Posted on 12/30/2004 10:01:15 AM PST by Keith Burwell
Indonesia Needs Help, Death Toll Expected To Exceed 400,000 Thu Dec 30 2004 12:52:01 ET
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (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 contributions were from several corporate giants.
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), represented by Chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, gave RM200,000; Guthrie, represented by Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Wahab Maskan, gave RM200,000; Golden Hope Plantations Berhad, represented by Group Director for Corporate, Legal and Public Affairs Norlin Abdul Samad, gave RM200,000; Maybank, represented by Head of Public Affairs Wan Norhiyati Ibrahim, gave RM200,000 and Sime Darby Group's Motor Division, represented by Director Yip Jon Khiam, also gave RM200,000.
Ahmad Sarji also handed over a PNB contribution to Utusan's Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund, which was received by Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Executive Chairman Tan Sri Hashim Makarudin to help Malaysian tsunami victims.
Ambassador Rusdihardjo said a combination of earthquake and tsunami had left 80 to 100 per cent of infrastructure in Acheh province, such as hospitals, health centres, transport and communication networks and homes, destroyed.
"Looking at the scale of destruction, it's difficult to say when the search and rescue operations can be mounted in all affected areas," he said.
He said rescue efforts were hampered by transportation difficulties and lack of fuel.
Rusdihardjo said that at this time international help, especially in the form of medicines, clean water, food and clothing, were desperately needed by Indonesia to aid survivors in Acheh.
"Now we are worried about the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, the work of disposing corpses and the absence of clean water following the contamination of water sources," he said.
Not really. These aren't Arabs where such reaction was common.
I recall no or little reports of celebration at all in Indonesia or Malaysia.
Thailand isn't a Muslim country.
This is probably the worst natural disaster in my lifetime (of 32 years). Anyone know of any disaster worse then this on record if it reaches 400,000?
What a very bad situation to close out 2004.
At least we don't know for sure that their hearts are filled with hatred.
Our hearts are not filled with hatred, but we are not stupid either. We know that if the shoe was on the other foot, they would not do very much for us infidels.
We will do all we can to assist them but we do it because that's who we are, not because we expect anything from them.
any fellowship earned will be a bonus.
I've only seen Buddhist temples on the news. I thought, but could be wrong, that Indonesia was mostly Buddhist.
I saw a post yesterday that had a link to the 100 worst disasters of all time. Punch that into Google and I'll bet you get the hit.
If I remember right, there hasn't been one this bad in your lifetime.
Actually, it may not be. CNN was running some video last night that a British pilot took on Tuesday of a very remote region that used to have towns with significant populations. The guy said that in one town that use to have a population of 13,000, he saw maybe 30 to 40 people on a hill. Everything else was completely destroyed.
I'm having a hard time praying. It's just too big. My prayers feel like tiny specks of dust trying to affect a tornado. I don't even know where to start or what to pray for. Right now, I think my mind and heart are trying to block out how huge this really is. I can't take in even a fraction of this horror. How do you pray for something like this?
I think that I will start with a prayer of gratitude for every person saved and for every child who is reunited with a parent. That's all my brain can figure out at the moment. I can't even think about the lost tribes. Entire cultures gone forever.
China 1976 or 1975 ... earthquake killed a quarter million.
The one poster I was refering to has a heart that is filled with hatred...No doubt.
My comment was obscure. I'm not surpised you didn't follow its real meaning. It was my fault.
It will be a rather long time. Everything around them has been destroyed. They're reeling. They DO NOT HAVE THE LEISURE TIME OR THE RESOURCES TO HATCH PLOTS. Any attacks within a year would be coming in from the outside.
That's another reason we're there. Security.
First of all,we are not sure if the toll is/will be 400,000(God forbid).In 1970,a cyclone hit East Pakistan(modern Bangladesh) killing close to 500,000 people.The tardy response of the West Pakistani authorities to that disaster was one of the causes which culminated to the Indo-Pak war of 1971,which gave birth to Bangladesh.
Shut your mouth.
Someone posted a list of earthquake deaths or something a few days ago. I recall some Chinese quake listed 600,000 or so. That’s how I remember it.
I'm not the praying type, but I've got to believe that if God answers prayers like yours, he's not having any trouble at all understanding your "Tiny Specks".
:-)
I don't think this at all. Considering the amount of people that leave on or near the shorelines, coupled with the fact that they had little or no warning of what was to come, I am surprised that not more people have been confirmed dead.
This truly is a disaster of biblical porportions.
Found this:
The China Earthquake of 1976
No other earthquake in this century has been as catastrophic or has claimed as many lives as the great earthquake that struck the city of Tangshan, in Northern China, on July 28, 1976.
Tangshan, a thriving industrial city with one million inhabitants, is located only about 95 miles east, and slightly south, of Beijing. Although the region had experienced moderate seismic activity in the past, the city of Tangshan has been built on unstable, alluvial soil. To make matters worse, The city is located in the center of an area with major crustal faults on four sides. Furthermore, a 25-mile long fault passes through Tangshan, where only few of its structures are earthquake-resistant.
In the early morning hours of July 28, while the city was asleep, the magnitude 8.0 earthquake with its epicenter right on the city broke a five-mile section of the fault. Along the west side of the fault the land moved five feet northward in relation to the land on the east side. The east block tipped downward at the northern end of the break, and upward toward the south end. Over a four-by-five mile area the devastation of the city was nearly total. The force of the quake motions were so strong that people reported being thrown in the air. Within seconds, thousands died. Property destruction was unbelievable. Bridges, railroads, homes, factories were completely leveled.
In the harbor city of Tientsin, 60 miles to the southwest, and in Beijing to the west, the quake jolts forced thousands of frightened people into the streets seeking refuge from aftershocks.
The extent of the destruction and number of deaths in Tangshan and elsewhere in China was never disclosed officially. However, based on the density of population, it was fairly accurately estimated that there were at least 655,000 people dead, and 780,000 injured. These figures make the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, the second worse earthquake in recorded history. The most destructive earthquake ever, as reported earlier, occurred at Hausien in China's Shensi Province in 1556.
It's almost impossible to function. I don't think the magnitude will ever really sink in from our point of view.
1887 October China: Yellow River in Huayan Kou flooded, estimated 900,000 people died
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