Thai Tital wave in Phuket

[Guest]

Phuket coast swamped after Sumatra earthquake

 

PHUKET:-- Emergency response units have been scrambled after waters off Phuket surged onto land this morning, washing away homes on the east coast and causing damage at resorts all along the west coast.

 

The sea rose after tremors from an earthquake just before 7 am off Sumatra, Indonesia, that measured 8.1 on the Richter scale.

 

At 11 am, Phuket International Hospital confirmed that at least 10 people had been admitted for serious injuries, and that many more were expected to arrive.

 

At Bangkok Phuket Hospital, many other injured people had been received, though a total could not be provided.

 

The Gazette has received reports of deaths in Kalim, in Thalang, though that report has yet to be confirmed.

 

Kawee Sukunthamath, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), has told the Gazette that homes along the west coast are being evacuated as a precaution.

 

The move follows waters at Khao Khat, on the east coast, reaching up to about 300 meters inland, washing coastal homes and vehicles away. People were holding on to whatever they could to stop from being swept away.

 

In Patong, Gazette columnist Woody Leonard reported, ?A giant wave went up the beach, at least as far up as Beach Rd ? People were running from the beach as fast as they could. The beach is devastated ? There were a lot of people on the beach, [and they were] swept away by the wave.?

 

The waters reached as far inland as the Club Andaman Resort.

 

K. Kawee said that the tremors were also felt in Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Pattani. The Gazette received a report that the surge left a Royal Thai Navy ship at Tab Lamu naval base beached.

 

--Phuket Gazette 2004-12-26

 

Just also came on CNN. 7 people reported dead, with others reported missing, and presumed swept out to sea. I also read that this was the largest tital wave in 40 years, to hit anywhere. I saw some pics, and looked to be pretty devastating. Streets were a bed of sand, with overturned cars, etc.

 

HT

[Guest]

1:30 PM TV news claims that 'maybe' over 100 falangs have died.

 

If this is true, this is a sad moment for the Christmas/News Year holiday.

[rickfarang]

This is tragic and worrisome.

 

You mentioned that you saw pictures. Are they on the web? If so, where?

[OCgringo]

here is the CNN.com report

 

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/asia.quake/index.html

 

and here is the U.S. Geological Survey report

 

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/

 

interesting that Bangkok is 1260km from epicenter

[racha]

I will update later as busy here with massive disaster going on, just a note its really bad here in phuket, many many dead sweep to sea and no one knows how many for now, I have many stories to tell you later,

[Guest]

Hi Rick,

 

Go to ThaiVisa.com. Have some pics there, on message board.

 

That is where I first got notification. Much more will be available soon. Does not look good at all. Initial reports were 15 meters high. That's only 15 feet. That is nothing here in Hawaii. But I guess the wall of water just didn't break at the shoreline, and just swept everything, and everyone, right off the entire beach.

 

Because are mostly tourists are on the beach, death counts could add up very quickly, as the reports come in. Accountability can be hard in those situations, and will probably take some time, to detirmine the true loss of life.

 

HT

[elef]

Hi HT,

 

15 m = 49 feet!

 

elef

[Guest]

Hi,

 

You're right! 3 feet to a meter. Wow!. That's serious.

 

HT

[OCgringo]

one good thing it was pretty early in the morning ,

so not as many people on the beaches then if it was mid-day,

 

I have never been that far south so I do not know how how flat the coast is there,

but it does not sound good !

 

OC

[Guest]

>>>>but it does not sound good !<<<<

 

Had something similar here in Hawaii on the Big Island, at the town of Hilo, many years ago. Came out of nowhere, with no warning, and hundreds died. Because it's origin is an earthquake, there is no warning. One minute your sunning yourself on the beach, and the next is a 50 foot wall of water sweeping you out to sea. It's really hard to imagine.

 

HT