Death Toll in Asian Earthquake Tsunami disaster passes 67,000

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 29 Dec 2004 | AFP News

[Jeff Head]

JAKARTA (AFP) - The confirmed number of people killed in the massive earthquake and tidal waves that struck Indian Ocean shorelines at the weekend passed 67,000, amid warnings the true toll could be far higher.

In Indonesia a health ministry spokesman said the country's toll was more than 36,200 after it took the full force of Sunday's huge earthquake and tidal waves that swallowed entire coastal villages.

In Sri Lanka 18,000 people, including at least 70 foreigners, were killed by the tidal waves.

The death toll in India crossed 10,850 with many thousands still missing, officials said.

More than 1,650 people, among them more than 700 foreign tourists, were killed in southern Thailand, officials said. They feared that many of around 4,100 people still missing were foreign tourists.

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[Jeff Head]

FYI, I believe the death toll from the quake and tsunami alone will surpass 100,000. Disease will probably push it much higher.

[Jeff Head]

FYI. Life is fragile and can be short for each and every one of us as this disaster punctuates. All the more reason for us all to ensure that our hearts and souls are right with with our Father in Heaven and His Son.

God comfort the grieving and rest the departed.

[eclectic]

Indonesia alone is curently estimated at 80,000 and they only started to get to the hardest hit areas. We are looking into 200,000 territory, I am afraid

[Bahbah]

"All the more reason for us all to ensure that our hearts and souls are right with with our Father in Heaven and His Son."

Prayers for the souls of the lost and for an ease of the suffering for all those affected.

[patriciaruth]

yes, Life is uncertain. Who'd have thought it would be more dangerous this year to take a vacation on the beach in Thailand than to run convoys in Iraq?

We pray for all who face death unexpectedly. God found a way to save us sinners through the perfect life and sacrifice of His only begotten son; and He may also find a way through grace and love, to save even the foolish virgins who allowed their lamps to go out.

[The Mayor]

Amen Jeff!

[Just another Joe]

I would say that you are correct.
The disease in the aftermath of this will push it much higher.

[Badray]

"Indonesia alone is curently estimated at 80,000 and they only started to get to the hardest hit areas. We are looking into 200,000 territory, I am afraid."

And yet through the massive destruction and seeming totality of the devastation, stories abound of those being spared while those around them are lost.

Not their appointed time.

[SLB]

I would hope maybe a few start to understand how very fragile life here on earth really is.

My prayers go out to the families of all those affected by this disaster.

[betty boop]

The enormity of the loss of life and destruction of the economic base in these countries is simply stunning, Jeff. One hears that the greatest humanitarian relief effort in history is desperately needed, and right now. The clock is ticking...the aftermath of disease can more than double the fatality rates thus far experienced. My heart sinks when I think that what can be done for the survivors may come too little and too late. The sheer scale of the problem makes one wonder how its solution can be effectively organized, let alone paid for, by a seemingly indifferent world. I was shocked to learn that many of the affected countries have very little by way of organized disaster relief programs -- they are literally helpless, unable even to take care of their own citizens. Where's the U.N. in all this -- other than making public complaints about the stinginess of the U.S.?

I pray for the lost ones and their families.

[Jeff Head]

Betty, you are so right. I will add this. IMHO, the best, sure fired way to ensure that the massive amounts of help needed for these poor souls DOES NOT get there, is to have the UN involved in any kind of lead role.

Look at the billions they pilfered from the hungry children of Iraq and then had the unmitigated gall to blame that hunger on the US.

If I might use the term, this disaster is one of truly biblical proportion and is of nature's, and nature's God making. It does not mean that He does not love, or that He does not exist. His eternal perspective is alien to the vast majority of us mortals...but rest assured, in that perspective, all is done out of love by Him who looketh upon the heart and knoweth the heart of man.

When compared to the shear numbers and unimaginalbly worse horror of the abortion culture and the tens, even hundreds of millions of lives taken in that man-made holocaust, this pales in comparison...and that is not meant to discount or lessen the tragedy of these eventss for those caught up in it, or the test of us to help our fellow man...just to add some much needed pespective IMHO.

One thing I know, the United States of America, her people (who are the United States of America), will rise to the occassion and provide the greatest amount of help, the most efficient help, the greatest number of volunteers, etc. It is our way and it is born of our singular liberty rooted in foundational Christian principle and ethic.

[Bahbah]

"the best, sure fired way to ensure that the massive amounts of help needed for these poor souls DOES NOT get there, is to have the UN involved in any kind of lead role."

Read and repeat as often as necessary.

[Jeff Head]

Exactly...reports are now indicating that the death toll will infact go higher than 100,000. (Out of London I believe), and that is before the onset of hunger and disease.

[betty boop]

...the best, sure fired way to ensure that the massive amounts of help needed for these poor souls DOES NOT get there, is to have the UN involved in any kind of lead role.

That's a fact, Jeff. I imagine that this crisis -- and the total incompetence of the U.N. to address it in any meaningful way -- may be the "last nail in the coffin" of this increasingly useless, corrupt, and irrelevant organization. I also imagine that America will step up to the plate and do what she can. But $20 million (even with more coming) is merely a "drop in the bucket" of what is truly needed here. We can't do it all. If ever there was a need for a truly effective international organization, it is now. And in point of fact, we find that we do not have one. The "United Nations" is a total fiction, and has been for quite some time now. Everything it touches turns to ____. IMHO FWIW

[Jeff Head]

I believe the world wide Christian church is that organization betty...and in total, particularly imminating from the US...it will do a lot. I doubt that short of a miracle from God in Heaven, that there is not time to prevent an even worse disaster of hunger and disease...but those numbers will be lessened by the charitable help given.

For anyone doubting the extent of the numbers we are ultimately looking at, I offer the following pic, with this caution...it is graphic but punctuates what happened in the space of a few minutes there. It is an overview picture of a resort that was hard hit...the carnage in the foreground is what this tsunami was really about.

[Alamo-Girl]

So true! I join in your prayer!

[Jeff Head]

Our President has the right inclinations in how to address this tragedy in terms of help, aid and assistance:

President Bush said Tuesday the United States, India, Australia and Japan have formed an international coalition to coordinate worldwide relief and reconstruction efforts for the Asian region ravaged by a deadly earthquake and tsunamis.

"We will stand with them as they start to rebuild their communities," Bush said from his Texas ranch in his first comments on the disaster Sunday.

Bush pledged a multifaceted response from the United States that goes far beyond the $35 million initially pledged, including U.S. military manpower and damage surveillance teams in the short term and long-term rebuilding assistance.

He also called on Americans to private donate cash to relief organizations to augment the response

I don't see the term UN in there anywhere, do you?

[Squantos]

This happened for the most part on a bright sunny day as folks went about their business.....amazing what power mother nature can display. Now no clean water for months an the death toll and inability to clean up from the disaster easily brings every disease from rabies to the plague along with it......Death isn't done with these folks by far.

Prayers for em all........

[Lurker]

It's nearly impossible to wrap ones mind around the numbers involved here.

I saw the pictures of that train that was hit yesterday. The track looked like spaghetti and every poor bastard on the train was dead in an instant.

Apparently whole islands have been just wiped clean of everything.

The power of this thing is just mind boggling. I mean, the entire planet vibrated.

It really shows just how puny we are in the grand scheme of things.

Our prayers go up for the lost, and for the survivors.

L

[hosepipe]

Reality check....
Anyone know the projected number of aborted babies this year in the United States.?.
How bout the world.?.

Life is very, very cheap on this planet..
Most/many of those appalled by this disaster don't see the disconnect with abortion.. Abortion is PC, Tsunamis are NOT..

Most can place themselves on a beach getting sucked out to sea and are horrified, but NOT in a womb being sucked down the drain by a blender... All the sharks are not at sea.. some sharks are payed big money by our government... and feed on human life..