Posted on 12/30/2004 7:51:01 AM PST by jazzo
MALE (AFP) - At least 42 islands in the tourist paradise of the Maldives were flattened with 117 people killed and missing after tsunamis raved the low-lying atoll nation, the president said.
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said 75 people were killed while another 42 were confirmed missing in Sunday's devastating tidal waves that caused havoc in his nation of 1,192 coral islands.
"We were not in any way prepared to deal with this disaster," Gayoom told a special session of the national parliament. The toll could be higher as the authorities re-establish contact with far flung islands, he said on Thursday.
"Maldives may be able to build a new life from scratch with financial assistance, but dealing with the widespread personal tragedy and despair would not be easy," he said.
The tragedy struck the atoll nation of 330,000 Sunni Muslims which is already facing the prospect of extinction from sea level rise caused by global warming. Gayoom had warned that a one-meter (three foot four inch) rise in sea levels could submerge his country.
When walls of water washed over the Maldives, the nation lost all the infrastructure on 13 of its 202 inhabited islands while another 29 of the country's 85 resort islands suffered similar damage.
Each island is a single resort hotel with the geographical formation allowing the country to keep foreigners and the local Sunni Muslim population separate except in the one square mile capital island Male.
Foreigners are not allowed to overnight on islands inhabited by Maldivians and special permission is required to visit them.
Gayoom, 67, who is Asia's longest serving president in power since 1978, has already declared an emergency and put off parliamentary elections that were due Friday.
Voting has been re-scheduled for January 22, but officials said even that could be put off again as the country struggled to rebuild itself amid initial estimates that the damage was in excess of 1.5 billion dollars.
Gayoom said 9,000 people had been evacuated from damaged islands while another 12,000 were made homeless across the archipelago.
"There are shortcomings in the relief operations," he admitted but urged all Maldivians to unite in the face of the worst disaster to hit the nation and said they were also getting international help.
Officials said a total of six foreigners, three Britons, two Sri Lankans and one Indian were among those confirmed killed.
The Maldives was getting a shipment of drinking water from Britain Thursday, officials said.
Scottish Water was sending thousands of bottles in an aircraft that was flying in to pick up stranded tourists.
Yep, and I like your veneration of allah, it now seems that there may be 400,000 fatalities in Indonesia alone. This brings my informed estimate, based on underestimations of various countries that are scared their people will depose them to:
800,000 dead
Isn't Indonesia the most populous Muslim nation on earth?
Hmmm... What's with this Allah character. Is The Great Sky Pimp just calling more of its beloved minions to their big rape orgy reward?
Did any one tell them that the virgins they are getting look like a cross between Hillary and Rosey.
And what about dead Muslim women? Do they get 72 stud-muffins from Beelzallah, the All Merciful Sky Pimp?
Ambassador : "Aceh Death Toll May Hit 400,000 From the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama "
The death toll in Acheh, the region worst hit by last Sunday's tsunami, may exceed 400,000 as many affected areas could still not be reached for search and rescue operations, Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Drs H. Rusdihardjo said Thursday.
He said the estimate was based on air surveillance by Indonesian authorities who found no signs of life in places like Meulaboh, Pulau Simeulue and Tapak Tuan while several islands off the west coast of Sumatera had "disappeared".
He said the latest death toll of more than 40,000 in Acheh and northern Sumatera did not take into account the figures from the other areas, especially in the west of the region.
"Aerial surveillance found the town of Meulaboh completely destroyed with only one buiding standing. The building, which belonged to the military, happens to be on a hill," he told reporters after receiving RM1 million in aid for Indonesia's Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund here Thursday. Rusdihardjo said there were about 150,000 residents in Meulaboh, which was located 150km from the epicentre of the earthquake while Pulau Simeuleu had a population of 76,000.
The death toll in Indonesia could reach 400,000, because many affected areas remain beyond the reach of rescue operations, Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia told reporters, the Malaysia Star newspaper reported.
If the figures are correct, and the total death toll in all nations is on the order of half a million, Dec 26 will be the worst single day in human history.
No, they would get 72 guys that look like me. ;-)
"If the figures are correct, and the total death toll in all nations is on the order of half a million, Dec 26 will be the worst single day in human history."
Naah, the worst day was when Clinton got elected for a second term.
If you're a yard, more or less away from extinction, you're toast anyway. Soggy toast but toast, none-the-less.
Are these some of the islands that disappeared?
Are these some of the islands that disappeared?
No. They were only covered with a few feet of water; they seem to be fine now.
Make sure you take some 45 SPF sunscreen.
I lived on Miami Beach for several years.
Being blonde haired and blue eyed I learned you need to adjust to the tropical sun...gradually!
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