SE Asia Earthquake/Tsunami

[Huckleberry Finn]

over 12,000 now

I agree with you Patrick. It was reported on CNN that those areas that were hit didn't have any U.S. interests that were damaged. I thought that was rather cold. I could care less if several U.S. interests over there were destroyed. It's the people, not things, that are most important!

No US interests? How about American tourists? There should have been thousands Americans on the danger, though only three have been reported dead.

Disasters are always noticed better if they hit fellow countrymen or people who are culturally close. For example a Finnish media notices fairly well all disasters, but attention is much bigger if they hit in the Western World or hurt Western people. This time the media attension is bigger than usually, because there are several thousands Finnish tourists in the area.

It think that European media notices disasters if they hurt Western people generally, but American media only if they hurt Americans.

[Silent Hunter]

The total is now more than 20,000.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Supposedly, the ocen water retracted half-a-mile before the wave hit.

That's normal for Tsunamis, and one reason why they're so scary.

The USGS are saying that if the Indian Ocean had a Tsunami warning system like the Pacific very few people would have died.

[J. J.]

Supposedly, the ocen water retracted half-a-mile before the wave hit.

That's normal for Tsunamis, and one reason why they're so scary.

The USGS are saying that if the Indian Ocean had a Tsunami warning system like the Pacific very few people would have died.

Possibly, but they are so rare there, nobody really thought about it.  It's like a hurricane hitting Cornwall.  Yes, it has happened, but exceptionally rarely.

[opebo]

FNC is reporting that the crown prince of Thailand is missing as well.

From what I can find out here it wasn't *the* crown prince - as in the one who will inherit the throne (45 year old man with two wives).  It was a 21 year old half-American grandson of the king, nephew of the crown prince, and avid sportsman.

Interestingly I think according to this the real crown prince flew the kid's mom down in his own plane to pick up the body for the state funeral in Bangkok.

Local news link:
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=34151

[J. J.]

FNC is reporting that the crown prince of Thailand is missing as well.

From what I can find out here it wasn't *the* crown prince - as in the one who will inherit the throne (45 year old man with two wives).  It was a 21 year old half-American grandson of the king, nephew of the crown prince, and avid sportsman.

Interestingly I think according to this the real crown prince flew the kid's mom down in his own plane to pick up the body for the state funeral in Bangkok.

Local news link:
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=34151

It was one of the princes.  Secretary Powell just reported that he is dead.

[minionofmidas]

over 12,000 now

I agree with you Patrick. It was reported on CNN that those areas that were hit didn't have any U.S. interests that were damaged. I thought that was rather cold. I could care less if several U.S. interests over there were destroyed. It's the people, not things, that are most important!

No US interests? How about American tourists? There should have been thousands Americans on the danger, though only three have been reported dead.

Disasters are always noticed better if they hit fellow countrymen or people who are culturally close. For example a Finnish media notices fairly well all disasters, but attention is much bigger if they hit in the Western World or hurt Western people. This time the media attension is bigger than usually, because there are several thousands Finnish tourists in the area.

It think that European media notices disasters if they hurt Western people generally, but American media only if they hurt Americans.

You think our media are bad in that respect?
While I was in India there was one of those panics that sometimes happen during the Hajj, kinda like Heysel or Hillsborough but more common. The number killed was something in the nineties, IIRC.
The Deccan Herald's headline was "Two Indians amond Hajj Panic Victims".

[minionofmidas]

24,000 dead.
Strongest earthquake in forty years, btw - and it happened on the first anniversary of the Bam earthquake, which killed a similar number of people although it was much weaker - but it's epicentre was right by a major city.
I'd totally forgotten this, remembered it today out of the blue, but a friend of my parents' was in Ciudad de Mexico during the earthquake there in 1985, told us a bit about it afterwards. I was six.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Possibly, but they are so rare there, nobody really thought about it.  It's like a hurricane hitting Cornwall.  Yes, it has happened, but exceptionally rarely.

Not the point: a destructive plate boundary borders the Indian Ocean. There have been several extremely destructive Tsunamis in that Ocean in the past, rare yes but they do happen every now and again, and the area is heavily populated and the seaboards tend to be fairly low lying.

[J. J.]

Possibly, but they are so rare there, nobody really thought about it.  It's like a hurricane hitting Cornwall.  Yes, it has happened, but exceptionally rarely.

Not the point: a destructive plate boundary borders the Indian Ocean. There have been several extremely destructive Tsunamis in that Ocean in the past, rare yes but they do happen every now and again, and the area is heavily populated and the seaboards tend to be fairly low lying.

Governments look and say, do we want to spend $5 Billion for tsunami warning, or to we wish to improve healthcare and sanitation and stop epidemics?  The choice between the two, even in terms of human like, is clear.

[minionofmidas]

Possibly, but they are so rare there, nobody really thought about it.  It's like a hurricane hitting Cornwall.  Yes, it has happened, but exceptionally rarely.

Not the point: a destructive plate boundary borders the Indian Ocean. There have been several extremely destructive Tsunamis in that Ocean in the past, rare yes but they do happen every now and again, and the area is heavily populated and the seaboards tend to be fairly low lying.

Governments look and say, do we want to spend $5 Billion for tsunami warning, or to we wish to improve healthcare and sanitation and stop epidemics?  The choice between the two, even in terms of human like, is clear.

They look at that choice and then they say: Hmmm, I dunno. That's awfully hard.
Maybe we'll just have a few nuclear reactors and some overpriced shoddily-built privately contracted roads instead.
(ends sarcasm)
Helmut Kohl is vacationing on Sri Lanka.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Helmut Kohl is vacationing on Sri Lanka.

No comment

[minionofmidas]

Helmut Kohl is vacationing on Sri Lanka.

No comment

I meant, like, right now.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Helmut Kohl is vacationing on Sri Lanka.

No comment

I meant, like, right now.

Ah, O.K

[J. J.]

They look at that choice and then they say: Hmmm, I dunno. That's awfully hard.
Maybe we'll just have a few nuclear reactors and some overpriced shoddily-built privately contracted roads instead.
(ends sarcasm)
Helmut Kohl is vacationing on Sri Lanka.

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My house doesn't have a "tornado room" a hardened room designed to stand up against F5 tornados.  Now, there have been tornados in Phila, one within 5 miles of my house; while I wasn't living here at the time, I happened to be visiting and was in about one mile of the tornado.  That was 14 years ago; it very unlikely that I'll need one this year.

The same principle applies here.

[Gabu]

If anyone wants to help, donations to the Red Cross can be made here.  Select "International Response Fund" to have it go to that location.  I already donated the $100 I got for Christmas; I figure they can make much better use of it than I can.

Other places you can donate to are Oxfam America and Save the Children.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If anyone wants to help, donations to the Red Cross can be made here.  Select "International Response Fund" to have it go to that location.  I already donated the $100 I got for Christmas; I figure they can make much better use of it than I can.

Other places you can donate to are Oxfam America and Save the Children.

I've donated £100 outta my Building Society account and £20 I found lying around.

[2952-0-0]

Scientists in New Zealand say 4 earthquakes there on the 24th could be related to this tsunami.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Scientists in New Zealand say 4 earthquakes there on the 24th could be related to this tsunami.

NZ is on the same plate

[Huckleberry Finn]

Even 300 Finnish tourists are missing in Thailand and Sri Lanka and it seems clear to me that most of them are dead. My country is in shock.

There have to be much more dead altogether than 33 000 which CNN just reported, Maybe 100 000 and thousands Western tourist among them.
 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Indonesian Vice President says that between 21,000 and 25,000 people were killed in Indonesia

[minionofmidas]

I've seen it said as many as 80,000 people may have been killed all in all.
Here's one for Opebo: Thanks to the Tsunami, the ban for foreigners on travelling in Aceh has been lifted.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Also hundreds Swedes are missing.

Al, Lewis, Jens, Bono and Hugento?  Have you any numbers about your countrymen? And how about Americans and Canadians?

[minionofmidas]

Also hundreds Swedes are missing.

Al, Lewis, Jens, Bono and Hugento?  Have you any numbers about your countrymen? And how about Americans and Canadians?

There were some Germans who died...I don't care about the exact number except inasmuch as its a minuscule part of the whole.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Also hundreds Swedes are missing.

Al, Lewis, Jens, Bono and Hugento?  Have you any numbers about your countrymen? And how about Americans and Canadians?

IIRC 12 confirmed dead, missing: possibly a couple of hundred. What's upset me the most is the fishermen coming back home and getting caught up in the Tsunami.
Unlike most of the other victims they never had a chance.