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Deutsche Welle: Hundreds die after earthquake

It's feared hundreds may have died after an earthquake struck southern and eastern Asia. Most of the deaths have occurred as a result of huge waves that followed the quake. High waves along the east coast of Sri Lanka killed at least 1000 people, local officials say. While massive tides striking India's coast are said to have killed at least 500. Deaths have also been reported in coastal Thailand and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, believed to be near the centre of the powerful earthquake, which the US Geological Survey measured at 8.9 magnitude.

Monster waves tear over thousand humans into death

By the world-wide heaviest earthquake for nearly 40 years in Southeast Asia more than thousand humans died. Altogether victims of the natural catastrophe became in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India and Malaysia over 500.000 humans. Concerned are also many vacation regions. In the morning it came into Bangladesh to a further heavy earthquake.

Colombo - The earth impact under the sea-bottom before the island Sumatra released an enormous flutwelle, which tore humans from Indonesia to Sri Lanka into death. Up to six inhabitant of coastal regions, Fischer and Touristen with itself drew meters high waves away. Several thousand humans were still missed.

Quake at 2 o'clock (MEZ) the US earthquake control room in Colorado a strength of 8,9 had and was thereby the world-wide heaviest for 40 years after recent measurements. Its center was 40 kilometers under the bottom of the sea before the northwest coast of Sumatra. Several Nachbeben reached the strength of 7,0. The tide released by the enormous vibration at the sea-bottom reached 1,600 kilometers of far west their largest extents.

However in Sri Lanka 1000 inhabitants of the coastal regions died, approximately 100,000 became shelterless to data of the authorities. Up to six meters high flutwellen broke after the quake on Sunday over the coast in the districts Muttur and Trincomalee in here. "we are in a very tragic situation", said the police speaker in Muttur, Rienzie Perera. Some hospitals of the region are not any more able, wounded to take up.

The port of the capital Colombo was closed, after the port building had been flooded. In India at least 286 humans lost their life according to official data. At the beaches of WAD-RACE, to the capital of the union state Tamil Nadu, at least 100 corpses were saved; from the coastal town Cuddalore were announced 150 dead ones. Concerned also the neighbouring Indian union state was Andhra Pradesh. Next the Indonesian province Aceh was appropriate for the center of the earthquake, where to data of the local authorities at least 94 humans died. Width of parts of the region were flooded. However from the district Bireun at the north coast of Aceh were announced 50 dead ones. After the quake before the west coast of the province numerous localities of the external world were cut off, so that the whole extent of the disaster was not to be measured yet. Seismologen registered at least ten Nachbeben after the first earth impact.

In Thailand the flutwelle broke in over several tourist regions in the south. At least 61 humans died to data of the government. On a beach to the holidays island Phuket at least four tourists drowned. The flutwelle was there high up to four meters. In Phang Nga with Phuket looked for humans on building roofs refuge before the wassermassen. Under the numerous hurt ones in the hospital Watcharat of Phuket were according to data of a hospital speaker also many foreign tourists from the hotels at the popular beaches Kamala and Patong. The air traffic with Phuket was stopped. At the time of the flutwelle according to eye-witnesses also at least 30 boats with tourists on the sea were.

From Malaysia ten dead ones, among them also several foreigners were announced. Here the tide broke in here over the holidays island Penang. Also the international airport of the Maldives lain west of Sri Lanka had to be closed because of the flutwelle.

Earthquake also in Bangladesh

In the morning then an earthquake of the strength 7.3 shook the south of Bangladesh. The coasts were inundated by an enormous flutwelle. The epizentrum of the quake was appropriate for the port Chittagong according to official data approximately 1000 kilometers south in the gulf of Bengalen. Over damage and the number of the possible victims there was no information.

8.9 Richter scale...that's the largest I've heard about in my lifetime!