Earthquake kills more than 144,000 in Asia

[RAV-65]

10,000?!??! to tink I slept through the whole morning!! My prayers go out to all who are caught in this mishap....

[Dispar_Anthias]

This is really really sad..... Maybe thats how mother nature punished us human being for destroying the earth due to our greed

[LaW]

Pity...

[terryansimon]

death toll has climbed to 12,000.

God speed to the victims.

[victorp]

It is indeed very sad to see and hear many people perish in this disaster in so many countries at the same time.

It is also sad to know that they are lots of broken reefs.

[Archilles19]

I was in Langkawi 1 week ++ back.....thanks heaven it happen this week (no mean to be heartless).....cant imagine if got caught in the distruction

Prayers to all those who perished & may all those who survive have strength to carry on.......

[roidan]

check out these shots from a photographer armed with his Canon

http://www.pbase.com/issels/phuket_tsunami

[BFG]

Heard in the news that the wave height was 10m and the speed was at 500km/h! That is insanely fast! A formula 1 car top speed is ard 320km/h. 1 more thing to ponder, what happened to the ships that was travelling at that area? CNN is showing a computer rendition of the size of the waves that was caused by the undersea earthquake.

[roidan]

those ships out at deep sea will just bob up with the increased water height and they may not even know that a tsunami is developing....only when this increased water height of the waves breaks suddenly at the shores....that's where all the destruction lies....that's why so far u dun hear any ocean liners or cargo tankers getting into big trouble in the news....

only coastal shores destruction.

[Achilles Tang]

Unless you diving at the shoreline in the direct path of the Tsunami, you should be fine.

Here's a report from a diver at Phuket.

report from Richelieu rock

Tsunami survivor describes underwater horror

By Karen Kaufman

"Our boat was lucky. We saw a cruise liner stuck near the islands with three people dead," said Londoner Naomi Hayim from her boat off the coast of Phuket yesterday.

Hayim, who is deaf, and 13 other people (including another deaf person) were diving at Richelieu Rock, a collection of submerged pinnacles renowned for its visiting whale sharks north of the Surin Islands (about 60 kilometers off the west coast of Phang Nga province) when the tsunami hit.

"We realized that the wave went right over us as we were diving," she said yesterday via SMS messaging on her cell phone. She said the giant wave created a whirlpool with incredibly strong currents. The divers were swept under, completely losing each other and severely hampered by poor visibility. All 14 eventually surfaced and found each other, though an exhausted Hayim could not be certain yesterday how long they had actually been submerged. Luckily all 14 were unharmed.

Hayim, 26, was brought up in London's Maida Vale and is a divemaster and marine biologist. She also studied clown fish and sea anemones at the Institute of Marine Biology in Eilat in 2000. A battle with meningitis when she was just a baby left her deaf. She has never, however, let this stop her from doing anything she put her mind to and graduated from Queen Mary, University of London with a degree in marine and freshwater biology.

Hayim is part of Worldwide Dive and Sail, a company that offers seven-day sailing and diving trips aboard a 21-meter yacht. Her ability to lip-read and sign enable her to teach deaf and hard-of-hearing people how to dive.

The yacht left Phuket on Friday for what was supposed to be a week-long underwater adventure for holiday-makers who joined from Britain, the Netherlands and Austria. There were no Israelis on board - as Naomi put it "I'm the only Jew here."

Yesterday afternoon, the boat and its dozen passengers turned back toward Phuket, but by early evening they were instructed to stay out at sea for fear of aftershocks and because the port at Phuket had been ruined.

Hayim said that they are now waiting to hear from the Thai authorities when they will be able to go back to land. As the trip was due to last a week, the boat still has enough food and equipment for several more days.

Hayim's group was one of several diving excursions that were at sea when the tsunami struck. "We are very lucky that nothing terrible happened," she said last night.

[BFG]

Hope all the victims get their relief supplies in time. Drinking water is especially important for them right now. If their water supplies has been contaminated with sea water, I can't imagine how it might feel. I really pity those that were swept away, especially those that can't swim.

Bro Roidan, in 1 of the pics in the links you provided, there was a person in the pictures that was being swept as the waves came in toward the hotel. Accidentally enlarge the pics and saw the face among the bubbling waters. Hope he is alright.

[clammy]

Are there any singapore dive groups in phuket or Aceh or Andamman???

Heard of lots of frens planning dive trips. dunnoe got kena or not...

[shoelevy]

My heart goes out to all who have suffered through this incident...

May the lost souls find their way back to the gates of St.Petersburg.

Amen~

   

brother...not all of them christians...most dun go st peters

latest news in thailand is a member of the royal family has been lost...the king's nephew was killed...will be going to island in east tomorrow to play...should be safer there

the island is koh chang in the http://www.ethaiguide.com/topdivesite.asp

[terryansimon]

My heart goes out to all who have suffered through this incident...

May the lost souls find their way back to the gates of St.Petersburg.

Amen~

St Petersburg = a place in Russia

St Peter = Gatekeeper of Heaven

Pearly Gates = Gates of Heaven.......if I'm not mistaken.

by the way, as of 1930hrs, 20,000 dead or missing and counting.

[Melvyn Tan]

A close friend's family business on fishery export in Penang suffered HUGE losses...

[Ancelot]

Thanks for the correction.

But i think moaning for the death is more impt than correcting spelling errors right now isnt it?

Death toll still piling...

May God have mercy on them~

[terryansimon]

i was thinking about something, if a nuclear weapon, which is man's most powerful weapon were to explode at the epic center of this earthquake, no one in sri lanka will be killed straight away...the only effect is the radiation....but look at the power of mother nature....man's most powerful weapon is no match at all

how about biological weapons? capable of far reaching consequences.

anyway, I just hope that the aftershocks that occur will not cause monster size tsunamis.

[terryansimon]

Thanks for the correction.

But i think moaning for the death is more impt than correcting spelling errors right now isnt it?

Death toll still piling...

May God have mercy on them~

it's rather important actually. the difference between St Peter and St Petersburg is as different as a quarter pounder in the US and in Europe. *Pulp Fiction. hur hur*

and yes.

God speed to the victims and their families.

[Ancelot]

[Ancelot]

it's rather important actually. the difference between St Peter and St Petersburg is as different as a quarter pounder in the US and in Europe. *Pulp Fiction. hur hur*

and yes.

God speed to the victims and their families.

So what should i say? Thanks?

Please put one's time down to moan the deaths..and understand the meaning of living our lives to the fullest and cherish the ones that are close to us before we lose them forever.

God bless everyone~

[terryansimon]

don't need to be so offensive. I was just merely highlighting the difference and it's rather huge significance. that's like saying LKY and LHL are the same people.

and as for mourning. if you'd noticed, I did say God speed to the victims on several of my post. my MSN nick has changed, and I even blogged substentially about it. if I could, I'll go there and help with rescue efforts. I already pledged my savings meant for a holiday to Europe to the rescue efforts. I'm not bragging here, but I'm in a state of mourning as well as one of my relatives did kenna in Penang. so please, don't teach your grandmother how to suck eggs.

cheers.

[ryz]

I think u mean mourn. not moan. moan is what u do when u feel deep pain or pleasure. lol.

and god speed is usually used for wishing people good luck when heading off for a competition, battle etc. don't think it's pertinently used here.

mourning is non productive.

please flame me.

[terryansimon]

you've been watching too many Armageddon shows lah.

it's used as a well wish, be it for mourning or happiness. basically implies that God be with them. which is rather apt seeing the current situation.

do refer to mr brown

cheers. (=

[Ancelot]

Sorry to know tat your relative has suffered in Penang.

"Dont teach your grandmother how to suck eggs??" How crude..

Anyway, I dont mean offensive either. Just wish that your relative is safe and sound and God bless him/her..

Keep me updated then dude...God bless you too!

[terryansimon]

it's an english proverb.

do look it up. (=