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2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

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29/12/2004

Casualty summary

India

Much of the area adjacent to the Marina Beach in Chennai was covered by water from the tsunami

Main article: 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in India

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, just north of the earthquake hypocenter, have had the most casualties. The tsunami reached a height of 15 m in the southern Nicobar Islands. It is estimated that 7,000 have died on the islands, and a similar number missing. One fifth of the island population is said to be dead, injured or missing ([12]). One particular island in the Nicobars has lost 2/3 of its population of 1,500. Communications have been lost with the Nan Kauri group of islands, some of which have been completely submerged, with the total number of the population out of contact exceeding 18,000. The Indian Air Force base in Car Nicobar, near the hypocenter, is reported to have been severely damaged [13].

On mainland India, the entire eastern coast was affected, killing more than 5,000 and rendering thousands injured and/or homeless [14]. The death toll in Tamil Nadu, which was most affected, was above 3,200. Along the eastern coast, 487 were killed in Pondichery and 89 in Andhra Pradesh. Kerala, located on the southern part of the western coast of India, was also affected with 174 deaths and thousands rendered homeless. Hundreds were feared missing (1,200 in Andhra Pradesh alone). Most of the people killed were fisherfolk who lived along the coast. Many fishermen both at home and at sea were missing.

In Tamil Nadu where the official toll was 3,200, mostly women and children, over 1,700 were killed in the Nagapattinam district alone, over 400 in the Cuddalore district, over 525 in the Kanyakumari district and over 200 in Chennai (formerly Madras) city. It was reported that survey and rescue helicopters could not even land in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts due to floods and rains.

Those killed in Kanyakumari include pilgrims taking a holy dip in the sea. Of about 700 people trapped at the Vivekananda Memorial on an island off Kanyakumari, 650 were rescued while the search is on for others. In Chennai along the Marina Beach, people taking part in various sports activities (including children), and those who were having a morning walk along the beach, were washed away. It being a Sunday, there were more people than usual on the beach. Some unconfirmed reports claim that at least 5,000 fishermen and their families may be missing just from the Marina Beach area.

A large number of pilgrims celebrating Christmas at the Velankanni church were affected. Eyewitness reports suggest that at least 1,000 people were on the beach on that morning.

Water also rushed into the nuclear reactor complex at Kalpakkam, which was then shut off. No damage or radiation leak was reported. [15]

The Indian Army, Navy and Coast Guard were pressed into service for undertaking rescue operations and to air-drop food to the tsunami victims. The chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh announced ex gratia relief for those affected by the tsunamis.

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Indonesia

Indonesia's Ministry of Health confirmed over 32,000 dead. Nine thousand are reported dead in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and nearby towns, where dozens of buildings were destroyed in the initial earthquake. This preliminary figure does not include much of badly damaged western coast of Sumatra. One government official estimated another 10,000 dead in the single town of Meulaboh, 160 km (100 mi) in the northern province of Aceh. Northern Sumatra was unusual in the regional disaster in that it took damage from the earthquake itself as well as the tsunami. Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered homeless.

Government officials are very concerned over the lack of reports from the many small islands dotting the western coast of Sumatra. These islands are among the poorest areas in Indonesia, among them the islands Simeulue and Nias. On Nias island alone official acounts gave the number 122 (source: Media Indonesia Online via the Ministry of Health), while various unconfirmed sources (mostly from phone calls by relatives living in Jakarta) report death tolls of over 600, while others say the number more likely to go well over 1000. Confirmation and communications to the islands are further hampered by damage to telecommunication infrastructures, where phone lines are broken and radio networks have been said to be down due to bad weather. (source: KCM, updates from The Jakarta Post.

Most damage was the result of the tsunamis that struck the coastal regions of Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. Ten metre tall tsunamis passed the tip of the island to race south down the Straits of Malacca and strike along the northeast coast near the town of Bireun. The west coast of Sumatra was about 100 km (60 mi) from the epicenter and is believed to have taken heavy damage. At least five villages were completely destroyed. Overflights of the region show that thousands of homes remain underwater. Reports indicate that survivors survived for days eating nothing but coconuts and looting has been reported in stricken Acehnese towns.

An accurate picture of the damage is made difficult due to the insurgency of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (also known as GAM or Gerakan Aceh Merdeka), which means that there were relatively few journalists, government offices, or aid workers in northern Sumatra. On Monday the government stated that on Wednesday it would lift the 18-month-old ban prohibiting foreign journalists and aid workers from traveling to Aceh. Also on Monday, a spokesperson for the Free Aceh Movement declared a ceasefire so humanitarian aid could reach survivors, and so as not to complicate the already devastating situation. The GAM also stated that 50,000 people were displaced in Aceh.

Fifteen thousand troops, who were in the region to fight the insurgency, have been dispatched to render assistance and to search for survivors. 3 days of national mourning have been declared.
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Malaysia

Much of the area adjacent to the Marina Beach in Chennai was covered by water from the tsunami

Main article: 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in India

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, just north of the earthquake hypocenter, have had the most casualties. The tsunami reached a height of 15 m in the southern Nicobar Islands. It is estimated that 7,000 have died on the islands, and a similar number missing. One fifth of the island population is said to be dead, injured or missing [12]. One particular island in the Nicobars has lost 2/3 of its population of 1,500. Communications have been lost with the Nan Kauri group of islands, some of which have been completely submerged, with the total number of the population out of contact exceeding 18,000. The Indian Air Force base in Car Nicobar, near the hypocenter, is reported to have been severely damaged [13].

Cars struck by the tsunami in Penang

Malaysia escaped the kind of damages that struck beaches thousands of miles further away. This is attributed to the the position of the epicentre which was on the west side of the island of Sumatra, which shielded Malaysia. The limited number of casualties were from people being swept away from beaches as the tsunami hit Malaysia which resulted in the deaths of 63 people as of noon local time: 49 (2 unindentified victims) in Penang, 10 in Kedah, 3 in Perak and one in Selangor. The deaths at Penang were reported to include many picnickers and children who were playing on the beach. No deaths are reported among foreign tourists. At noon on 28th Dec the death toll is reported to have risen to 63 with 29 people missing, 275 injured and 4000 homeless. Houses in villages along coastal areas were badly damaged in Penang, Kuala Muda in Kedah and numerous fishing boats were destroyed on Langkawi island. The waves sent parked motorcycles crashing and cars washed with mud at stretches along Gurney Drive. The biggest lost from a single family was when 5 of 7 children of Zulkifli Mohamad Noor was killed when the tsunami struck at Pasir Panjang beach. The biggest risk is post disaster risk like food and water-borne diseases e.g. cholera and typhoid and dengue from stagnating water. The tremor of the quake was felt by office workers in PETRONAS Twin Towers.

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi cut short his holiday in Spain and returned to Malaysia. The Malaysian government announced that MYR 1,000 (USD 263.16) would be paid to the families of victims while MYR 200 (USD 52.63) would be paid to those who had sustained injuries from the tsunami. Residents who moved out of their homes immediately would also be paid MYR 200 as compensation.
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 Maldives

Malé, the capital island of Maldives was severely hit by the tsunamis.

Sixty-eight were killed and 76 reported missing in the Maldives, with both figures expected to rise as communication links are restored. Two-thirds of the capital city Malé were flooded during the early hours of the day. Outlying low-level atolls were badly affected and some low lying islands were completely submerged - including some of the major resorts - during the high tide.

The government has declared a state of national disaster [16] and a special task force has been set up to provide aid and supplies. Rescue efforts have been hampered by loss of communication capability, as well as the lack of a prior rescue or relief plan for a disaster of this nature.
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Somalia

Villages and coastal communities in Somalia, as far as 4,500 km (2,800 mi) from the epicentre of the earthquake, were swept away and destroyed by the huge waves. Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi of the government-in-exile has stated that over 100 people are dead. Rising waters engulfed the town mosque of Brava and the villages of Beyla, Garacad, Muduy and Nugaal, all in Puntland, were reported destroyed.

According to Ali Abdi Awari, Minister of Rural Development, the final toll is believed to be much higher, as the number of fishermen caught on the sea has not been established by the local authorities. Much of the 621-mile coast is controlled by various clan-based militias, making obtaining accurate information difficult. The United Nations is assisting 2,000 people in Hafun, a town 715 miles northeast of Mogadishu, who were made homeless by the tsunamis.

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Myanmar

Ninety people have been confirmed killed by tsunamis in Myanmar, previously known as Burma. Most deaths were in the Irrawaddy Delta and several villages and a bridge destroyed. The ruling military government rarely release details about any disaster, so exact numbers of casualties and homeless are difficult to obtain. International humanitarian organisations in Rangoon report 56 deaths, but expect the final toll to be significantly higher.
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Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan authorities report nearly 22,000 confirmed deaths, mostly children and the elderly. The south and east coasts were worst hit. The army states that over 10,000 bodies have been recovered in government-held areas.

The rebel Tamil Tigers who control much of the north and east have stated that the number of dead in rebel-held areas could rise to 6,000. War-damaged infrastucture means it is likely to mean that it will take longer before accurate figures are available for these areas.

Satellite photo of southwestern coast of Sri Lanka shortly after the tsunami struck. (DigitalGlobe)

1200 dead were counted at Batticaloa in the east and at Trincomalee in the northeast, where the tsunami reached more than 2 km (1.25 mi) inland, 800 were reported dead. The naval base at Trincomalee is reported to be submerged. About 1000 more dead were counted in Mullaitivu and Vadamaradchi East. [17]. A train, the "Sea Queen," moving between Colombo and Galle, with 1000 passengers was struck by a tsunami, killing all on board.

More than one million people have been displaced from their homes. Apart from homes, many hotels were also reported to have been damaged. Hotels along the south coast were full of both foreign tourists and Sri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend. Twenty thousand soldiers were deployed in government-controlled areas to assist in relief operations and maintain law and order after sporadic looting. Curfews had been imposed in some areas to curb looting. Chinese light antipersonnel mines of type T-72A, left after the two-decade civil war, are feared to have been washed up and spread by the surge of water. The Norwegian People's Aid organization is currently assembling a team of mine sweepers to assess the situation.

The main highway to the south runs along the coast and was closed in the aftermath of the tsunami, delaying relief supplies. A huge effort to deliver supplies has been made by large numbers of private individuals filling their own vans and pickup trucks with food, clothing and bottled water and driving to affected areas.

Author Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who lives in Sri Lanka, has issued a statement saying that Sri Lanka "lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath." Clarke reported that not all of his staff have been accounted for. Clarke's diving school has been destroyed.
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Thailand

The Thai government reports that over 2,000 are feared killed, with 1,657 confirmed deaths and 8,953 injuries [18]. The popular tourist resort of Phuket was badly hit. The smaller but increasingly popular resort area of Khao Lak some 80 km north of Phuket was hit far worse and there are said to be around 700 corpses on the beach in Khao Lak, while the total amount of dead in Khao Lak may exceed 2,000. The severity of the situation in Khao Lak is probably explained by the fact, that unlike the high-rising city of Phuket, the village of Khao Lak only had low built bungalows instead of high-rise concrete hotels. Khao Lak also has an extensive area of flatland only a few metres above the sea level, on which most bungalows were situated.

Thailand deputy interior minister Sutham Sangprathum reports over 700 tourists among Thailand's casualties. The bodies of 44 foreign tourists are reported to have been recovered at Phuket. Hundreds of holiday bungalows on the Phi Phi Islands were washed out to sea. Lorry drivers were quick to offer assistance, driving victims to higher ground and away from the surging waters. Local reports say many scuba divers were found dead, with their bodies torn apart by the tsunami. Among the dead was Bhumi Jensen, a grandson of King Rama IX, whose body was found at Phang Nga on Monday afternoon.
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Other countries

Main article: Other countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

A number of other countries were also affected either directly or indirectly by the earthquake. Countries such as Myanmar and Somalia suffered dozens and perhaps hundreds of deaths as well as significant property damage, while nations like Oman and Australia reported only non-deadly ocean swells. Citizens from countries from around the world have been killed, or remain missing, in the aftermath of the natural disaster. Many foreigners were visiting the famed beaches of Thailand and Sri Lanka during the winter vacation.
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Damage in historical and global context

Regional map showing physiographic features, tectonic plate movements, and locations of volcanoes, earthquakes, and impact craters

Although the earthquake was the fourth most powerful recorded since 1899, the likely death toll is lower than would have been the case if it had struck at a densely populated area. The deadliest earthquakes recorded in recent times were the Tangshan, China, earthquake of 1976, in which 240,000 were killed, and the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 (140,000). The deadliest earthquake in history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, with a reported death toll of 830,000 (although figures from this time period may not be reliable). [19]

The nations of the Indian Ocean do not participate in an international tsunami early warning system like that in the Pacific Ocean, mostly as a result of the historical rarity of tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. In the Pacific, a system of sensors is linked to monitoring stations so that local media can warn the populace to seek higher ground well before a tsunami arrives. Thailand is a member of the Pacific tsunami warning system, but all of its ocean buoys, upon which wave sensors are mounted, are on the east coast of the country. A single wave station south of the epicenter measured a two foot tall tsunami moving towards Australia. The US Geological Survey has stated that if a monitoring and warning system had been in place, the loss of life could have been reduced, especially in areas that were struck by tsunamis more than three hours after the initial tremor, such as Sri Lanka and India. Furthermore, in Pacific regions where tsunamis are better known, the receding of the sea from the coast would have warned many people of an impending ocean surge. In the Indian Ocean region, this rare sight has been reported to have induced people to visit the coast to investigate. Also, the intensity of the tremors in India and Sri Lanka was too low to raise an alarm.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Indian government has decided to install equipment to warn about impending tsunamis, and to join a group of countries that would share information on tsunamis. The Malaysian government has also proposed to create a tsunami warning system, in cooperation with other countries in the region. [20].

*The numbers for Sri Lanka include reports from both government- and Tamil-held regions.