UPDATED: 8.9 Earthquake, 6300 dead, Aftershocks of 7.0, thousands missing (w/photos)

Crosswalk News ^ | 12.26.2004

[KMC1]

WORST CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY EVER: According to the latest reports, the number of dead is anywhere between 3900 and 6300 dead, thousands more missing, and both sets of numbers are expected to rise...
A seismologist has already reviewed the data on the quakes...and this is the sum of what he found...
1. Magnitude was 8.9...Occurred off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra
    - 155 miles south/southeast of  Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
    - 200 miles west of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia
    - 780 miles south/southwest of Bangkok, Thailand
    - 1000 miles northwest of Jakarta, Java, Indonesia
2. The depth of the quaked ran 6.2 miles deep
3. Death reports in - 2,200 killed in Sri Lanka, 1,600 dead in India, 700 dead in Indonesia, 420 dead in Thailand, 29 in Malaysia, 2 in Bangladesh.
4. The earthquake's main damage was the creation of huge Tsunamis.
5. It spawned 7.0 aftershocks throughout the region.
Updated headlines ...
Updated photos ...
Map showing the patterns and hit points of the quakes...

[commonguymd]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004122609480001599971&dt=20041226094800&w=APO&coview=

7000 now.

[ken5050]

Questions, if I may:

There waa a big quake off New Zealand a few days ago..are they related? does one "trigger" the other, ( if that is the correct term?)

I've also read about aftershocks..and "preshocks"..so called warning tremors..so, could the earlier quake have been a pre-tremor?..can an afteshock be of a greater magnitude than the original quake?

Thanks in advance, and maybe someone can recommend a link to a basis source..an "Earthquakes for Dummies" if you will..that covers these nuts and bolts basics..

[Lijahsbubbe]

With these figures being intial reports, it's horrifying to wonder what the final figures will be. Dear L-rd.

[Glenn]

A vivid reminder that we humans are merely guests on this marble.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

At 8.9, and with aftershocks of 7.0 - I believe it's the largest quake on record.

[expatguy]

We are hearing here that the death toll will be over 10,000

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[MaryFromMichigan]

'ALL THE PLANET IS VIBRATING'

Drudge's headline

[ProudVet77]

Have to wonder if we are in for more large quakes in the 8+ range.

[KMC1]

Fifth largest ever...largest since 1964 "Great Alaska Quake"
Sharper Minds Daily...

[commonguymd]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142566,00.html "People that were snorkeling were dragged along the coral and washed up on the beach, and people that were sunbathing got washed into the sea," Sunbathers on the beaches of the Thai resort of Phuket were washed away; a group of 32 Indians — including 15 children — were killed while taking a ritual Hindu bath to mark the full moon day; People out enjoying their vacation were clueless to what was coming. scary.

[commonguymd]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142566,00.html

here is the link that works.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

With these figures being initial reports, it's horrifying to wonder what the final figures will be. Dear L-rd.

And not to mention the numbers of countries involved - it's mind boggling.

[Dane]

can an afteshock be of a greater magnitude than the original quake?

IIRC, a decade ago in California the "aftershock" which happened 24-48 hours after the original earthqauke on the same fault line was stronger than the original earthquake and the original earthquake was named a "foreshock" by a geologist on TV.

Yes I think that aftershocks can be stronger, but that it is reletively rare.

[ovrtaxt]

Tidal waves wash through houses at Maddampegama, about 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004. Massive waves triggered by earthquakes crashed into villages along a wide stretch of Sri Lankan coastline on Sunday, killing more than 2,100 people and displacing a million others. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

[ovrtaxt]

Residents and tourists fleeing from a wave approaching the coast of Phuket, Thailand. A Briton died of a heart attack when the Maldives was hit by major tidal waves triggered by a massive earthquake and one or two were missing in the region, a tourism official said.(AFP/Thai TV via Euronews)

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Thanks for the correction.

[SlowBoat407]

Interesting that just a few days ago there were reports of a meteor falling near Jakarta.

[RayChuang88]

I am especially concerned about Diego Garcia island, the most important US military base in the Indian Ocean. Given that there's pretty much open water in a straight line from Diego Garcia all the way back to the epicenter of the earthquake, I can imagine considerable tsunami damage to the island.

[TomGuy]

FoxNews just reported latest numbers killed at 9,000 and rising.