-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Goanetters annual meet in Goa is scheduled for Dec 27, 2005 @ 4pm | | | |The Riviera Opposite Hotel Mandovi, Panjim (near Ferry Jetty/Riverfront)| | Attending.......drop a line to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memorial services mark tsunami anniversary NDTV Correspondent Monday, December 26, 2005 (New Delhi):
It's been a year since the tsunami hit the Indian Ocean on December 26 in 2004, and changed the destinies of thousands of people. It began with an earthquake off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Measuring an unbelievable 9 points on the Richter scale, it was one of the largest earthquakes ever to be recorded. Scientists later said that the earthquake itself lasted close to ten minutes when most major earthquakes are no more than a few seconds. It caused the entire planet to vibrate at least a few centimetres. But the worst was yet to come. The earthquake caused the seabed to rise vertically by several metres, displacing massive volumes of water. Worst-recorded tsunami The turmoil in the ocean took the form of a killer tsunami that devastated the coastlines of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and South India. It was nature in its most raw and ferocious form, the single worst tsunami in mankind's recorded history. Entire villages in Indonesia and Sri Lanka were swept away, five star resorts in Thailand were swamped, and in the Maldives whole islets temporarily disappeared. Thousands of homes were also destroyed on coastlines from Malaysia to east Africa. Port Blair was the first place in India to be hit by the killer waves. Chennai followed soon after, killing hundreds of people. Rows upon rows of beachfront properties were completely destroyed by the wall of water when it crashed, and thousands of survivors had to spend the night in the open. The Nuclear Power station in Kalapakkam near Chennai was shut down after water entered it. Extensive damage Of the 13 districts that were struck by the tidal waves along Tamil Nadu's coastline, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Kanniyakumari were the worst affected. Nagapattinam alone accounted for 6,065 deaths in the catastrophe, which was 76 per cent of Tamil Nadu's total toll. A majority of the victims were fishermen, who not only lost their relatives, their homes but their means of livelihood as well. The tsunami caused extensive damages in Jetties at Aberdeen, Phoenix Bay, Junglighat and Haddo. Little Andaman, however, was the worst affected in the Andaman Island chain. There was immense damage at the main settlement on Hut Bay. But there was staggering damage and loss of life in the Nicobar chain of islands close to the epicentre of the undersea earthquake that triggered off the tsunami, and Car Nicobar was the worst hit. While Nicobarese tribals in interior hamlets lit candles in commemoration, the chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force converged at the Air Force base at Car Nicobar and dedicated a Tsunami Memorial in memory of those killed. In the Jayanti village another memorial by the Nicobar district administration was unveiled. Recovery efforts All the countries around the Indian Ocean, from Indonesia to Somalia, are observing the first anniversary of the tsunami with memorial services and silent prayers. Thousands of foreign survivors and bereaved relatives are in the affected countries to mark the event and to promote solidarity and remembrance, even as the tsunami disaster zone struggles with recovery efforts. Memorial ceremonies were also held at sunrise over Patong beach in Phuket and Bang Nian beach in Kaho Lak. Indonesian President Susilo Yudhoyono presided over the memorial services in Banda Aceh, which suffered catastrophic damage. The mourning comes as survivors and officials take stock of the massive relief operation and peace processes in Sri Lanka, one of the hardest hit by the tsunami. In Sri Lanka, troops have been patrolling the streets of the capital, Colombo, as security has been tightened for ceremonies marking the tsunami's anniversary. Disputes over aid delivery and an upsurge in LTTE violence have dashed hopes that the tsunami would bring a final end to the country's long-running civil conflict. Memorials in Sri Lanka, which lost about 31 000 people dead, will focus on Peraliya, where a train was engulfed by the waves, killing more than 1000 people in the world's worst-ever rail disaster. President Mahinda Rajapakse will make an address to the nation from the site. The country's tourism board has also organised vigils at the coastal town of Bentota. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------