments.

Damn, be carefull out there, and tell that Swede that he can just put the Carlsberg beer out in the front so when the looters taste it they will think that his beer tastes like **** so they won't touch anything else. ;)

Simply terrible. I'm especially worried for some friends of mine vacationing on a small island off Kerala; still waiting to hear from them.

Good luck and keep safe, Abomination

I feel especially sorry for the tourists here. So far I've met Germans, Itallians, Australians and Brits who don't have anything other than what they were carrying when the wave hit. Most of their important documents - plane tickets, passports, insurance papers - are in their security boxes, in their hotels, where some of the managers have emptied the cash boxes and fled and the tourists can't recover their belongings.

I might not seem too sorry for the Thai people, but as far as I can see none have offered much in the way of assistance to us. Most have been ripping us off, screwing us for every cent we're worth. The price of taxi services has gone through the roof (multiplied about 10 times) even though the number of taxis is pretty much the same. The only assistance and reliable source of information has been from other tourists.

It's quite an interesting culture here, it doesn't matter where you are from - if you're a tourist you're part of a social group that takes care of its own. Soon I'll be visiting a beach where a wave has hit and done a fair amount of damage. I'll take some pictures but I doubt I'll be able to get them online for some time.

I must admit, despite the difficult situation I'm rather enjoying myself. It's rather exciting and anything but boring. The whole 'Tourist Community' that was rather strong in Thailand before is now unshakeable. I've seen mixed groups of tourists who have just formed groups together after the disaster simply because they were staying in the same area of a beach and they figure better to pool their resources.

Anything anyone wants to know about the general situation?

So... are you intending to stay there, or get out?

Eh....over 20000 thousend casualties now. Doesn't that decrease you mirth somewhat?

There were only 4 heavier tsunamis in the last hundred years. I'm glad you're not one of the already 23.500 deaths. My brother wanted to go to Thailand half January. I wonder if he still wants to.

I was very fortunate to have been on a fishing trip when the wave hit. We launched at 9:15am Bangkok time and about an hour and 45 minutes later the dock we took off from was reduced to driftwood, yet we didn't even see the wave - as far as I know, we passed over it but didn't even notice! That is the textbook thing to do when a tsunami comes - go to the sea! They do this all the time in Japan when tsunami warnings are broadcasted. Boy, did you get lucky. The waves only become big when the ocean depth gets small, ie: close to shore. So that's why you saw nothing.

But yeah, shouldn't you be trying to leave that place?

My brother wanted to go to Thailand half January. I wonder if he still wants to.I think he should wait until the hype and tragedy over this event has cooled off. The scary thing now is being ripped off and swindled, not another tsunami or 8.5 earthquake.

Hmm...some cousins of mine were staying in Chennai, (one of the worst affected places in India) when it hit. Half the city is flooded and the airport is closed.

They've come over till things clear up right now...

But yeah, shouldn't you be trying to leave that place?I can't actually see why. The thing has been and gone. Shouldn't everyone stay as far away from beaches as possible since these things can strike anywhere, anytime? Shouldn't we all stay as far away from fault lines as possible in case of earthquake or volcano? These things are impossible to predict with modern technology and the fact that it could happen shouldn't drive people away from going to the beach or something. However early warning systems could have saved many lives especially considering it took the wave about THREE HOURS to reach Thailand and it should remind people to always carry important documents on their person and be insured.

Despite that, I'm in Bangkok now. I had already booked to return today before The Wave hit. I went back to Patong beach to pick up some stuff I left there and the stench of dead bodies was something I don't want to experience again. What was a bar I used to enjoy is now a few overturned chairs and broken bottles. Seeing a diver pull bodies out from an underground mall - the blue bloated bodies of drown victims - is difficult to describe in full detail.

The Thai hospitality industry has opened up now, offering free food, accommodation and services to tourists who have lost possessions to The Wave. Thankfully I was able to recover everything - my floor in the hotel I was staying only saw a bit of water - but getting things out was another matter. If you want a free T-shirt, bag or sunglasses and don't mind cleaning sand out of them: come to Thailand. There are so many to choose from - it's not stealing, there's no way of identifying who they belong to.

From a business point of view, most of the shops, restaurants and bars were not insured and now lay in ruins. It'll take this part of the island a LONG time to recover economically. Many of the tourists there are 'repeat visitors' who now might not want to ever return due to the emotional scars.

Blog is absolutely correct in his statements.

When an earthquake occurs under water, as was the case here, it sends out - for lack of a better term - a shock wave through the ocean. However, it stays beneath the surface until the ocean depth becomes much more shallow - usually less than a mile away from land. So unless you were on a boat relatively close to shore, the wave would pass beneath your boat, and chances are you wouldn't notice a thing. Closer to land however, and you're in deep trouble. There were many people killed in fishing boats who were within a mile of the shoreline.

Well, when I checked the msn.ca headlines 10 minutes ago, the death toll was 42,000. Now it says 50,000. Where it will end up is anyone's guess.

Glad you're safe, Abomination. This is absolutely horrific.

Well, this thing really helped me find religion...kinda. I live in Singapore, a tiny island practically right next to where the earthquake happened, and amazingly, the island isn't underwater, or damaged in anyway. Also I had friends up at Phuket, around the Patong beach area, when it hit, so I was really relieved when I found out that they got back safe and sound.

Current death-toll is near 77,000, and the Red Cross says this could pass 100,000. Goodness knows how many more people will die of illness before this whole mess is sorted out.

It's almost mind-numbing, the scale of it.

Have you seen the amateur videos on the net? I saw one shot by a swede, and well, the wave was HUGE. I was looking shocked at the screen in about five minutes with my mouth open, even after, when the sports had began.

Well after much paiinful waiting Ive heard back from all my friends in Thailand and they're all safe, my thoughts are with all of those who have lost friends and family... I just hope that the death toll doesnt rise any more...

Over 120,000.

I'm proud to say that the UK has pledged at least £75m (£50m from the government, the rest from the people, and that's still rising) to help the countries affected.

The false alarm given by the Indian government about a second tsunami was decidedly unwelcome, I'm sure.

Very sad.

UK giving money. Ah, nice. What a lovely selfless nation we are.

A faltering NHS system, struggling police force, under-funded education system, unbelievable student bills, rising crime problems; yet the government still finds £50m of taxpayers money to help other nations. I am so proud.

Anyone how many other countries have offered such aid?

U.S. contribution was $35 mil as of Wednesday.
With the death toll at 120K+, it's like the population of my home city being wiped out 1 1/2 times over. Simply unimaginable.

Best of luck to Abomination and other SP'ers in the affected area...

Here in Sweden the only thing people are doing is whining and complaining that the Swedish government wasnt prepared for such a situation and that it did not react quickly enough. How the hell can you be prepared for something like this?! I also find it quite understandable that it takes a while to realise the magnitude of the disaster, media who are the biggest whiners took just as long to grasp the magnitude as the government.

I find it sad that even in a natural disaster people are looking for someone to blame. Especially since what all these people who complain are talking about are pretty much only the Swedish tourists, almost all of them in Thailand. 120.000+ people have died and the *surviving* Swedish tourists are going ballistic because they havent got a ride home yet and because the injured people do not have medical personell who speak Swedish, in Thailand. I would have thought that surviving such a situation would be enough, that you would be grateful for your luck for years to come but apparently the first thing you do when you survive one of the greatest disasters in history is to complain that your government thousands of miles arent picking you up or sending down Swedish speaking nurses to treat your wounds.

Well, I'm not doing any complaining. Frankly I think the Thai authorities have handled the situation VERY well considering the extent of damage (4,500 people dead in Thailand last time I checked - damn that sounds morbid). Nobody can ever be prepared for events such as this - it's an earthquake which can't be predicted. However there are things known as 'tsunami breakers', they're called 'land mass' and 'distance' but sadly we can't choose where to put these resources.

If the Sweedes are complaining about no people being able to speak Sweedish then I'm certain they can survive with their 'euro-English' (since an incredible number of europeans can speak English) because all Thai medical staff can speak some English. ...yet the government still finds £50m of taxpayers money to help other nations.The problems you mentioned cost far more money to solve than the Asia crisis and the money donated to relief efforts in Asia will go a LONG way - far further than extra police wages. Here the money will be used for immediate effect that will save lives - something as simple as food and water. The number of people dieing in the UK due to the problems you mentioned can't come close to the potential deaths in Asia will.

Asia is not the UK's problem, the UK is the UK's problem. 50m my god ..

The total funds donated and pledged so far are approximately $500m USD. Casualties are now at 135,000.

Makes 9/11 look minor, doesn't it?

Ah, how sweet it is to listen to the bells of nationalism again. Bugger everyone who doesnt happen to be born within arbitary lines put down on a piece of paper with the outlines of the world on.

I'm not talking about nationalism here. I actually feel quite proud to know that the money will go to saving lifes and the fact that we are, well, the main contributer.

It's just vexing. The government doesn't have the money to improve OUR country, but it has the money to help other countries. Britain has some deep rooted problems that are getting worse by the day.

How would you feel, if say, your car was vandalized by a group of 13 year old hooligans that the government 'can't afford' to do anything about? Or, you break both your legs in a drivng accident and have to wait 9 months for hospital treatment because the government 'can't afford' more doctors and nurses. Yet, £50million (around $90 dollars) of th money YOU pay through being taxed to the hilt every month, doesn't go to fixing you and your family, but people thousands of miles away.

As I say. Vexing. Pleasing that the people are getting aid, but vexing that we can afford such money when our country is in decline.

How much money has the Swedish government given? Out of curiosity.

No idea, but I doubt that it is less than the UK comparatively.

Canada has pledged $40 million (Cdn)

My initial reaction at Barmy Army's comments was - 'what a selfish bastard he is'. But after thinking about it a bit, I think I understand what he is saying - he's not complaining about giving aid to the victims, but rather wondering where the aid money came from if no funds were available before to solve the UK's problems. But I think the answer is this - every country giving aid is probably in the same situation to some degree (I know Canada is), but in these kinds of circumstances, you find a way. Most countries have "rainy day" funds, or they will take funds from other programs, or they will simply increase borrowing. The point is, when disaster strikes, it's important to step up to the plate and help.

Splunge - that buys about four loaves of bread and two pats of butter, right? :D

Seriously, disasters such as this are of a magnitude far beyond a simple analysis of "what my country needs to deal with its hooligans today."

Think of it this way - the money donated is really going to make a huge difference right now and will have a direct impact on saving lives (medical care and clean food and water are essential to keep the death toll from doubling from secondary fallout due to disease, etc.)

The money that every nation needs to spend on its domestic issues is really there, the problem is that the country (take the UK if you want as an example) is quite a bit clueless on how to fix the problem. If all it took was throwing money at the problem to make it go away, the problem would have gone away long ago. Thus, Sarevok and Barmy Army are quite right in their desire to see their home-based problems fixed, but are, essentially, comparing apples to oranges here.

Even Israel, which sure as heck needs to keep all of its assets at home, immediately mobilized numerous crisis teams and sent them to various Southeast Asian areas to help. (Of course, that would lead to another thread on why not a single international news source bothered to cover that, as it would detract from the careful image those sources like to portray about Israel, but I stray . . .)

So, in summary, you guys are right to think that money should be spent at home, but also a little off-base in that this is a relative drop in the bucket and will benefit the UK in the long run. Gone are the days of isolated countries, as we are now a very interdependent world (if only Bush would learn that lesson -- there I go, straying again).

:)

It sounds like a lot of Scandanavians were in the area where the tsunami struck...And a lot of folks post from Scandanavia - My condolences to anyone that has felt the effect of this tragedy personally.

Not to discount Asia...A few people post from them too, or did at least. Ahm, you know what I mean...

The US has finally upped its pledge, to $350m.

Splunge - that buys about four loaves of bread and two pats of butter, right? AND a quart of milk, I'll have you know! :mad:

Seriously, dmc said it (as usual) much more succinctly than I did.

Basically, throwing money at a problem where you don't really know where that money is best spent is much different than the current tsunami situation, where money is exactly what is needed.

Holy ****!

I'm glad you guys are alright :eek:

The US has finally upped its pledge, to $350m.Ermm....... well done?

Keeping in mind that Australia (with a population of 20 million) donated $1 billion, just from the government (without taking into account private and corporate donations).

You'd think the world's strongest economy could do a little bit more.