Tsunami Aftermath Photos (WARNING:GRAPHIC!)

Email ^ | 12/29/04 | Various News Sources

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

Posted by My2Cents:
"...I'm less overwhelmed by the horror of the scene than by the stupidity of the assembled people, if that is the case..."

---

Many of the eyewitness reports state how the ocean retreated thousands of meters towards the horizon, leaving fish flopping on the wet sand for several minutes. A sound similar to that of a locomotive or jet airplane was then heard, followed by the horribly destructive waves of water.

Why would anyone walk closer to the coastline to investigate this phenomenon? While not a seafaring old salt, this would be my signal to IMMEDIATELY seek the highest ground possible...whether up a hill, the rooftop of my hotel, or any tall building. What goes up, must come down. What goes out, must come in.

Please don't interpret this as blaming the victims, but people seem to have lost the healthy respect for Mother Nature that she both demands and deserves.

~ Blue Jays ~

[dead]

I saw somewhere else that the baby in that picture is alive. He is two weeks old, and his mother held onto him as the water dragged both of them along.

She eventually got herself and her baby out of the water with minor injuries.

[ican'tbelieveit]

It is the miracle baby everyone has been talking about.

Annal Mary carries her 20-day-old baby S.Tulasi, who survived the weekend tsunamis as she shows the place where her baby was sleeping when the tsunami waves hit her restaurant in Penang resort island, northwestern Malaysia, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004. The parents of the baby, who survived the weekend tsunamis by floating on a mattress, said her escape was "a real miracle," but the family won't leave the seaside district that has been their home for decades. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

[Space Wrangler]

Extremely glad to hear it, but sadly, there are probably untold numbers of babies and children that did perish. Prayers to the affected areas.

[lindor]

A drowning victim has an obvious look to it.

You're right, that baby is alive. The skin color is too natural and the arms are in a normal position and appear to be relaxed. Her eyelids also tell me she is alive.

I think the mother is expressing her love beyond any words. It is a beautiful photograph and tells so much.

[LadyPilgrim]

Oh my...how sad! This makes me hurt!

[ShadowDancer]

Oh God, that's wonderful. Thank you for letting me know.

[jwpjr]

It's really pretty ironic that a lot of people had flocked down to the beach to see how the sea had receded and they were caught by the waves. When one of the hurricanes came through Tampa last summer the northeasterly winds on the right upper quadrant of the storm practically drained all of the water from Tampa Bay out into the Gulf. Even though the storm was only a short distance away hundreds of people heard about the nearly empty bay and drove down to Bayshore Drive to see it for themselves. People were even climbing over the seawall and walking out up to a mile into what had been the waters of Tampa Bay. I can readily see how people could get sucked into going to view such an interesting occurrence, especially if there had never been any problems with this kind of event before.

[dead]

Bodies of victims of the tsunami that hit on Sunday lie on Khao Lak beach, about 900 km south of Bangkok. Photo: Reuters

Submerged buildings near the pier at Ton Sai Bay in Thailand's Phi Phi island. Photo: Reuters

Debris is scattered on a narrow section of Phi Phi Island where bungalows formerly stood at Ton Sai Bay. Photo: Reuters

An aerial view of Car Nicobar in the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands chain, near the epicentre of Sunday's quake. Photo: Reuters

Diving instructor Wolfgang runs for his life at Koh Raya. Photo: John Russell

Aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Koh Raya, south of Phuket. Photo: John Russell

Survivors make their way through debris littering the streets of Galle in Sri Lanka Photo: AP

[Jeff Head]

I believe they were simply there as families and individuals near the sea wall. I saw a pic of the similar area when the first wave came in (smaller) which did not real damage and simply splashed over the sea wall a little. They were probably drawn to it to see what was going on since it would be out of the ordinary but not intrinsically, or distinguishably dangerous.

Having no knowledge of Tsunami's per sey, it is an understandable, yet still fatal mistake.

But I would not call it stupid...this was not expected.

[Muzzle_em]

I agree.
The press shows bodies and gore when it wants to spin a story and get a certain emotion.

This morning I saw a reporter interviewing a Swedish couple who had gone to Thailand (I think) to search for lost relatives. She asked them what it was like looking through the morgue and at photos of dead people for their loved ones!!! Also asked if they thought they'd be able to recognize their loved ones. What an insensitive B!

[Muzzle_em]

Of all the horrifying photos, this one gets me the most.

[Yossarian]

Here's a sobering thought:

Just imagine if there was even a small-scale nuclear exchange between, say, Pakistan & India. (Or Israel & Iran, or God forbid, U.S & China. Actually God please forbid any of these scenarios from playing out).

The resulting scenes would be similar to the ones we see now, but a hundred or thousand-fold more, and with nobody around and/or willing to do the cleanup, due to radiation.

I'm no "no-nukes" peacenick, but I think I'll pray that we never have a nuclear exchange in this nice little world of ours.

[ican'tbelieveit]

Bodies of western tourists and others killed by a massive tsunami collect at a temple north of Phuket, Thailand, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004. More than 1,500 people have been killed in Thailand by a massive tsunami wave that struck the popular beach area last Sunday. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

[LadyPilgrim]

The baby didn't look dead to me either. The Mother seems at ease.

[Hoodlum91]

THere is a very touching memorial to the victims of the Hilo tsunami. One of the famous stories is that a kid walked into school, complaining that the ocean had disappeared. Luckily, someone knew that the sea receding was a sign of a tsunami and evacuated the school, which was subsequently leveled by the wave.

Whether the story is true of not, it always stuck with me. IMO, if you aren't at the Bay of Fundy, and the ocean disappears, RUN!!!

[Muzzle_em]

Some of them look like they are smiling like they don't realize what is really happening.

Guess I'd be the same way.

[The KG9 Kid]

America will help.

[Jeff Head]

Actually, I don't thik it was cropped. The angle is wrong, I believe the guy on the blue truck took the first closer up picture. Notice between the two following pictures that the trafic is actually moving between pics.

IMHO, it's simply a different angle of the same events. You can see the man with the child on his shoulders in the wider angle, but not thesame angle. I believe the guy on the truck took the other picture...and then is in danger himself. Notice that all of the people on the concrete walkway behind the truck near the sea wall, only a couple of seconds later, are down or gone in the second pic except for a few who made it that far.

[ican'tbelieveit]

Karl Nilsson of Lulo, Sweden, poses with a sigh saying his parent and brothers are missing Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004, in Phuket, Thailand. The young boys parents were swept out to sea Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, when a tidal wave struck their beach hotel just north of Phuket, Thailand. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)