2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

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The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake of moment magnitude 9.0 that struck the Indian Ocean off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia on December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time in Jakarta and Bangkok). It was the largest earthquake on Earth since the 9.2-magnitude Good Friday Earthquake which struck Alaska on March 27, 1964, and the fourth largest since 1900 (tied with a 1952 earthquake of 9.0 magnitude in Kamchatka). More than a hundred thousand people were killed by tsunamis of heights of up to 15 m, which flooded coastlines between 15 minutes and 10 hours after the quake, causing the deadliest tsunami in recorded history and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history.

The multiple tsunamis struck and ravaged coastal regions all over the Indian Ocean, devastating parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries. Deadly tsunamis struck as far away as Somalia and several other countries on the east coast of Africa, 4,500 km (2,800 mi) or more west of the epicentre. Global ripple effects were so widespread that wave fluctuations passed into the Pacific Ocean and caused tidal disturbances in North and South America.

The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response.

Animation of the tsunami (Credit: NOAA)
(Click for the complete animation)

Quake characteristics

The quake was initially reported as 6.8 on the Richter scale. On the moment magnitude scale, which is more accurate for quakes of this size [1], the earthquake's magnitude was first reported as 8.1 by the United States Geological Survey, but after further analysis they increased this first to 8.5 and 8.9 and finally 9.0.

Since 1900, the only earthquakes larger than this one were the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9.5, the largest ever recorded) and two Alaskan quakes: the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake (9.2) and a March 9 1957 quake [2] in the Andreanof Islands (9.1). The only other recorded earthquake of magnitude 9.0 was in 1952 off the southeast coast of Kamchatka [3]. Each of these earthquakes also spawned tsunamis (in the Pacific Ocean), but the death toll from these only ranged from zero to a few thousand (see Top 10 earthquakes).

The hypocentre was at 3.298°N, 95.779°E, some 160 km (100 mi) west of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km (18.6 mi) below mean sea level (initially reported as 10 km). This is at the extreme western end of the "Ring of Fire" zone of frequent earthquakes. The quake itself (apart from the tsunamis) was felt as far away as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Maldives.

The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated 1,200 km (750 mi) of faultline slipped 15 m (50 ft) along the subduction zone where the India Plate dives under the Burma Plate. The seabed of the Burma plate is estimated to have risen 10m vertically up over the Indian plate, creating shock waves in the Indian Ocean that traveled at up to 800 km/h (500 mi/h), forming tsunamis when they reached land.

The India Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is drifting northeast at an average of 6 cm/yr (2 in/yr) (or 5 m (17 ft) per century), relative to the Burma Plate. The Burma Plate carries the Nicobar and Andaman Islands and northern Sumatra, and is pushed by the Sunda Plate to its east. Both the Burma and Sunda Plates are considered portions of the great Eurasian Plate. The tectonic activity that results as these plates scrape against each other led to the creation of the Sunda Arc.

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Numerous aftershocks of magnitude between 5.7 and 6.3 were reported off the Andaman Islands in the hours and days that followed. Aftershocks off the Nicobar Islands were also reported, including ones of magnitude 7.1 [4], and 6.6 [5]. Other aftershocks between magnitude 5.0 and 6.3 occurred near the location of the original quake. See also: USGS current earthquake information.

The earthquake came just three days after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in a completely uninhabited region west of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands, and north of Australia's Macquarie Island [6]. This would normally be unusual, since earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more typically occur an average of once per year [7]. Seismologists have speculated about a possible connection between these two earthquakes, saying that the former one might have been a catalyst to the Indian Ocean earthquake, as the two quakes happened on opposite sides of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate [8]. The possibility of a seismic chain reaction across neighboring plates has also been considered, after a series of earthquakes peaking at 5.0 also struck China's Yunnan province on December 26, killing one person and injuring twenty-three. Coincidentally, the earthquake struck almost exactly one year (within an hour) after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed an estimated 30,000 people in the city of Bam in Iran [9].

Power of the earthquake

The total energy released by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake is equivalent to 32,000 megatons of TNT. [10] This exceeds the total amount of energy consumed in the United States in one month, or the energy released by the wind of a hurricane like Hurricane Isabel over a period of 70 days ([11]). Using the mass-energy equivalence formula $E=mc^{2}$ , this amount of energy is equivalent to a mass of about 1500 kg (3300 lb). Equivalently, this amount of energy is enough to boil 10,000 litres (2,600 US gallons) of water for every person on Earth. Note that each unit of the magnitude scale represents a 31.6-fold increase in energy; every two units signifies 1,000 times more energy.

The massive release of energy and shift in mass insignificantly altered the Earth's rotation. The exact amount is yet undetermined, but theoretical models suggest the earthquake may have shortened the length of a day by as much as three microseconds (3 µs). However, due to tidal effects of the Moon, the length of a day increases by 15 µs every year, so any rotational speedup due to the earthquake will be quickly lost. Similarly, the earthquake may have also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 2.5 cm (1 inch). However, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth can be up to 15 m (50 ft) [12] [13].

Based on one seismic model, some of the smaller islands southwest of Sumatra may have moved southwest up to 20 m (66 ft). The northern tip of Sumatra, which is on the Burma Plate (the southern regions are on the Sunda Plate), may also have moved southwest up to 36 m (118 ft). However, other models suggest that most of the movement would have been vertical rather than lateral. Onsite measurements using GPS will be used to determine the extent and nature of actual geophysical movement.

Damage and casualties

The earthquake triggered massive tsunamis that struck the coasts of the Indian Ocean (Pacific Ocean coasts saw only minor sea level fluctuations). The death toll from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the resultant floods was reported to be more than 125,000, with tens of thousands of people reported missing, and over a million left homeless. Relief agencies report that one-third of the dead appear to be children. This is a result of the high proportion of children in the populations of many of the affected regions and the fact that children were the least able to resist being dragged by the surging waters. In addition to the large number of local residents, foreign tourists enjoying the busy Christmas holiday travel season were among the casualties.

Tsunamis usually occur along the Pacific Ocean coasts of the "Ring of Fire", where populations and government authorities are better prepared and tsunami warning systems are in place. Several lethal earthquake-caused tsunamis struck the Pacific Ocean side and near the centre of the Indonesian archipelago in recent years: Flores (December 12, 1992), Java (June 3, 1994), Sulawesi (May 3, 2000). The last tsunami near Sumatra, on the Indian Ocean side and western end of Indonesia, was caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883. So the death toll of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake may be particularly high since this is the first large Indian Ocean tsunami to strike land in 100 years, leaving the affected countries unprepared and the people unable to recognise the telltale signs of an approaching tsunami.

States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Maldives. The United Nations has declared that the current relief operation will be the costliest one ever. Governments and NGOs fear the final death toll may double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Historians predict that this will end up being the single worst tsunami (and in the top ten of most destructive earthquakes) in modern history, both in terms of total fatalities and economic damage.

For purposes of establishing timelines of local events, the time zones of affected areas are: UTC+3: (Kenya, Somalia); UTC+4: (Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles); UTC+5: (Maldives); UTC+5:30: (India); UTC+6: (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka); UTC+6:30: (Cocos Islands, Myanmar); UTC+7: (Indonesia (western), Thailand); UTC+8: (Malaysia, Singapore). Since the quake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC, add the above offsets to find the local time of the quake. A list of times can be found at [14](a USGS site).

Casualty summary

Template:2004 Indian Ocean earthquake casualties

India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka have suffered the vast majority of casualties from the natural disaster. A description of the countries most affected by the earthquake and resulting tsunamis is below. In order to make the article easier to read, the description of nations whose casualty totals cannot be counted in the dozens, as well as the account of nations that have lost citizens who were traveling abroad are listed as other countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

India

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, just north of the earthquake epicentre, have had the most casualties in India. The tsunami reached a height of 15 m in the southern Nicobar Islands. It is estimated that 7,000 have died on the islands, and a similar number missing. One fifth of the population of the Nicobar Islands is said to be dead, injured or missing ([15]). Chowra Island in the Nicobars has lost 2/3 of its population of 1,500. Entire islands have been literally washed away due to the force of the waves, and one, Trinket, has been split in two.[16] Communications have been lost with the Nancowry group of islands, some of which have been completely submerged, with the total number of the population out of contact exceeding 18,000. The Indian Air Force base in Car Nicobar, near the epicentre, is reported to have been severely damaged ([17]).

On mainland India, the entire eastern coast was affected, killing more than 5,000 and rendering thousands injured and/or homeless ([18]). The death toll in Tamil Nadu, which was most affected, was above 3,200. Along the eastern coast, 487 were killed in Pondicherry and 89 in Andhra Pradesh. Kerala, located on the southern part of the western coast of India, was also affected with 174 deaths and thousands rendered homeless. Hundreds were feared missing (1,200 in Andhra Pradesh alone). Most of the people killed were fisherfolk who lived along the coast. Many fishermen both at home and at sea were missing.

In Tamil Nadu where the official toll was 3,200, mostly women and children, over 1,700 were killed in the Nagapattinam district alone, over 400 in the Cuddalore district, over 525 in the Kanyakumari district and over 200 in Chennai (formerly Madras) city. It was reported that survey and rescue helicopters could not even land in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts due to floods and rains.

Those killed in Kanyakumari include pilgrims taking a holy dip in the sea. Of about 700 people trapped at the Vivekananda Memorial on an island off Kanyakumari, 650 were rescued while the search is on for others. In Chennai along the Marina Beach, people taking part in various sports activities (including children), and those who were having a morning walk along the beach, were washed away. It being a Sunday, there were more people than usual on the beach. Some unconfirmed reports claim that at least 5,000 fishermen and their families may be missing just from the Marina Beach area.

A large number of pilgrims celebrating Christmas at the Velankanni church were affected. Eyewitness reports suggest that at least 1,000 people were on the beach on that morning.

Water also rushed into the nuclear reactor complex at Kalpakkam, which was then shut off. No damage or radiation leak was reported ([19]).

The Indian Army, Navy and Coast Guard were pressed into service for undertaking rescue operations and to air-drop food to the tsunami victims. The chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh announced ex gratia relief for those affected by the tsunamis.

Indonesia

File:Banda aceh northernshore june23 2004 dg.jpg

Northern shore of Banda Aceh before tsunami (DigitalGlobe)

File:Banda aceh northernshore dec28 2004 dg.jpg

After tsunami (DigitalGlobe)

Indonesia's Ministry of Health confirmed almost 80,000 dead, mainly in the northern province Aceh (officialy named Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) of the island Sumatra. Nine thousand are reported dead in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and nearby towns, where dozens of buildings were destroyed in the initial earthquake. One government official estimated another 10,000 dead in the single town of Meulaboh, while another 'government official' gives to a UN official an estimate of 1/3 of the town's population (about 40,000). This preliminary figure does not include the rest of the badly damaged western coast of Sumatra. The United Nations has suggested that in some areas one-fourth of the population may have been killed. Northern Sumatra was unusual in the regional disaster in that it took damage from the earthquake itself as well as the tsunami. Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered homeless ([20]).

Government officials are very concerned over the lack of reports from the many small islands dotting the western coast of Sumatra. These islands are among the poorest areas in Indonesia, among them the islands Simeulue and Nias. On Nias island alone official acounts gave the number 122 (source: Media Indonesia Online via the Ministry of Health), while various unconfirmed sources (mostly from phone calls by relatives living in Jakarta) report death tolls of over 600, while others say the number more likely to go well over 1000. Confirmation and communications to the islands are further hampered by damage to telecommunication infrastructures, where phone lines are broken and radio networks have been said to be down due to bad weather (source: KCM, updates from The Jakarta Post). Reports have surfaced that the small islets off the coast of Nias island in the Sirombu district are still relatively intact ([21]). High waves still prevent locals from attempting to reach the islands (niasisland.com).

Most damage was the result of the tsunamis that struck the coastal regions of Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. Ten metre tall tsunamis passed the tip of the island to race south down the Straits of Malacca and strike along the northeast coast near the town of Bireun. The west coast of Sumatra was about 100 km (60 mi) from the epicentre and is believed to have taken heavy damage. At least five villages were completely destroyed. Overflights of the region show that thousands of homes remain underwater. Reports indicate that survivors survived for days eating nothing but coconuts and looting has been reported in stricken Acehnese towns.

The unmanageably high number of corpses strewn all over the cities and countrysides, limited resources and time for identifying bodies, and the very real threat of cholera, diphtheria and other diseases have prompted emergency workers to create makeshift mass graves. One of the most urgently required medical supplies now are body bags ([22]).

More information on the humanitarian situation in Indonesia may be found in the Indonesia section of the humanitarian response page.

Malaysia

Despite its proximity to the incident, Malaysia escaped the kind of damage that struck countries thousands of miles further away. Since the epicenter was on the western coast of Sumatra, the island largely shielded the country from the worst of the tsunami. Local TV stations broadcasting tsunami alerts within the hour of the quake and simple but effective red flag warning system used by lifeguards on beaches in some resort areas in Penang were credited to reducing the number of fatalities. The number of deaths currently stands at 66 with 52 in Penang, 10 in Kedah, 3 in Perak and 1 in Selangor. The deaths at Penang were reported to include many picnickers and children who were playing on open public beaches. No deaths are reported among foreign tourists yet. Houses in fishing villages along coastal areas were damaged in western Penang which faces Sumatra, Kuala Muda in Kedah and Langkawi island. The waves sent parked motorcycles crashing and cars washed with mud at stretches along Gurney Drive in Penang. The biggest loss from a single family was when 5 of 7 children of Zulkifli Mohamad Noor were killed when the tsunami struck at Pasir Panjang beach. The tremor of the quake was felt by office workers in the PETRONAS Twin Towers.

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi cut short his holiday in Spain and returned to Malaysia. He instructed the government to cancel all New Year celebrations and urged all parties, including the private sector, to hold prayers and remembrance services instead. The government is also considering postponing the deportation of illegal immigrants and extending an amnesty so that they may exit the country by Jan 31 2005 instead of Dec 31 2004. The Malaysian government announced that MYR 1,000 (USD 263.16) would be given to the families of victims while MYR 200 (USD 52.63) would be paid to those who had sustained injuries from the tsunami. Displaced residents would be given MYR 200 to alleviate their hardship, MYR 2,000 for every house damaged, MYR 5,000 would for every destroyed house while fishermen whose lost their boats will be given MYR 1,000 for smaller boats and MYR 3,000 for bigger boats.

Sinkholes have been reported in Kampar and Ipoh for 3 days running since the quake. The matter is still under investigation and could well be a precursor to further quake related phenomena.

Maldives

In the Maldives, 75 were killed and 29 reported missing, with both figures expected to rise as communication links are restored. Two-thirds of the capital city Malé was flooded during the early hours of the day. Outlying low-level atolls were badly affected and some low lying islands were completely submerged, including some of the major resorts, during the high tide.

The government has declared a state of national disaster ([23]) and a special task force has been set up to provide aid and supplies. Rescue efforts have been hampered by loss of communication capability, as well as the lack of a prior rescue or relief plan for a disaster of this nature.

Myanmar (Burma)

The United Nations reports at least 90 people killed by tsunamis in Myanmar. Most deaths were in the Irrawaddy Delta where several villages and a bridge were destroyed. There is a paucity of official information from Myanmar's ruling military dictatorship and state run newspapers, therefore exact numbers of casualties and homeless are difficult to obtain. The official death toll of the Myanmar government stands at 36 ([24]). The Bangkok Post estimates 800 citizens of Myanmar working in Thailand during the event have been lost (these are included in the Thai numbers).

Somalia

Villages and coastal communities in Somalia, as far as 4,500 km (2,800 mi) from the epicentre of the earthquake, were swept away and destroyed by the huge waves. Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi of the government-in-exile has stated that over 100 people are dead. Rising waters engulfed the town mosque of Brava and the villages of Beyla, Garacad, Muduy and Nugaal, all in Puntland, were reported destroyed.

According to Ali Abdi Awari, Minister of Rural Development, the final toll is believed to be much higher, as the number of fishermen caught on the sea has not been established by the local authorities. Much of the 1,000 km (621 mi) coast is controlled by various clan-based militias, making obtaining accurate information difficult. The United Nations is assisting 2,000 people in Hafun, a town 1150 km (715 mi) northeast of Mogadishu, who were made homeless by the tsunamis.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan authorities report 27,268 confirmed deaths ([25]), mostly children and the elderly. The south and east coasts were worst hit. One and a half million people have been displaced from their homes.

File:Srilanka kalutara thumb1.jpg

Satellite photo of Kalutara, southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, shortly after the tsunami struck. (DigitalGlobe)

1200 dead were counted at Batticaloa in the east and at Trincomalee in the northeast, where the tsunami reached more than 2 km (1.25 mi) inland, 800 were reported dead. In neighboring Amparai district alone, more than 5,000 dead. The naval base at Trincomalee is reported to be submerged. About 1000 more dead were counted in Mullaitivu and Vadamaradchi East ([26]). A train, the "Sea Queen", moving between Colombo and Galle, with 1,600 passengers was struck by a tsunami, killing all but 300 on board.

One BBC report says aid is not really reaching the affected in Sri Lanka. CNN reports are much more different ([27]).

Across the island collections are being taken for those who have lost everything, vans with PA systems driving around calling on people to give whatever they can. Even in the poorest, most remote areas people flock to the roadside to hand over money, clothes, bottles of water and bags of rice and lentils.

Apart from homes, many hotels were also reported to have been damaged. Hotels along the south coast were full of both foreign tourists and Sri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend. Twenty thousand soldiers were deployed in government-controlled areas to assist in relief operations and maintain law and order after sporadic looting. Curfews had been imposed in some areas to curb looting. Chinese light antipersonnel mines of type T-72A, left after the two-decade civil war, are feared to have been washed up and spread by the surge of water. The Norwegian Peoples' Aid organization is currently assembling a team of mine sweepers to assess the situation.

For more on the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka, see the humanitarian response page.

Thailand

The Thai government reports that over 2,000 are feared killed, with 1,975 ([28]) confirmed deaths, 8,953 injuries ([29]) and over 6,000 missing. The popular tourist resort of Phuket was badly hit. The smaller but increasingly popular resort area of Khao Lak some 80 km north of Phuket was hit far worse and there are said to be around 700 corpses on the beach in Khao Lak, while the total amount of dead in Khao Lak may exceed 2,000. The severity of the situation in Khao Lak is probably explained by the fact, that unlike the high-rising city of Phuket, the village of Khao Lak only had low built bungalows instead of high-rise concrete hotels. Khao Lak also has an extensive area of flatland only a few metres above the sea level, on which most bungalows were situated.

Thailand deputy interior minister Sutham Sangprathum reports over 700 tourists among Thailand's casualties. The bodies of 44 foreign tourists are reported to have been recovered at Phuket. Hundreds of holiday bungalows on the Phi Phi Islands were washed out to sea. Tuk-tuk drivers were quick to offer assistance, driving victims to hospital and higher ground and away from the surging waters. Local reports say many scuba divers were found dead, with their bodies torn apart by the tsunami. Bhumi Jensen, grandson of King Rama IX, is confirmed dead.

Other countries

Main article: Other countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

A number of other countries were also affected either directly or indirectly by the earthquake. Countries such as Tanzania lost citizens as the tsunami struck its shores and other countries suffered significant property damage. Meanwhile, nations like Oman and Australia reported only non-deadly ocean swells. Citizens from countries from around the world have been killed, or remain missing, in the aftermath of the natural disaster. Many foreigners were visiting the famed beaches of Thailand and Sri Lanka during the Christmas vacation.

Damage in historical context

File:2004 indian ocean earthquake tectonic.jpg

Regional map showing physiographic features, tectonic plate movements, and locations of volcanoes, earthquakes, and impact craters (Credit: USGS)

Although the earthquake was the fourth most powerful recorded since 1899, the likely death toll is lower than would have been the case if it had struck at a densely populated area. The deadliest earthquakes since 1899 were the Tangshan, China, earthquake of 1976, in which at least 255,000 were killed (estimates for this earthquake are as high as 650,000), the Ashgabat, Turkmenistan earthquake of 1948 (110,000), the Tsinghai, China earthquake of 1927 (200,000), the Great Kanto earthquake which struck Tokyo in 1923 (143,000), and the Gansu, China earthquake of 1920 (200,000). The deadliest known earthquake in history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, with an estimated death toll of 830,000, though figures from this time period may not be reliable ([30]).

While there are historical earthquakes that were more deadly, the tsunami created appears to be the most deadly in recorded history. The most deadly tsunami in history prior to 2004 was the result of an earthquake in the South China Sea in 1782 that killed 40,000. The tsunami created by the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa is thought to have resulted in 36,000 deaths. The most deadly tsunami between 1900 and 2004 occurred in the Moro Gulf, Phillipines and killed 8,000 in 1976. The most deadly tsunami in the Atlantic resulted from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake that, combined with the toll from the actual earthquake, killed over 100,000.

Early warning systems

The nations of the Indian Ocean do not participate in a regional tsunami early warning system like that in the Pacific Ocean, though neither do the nations of the Atlantic Ocean. The first reaction of many to the the disaster has been to question governmental priorities in the region in not having constructed such a system, but the region had no prior precedent to justify it.

In the Pacific, a system of sensors is linked to monitoring stations so that local media can warn the populace to seek higher ground well before a tsunami arrives. The system dates back to 1965 and was a reaction to the tsunamis resulting from the 9.2 seaquake of 1964, which was the last quake of 9.0 or larger magnitude. Thailand is a member of the Pacific tsunami warning system, but all of its ocean buoys, upon which wave sensors are mounted, are on the east coast of the country. A single wave station south of the epicentre measured a two foot tall tsunami moving towards Australia. However wave fluctuations of 2.6 meters at Manzanillo, Colima was measured on tsunamis heading towards Mexico. The US Geological Survey has stated that if a monitoring and warning system had been in place, the loss of life could have been reduced, especially in areas that were struck by tsunamis more than three hours after the initial tremor, such as Sri Lanka and India. Furthermore, in Pacific regions where tsunamis are better known, the receding of the sea from the coast would have warned many people of an impending ocean surge. In the Indian Ocean region, this rare sight has been reported to have induced people to visit the coast to investigate. Also, the intensity of the tremors in India and Sri Lanka was too low to raise an alarm.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Indian government has decided to install equipment to warn about impending tsunamis, and to join a group of countries that would share information on tsunamis. The Malaysian government has also proposed to create a tsunami warning system, in cooperation with other countries in the region ([31]).

Indian scientists from University of Madras (Chennai) had sent a perfect earthquake prediction of the boxing day earthquake to US Geological Survey, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, and NASA four days previous, but it was ignored. Their prediction showed only a small error in time (28 minutes) and distance (157 kilometers) from the actual quake.

Post-tsunami humanitarian situation

Main article: Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

A great deal of humanitarian aid is needed due to widespread damage to infrastructure, food and water shortages, and economic damage to the fishing and tourism industries. Epidemics are of special concern, as they are highly likely due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. The United Nations has stated that the largest relief operation in history is underway. The overwhelming concern of humanitarian and government agencies is to quickly identify and bury the dead before they become a health issue, and also contain the spread of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery and typhoid. Nations all over the world have so far provided hundreds of millions of US dollars for damaged regions, the World Bank offering $250 million and UK government and public offering $140 million. Officials estimate that billions of dollars will be needed.

Bodies of those killed by trauma are not dangerous

Significant effort is being spent in hurriedly burying bodies, explicitly to prevent the spread of disease. However, the rotting corpses of victims of trauma, rather than infectious disease, are a "negligible" threat to public health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In this and other disasters where there is competition for resources, more should be spent caring for survivors and less disposing urgently of the dead. Of course, religious and cultural practices, the stench, and the effect on morale must also be taken into consideration.

NOTE: the above section has been included in the aftermath of the event, as it may possibly be seen by those responsible for responding, and may affect outcomes. In the longer term, it is probably off-topic and should be removed by, say, mid-January. There have been disbelieving comments (in the discussion, but since deleted); THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL OPINION: please follow the reference to World Health Organisation research before deleting.

External links

Ongoing news coverage

Wikinews:

Wikinews has related news:

Strongest earthquake in 40 years hits Southeast Asia

Wikinews has related news:

Tsunami Help

- Database by SEA-EAT bloggers giving details about persons missing/found, aid efforts and ways to donate

Other media sources:

Headline links:

ReliefWeb - South Asia Earthquake and Tsunami news stories
EinNews Sri Lanka news links
News from Sri Lanka - Thailand - Indonesia and India

Individual news articles (latest on top):

Raw Data: How to Help FOXNews
List of resorts on Phi Phi, Phuket, Koh Lanta, Khao Lak and Khao Sok badly damaged
Bodies litter Aceh as famine looms The Jakarta Post
For latest Update of News Regarding Tsunami
Death toll in tsunami rises to 22,000 in Sri Lanka Xinhua News Agency
Asia Struggles with Disaster Aftermath ABC News
Tsunami Caught on Video Camera NBC
Latest Updates from Minivan (Maldivian News Source)
British tourist among 15 dead as tsunamis lash Maldives Channel News Asia, 2004-12-27 at 00:50 (GMT +8)
Ten Killed in Burma
Asia quake death toll nears 10,000 CNN, 2004-12-26 at 13:42 EST
Over 1800 killed in South India Times of India
Tsunami hits south, southeast Asia; 9,000 feared dead New Delhi Television
Sea surges kill thousands in Asia BBC News World Edition, 2004-12-26
Huge earthquake wreaks havoc The Weekend Australian, 2004-12-26
Tsunami adds to belief in animals' "sixth sense" Yahoo News, 2004-12-30
List of organizations providing assistance and help to the victims of Indonesia Tsunamis

Videos and photos

A 156MB .torrent file containing various videos/media including the Phuket, Patong and Sri Lanka footage.
A collection of photos from Male', Maldives
Kalutara, Sri Lanka Quickbird satellite image, DigitalGlobe Inc., December 26
Banda Aceh, Indonesia Quickbird satellite image, DigitalGlobe Inc., December 28
BBC video about the tsunami (requires RealVideo codec)
Photos after the destruction of Koh Phi Phi Island
Photos and Videos from the aftermath of the Asia Tsunami.
4 different videos (wmv and avi format)
Agency photos from the affected areas
Aftermath of the 12/26 Tsunami in Sri Lanka
More photos from Malé
Tsunami in Penang Malaysia, video taken on 26 December.
Photo sequence of tsunami flooding in Phuket (Thailand) resort.
Photos of Malé, capital of the Maldives.
Numerous amateur video clips available on eDonkey/eMule P2P networks. (use at own risk: eMule program download and installation support)
More photos and story from Phuket, Thailand from the beginning of the tsunami
The aftermath story and photos of several cities on Thailand
Photos from Phuket at the time of the disaster
Flash Animation from the MSNBC website showing the full course of the tsunami (Requires Flash player).

Forum / Discussion

BCZ Clubs News and Media / December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
Condolence Book Offer your condolences to the victims of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

A short description of sites being used to help family and friends located missing loved ones may be found at this page

Blogs:

SEA-EAT South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog News and information about resources, aid, donations and volunteer efforts. Also redirected from http://asiaquake.org/
ProPoor Blog Information on grassroot ways to help.
Indonesia HELP Aid and donations information for earthquake and tsunami victims in Aceh & North Sumatra (Indonesia)
Tsunami Help India spun off from Sumankumar's yak pad out of Chennai, India
Rupya - Tsunami Relief measures and Updated News Blog out of Chennai, India
This Way Please's Extra Extra out of Jaffna, Sri Lanka
PHUKET TSUNAMI first hand experiences Weblog from Rick Von Feldt who was in Pukhet during the tsunami. Includes first hand experiences, stories and photos
urban75 a first hand account from the Maldvies
.ceneus.blog : Blogging a Tragedy, Sri Lanka
primary0 (cached) (original) Views of a Maldivian
nomadlife.org - AIESEC oriented coverage on the earthquake.

Background information

LookSmart - Tsunamis and Tidal Waves directory category
Open Directory Project - Tsunami directory category
Yahoo! - Tsunamis directory category
1998 geoscientific investigations of the active convergence zone between the east Eurasian and Indo-Australian Plates (GINCO I), carried out along the Sunda Arc
PBS NewsHour - Predicting Earthquakes
British Foreign Office advice for the Maldives.
BBC News: World helps - but will it forget?
Tsunami Experiment

Geological reports: