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gearsighted
Dec 27, 2004, 1:58 AM
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http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5430520
This has some info, I think they are still trying to figure out what and who...it's such a tragedy, and I can only send out my regards to everybody effected... :(
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karlbaba
Dec 27, 2004, 1:58 AM
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Railay was hit. Look for the Earthquake in SE Asia thread for more details.
Best wishes for your friends and the Thai Community
Peace
Karl
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colqueerio
Dec 27, 2004, 2:07 AM
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Turn on CNN. They're getting more info bit by bit. Phuket, a town near there, I think, was hit hard.
I'm sorry for everyone this has affected, killed, left homeless. This is a big bummer.
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mchaff2
Dec 27, 2004, 2:34 AM
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i went to www.railay.com to check out any updates. they were hit, but it doesn't seem, by the website, that they were hit as hard as other places. I still worry tons for my friends. Best wishes to everybody involved. Over 12,000 dead so far. A tragedy.
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wingnut
Dec 27, 2004, 3:21 AM
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My heart goes out to everyone in SE Asia who was hit.
____________
I refuse to accept your reality, and substitute my own.
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johnnym
Dec 27, 2004, 3:39 AM
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As has been said before, this is serious stuff. BBC news here in UK just updated the death toll to at least 12,000. Shit!! Scenes of areas in Thailand and interviews with survivors just frightening, man. Major aid promises have been made from around the globe which is very heartening, but I think what is really needed is lots of hands to help with the clearance of .. whatever needs to be cleared.
Major deal!
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happiegrrrl
Dec 27, 2004, 4:17 AM
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I have a friend in Thailand right now, and I don't know what area he's at. I hope he and his friends are okay...... what a horrible catastrophe.
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slavetogravity
Dec 27, 2004, 4:45 AM
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In reply to: From what I understand the quake happened 2 hours before the tidal waves hit. Isn't that enough time to send warnings out? I'm in Japan and we often get tsunami warnings after an earthquake...are there similiar warning systems worldwide? .
Thanks mostly to Japan, the Pacific Ocean has an extensive and effective warning system to warn against tsuanamnis. Unfortunately no such system exists for the Indian Ocean.
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anykineclimb
Dec 27, 2004, 4:47 AM
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Being from Hawaii, I know all too well about tsunami warnings.
The problem is the entire region that was hit isn't too well aquainted with tsunamis so there is no warning system.
Many of the areas are also very poor and have very little infrastructure as it is, let alone Tsunami sirens and markings for the inundation zone.
Its a huge tragedy this has occured, my prayers go out to all involved and to my fellow climbers helping. I had two friends just leave yesterday for Phuket on holiday.
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csgambill
Dec 27, 2004, 5:34 AM
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Has anyone heard any word on any JET people over in Thailand for the Christmas break?
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kwango
Dec 27, 2004, 7:39 AM
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South western Thailand was hit hard by a tsunami caused by a record earthquake off the cost of Sumatra early Sunday morning (26th). Would advise that any one planning a trip over at least the next week or so check with there hotels or the tourism authority first as travelling, accomodation and climbing may be extremely difficult. An option is to rearrange for a visit to Chiangmai in northern Thailand first (great climbing and weather there as well). We have been informed that the local climbing community are safe and sound experincing only property damage but reports of casualties to international visitors are still unclear. Should you be missing anyone or know of any current vistors who cannot be contacted send me a message and I will do my best to help or pass on the information to the relevant authorities. Best wishes to everyone down there, hope that they are safe and sound.
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kwango
Dec 27, 2004, 7:44 AM
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Anyone missing friends and family in southern Thailand send me a message with info on the persons (names, nationality, expected to be where and when) and I will try my best to help out and pass on the messages to the relevant authorities.
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johngalt828
Dec 27, 2004, 7:58 AM
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if I show up around Krabi in the next week or so is there some chance that i will be able to help out cleaning up? Do ppl. know of any organized relief efforts in that area (NGO's etc) looking for help??
cheers,
jamie
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kwango
Dec 27, 2004, 8:10 AM
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Jamie, according to news all the efforts are going towards search and rescue at the moment. Any help cleaning up would surely be welcomed but have not heard of anything formally or informally organised yet. As things stand, there should be emergency centres at major villages or towns where you can show up and volunteer. Thanks.
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far_east_climber
Dec 27, 2004, 10:41 AM
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Over here, many people seem to have been affected one way or another. A co-worker of mine (locally from Phuket) has had her mother in law, a friend and her friend's 4 month old swept away. A number of my mother's clients are scattered in the Phuket area for the holiday season... she so far hasn't heard anything of them. A good friend of mine had his parents come back to Hong Kong 12 hours before the Tsunami hit. They had heard their hotel was flooded all the way to the second floor. I would say they are pretty damn lucky. It's strange how often events like these can indirectly impact another person.
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coldclimb
Dec 27, 2004, 1:29 PM
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Got a note from winstonfb. I figure it might be an interesting addition to this thread. :?
In reply to: I'm not only in Thailand, but was on the beach of Ton Sai climbing a cliff high above sea-level when the first tidal wave hammered the shore. I had a bird's eye view of the entire calamity. It's pretty awful here; utter devastation of the beach businesses, and a number of deaths and injuries. I escaped entirely unharmed, fortunately. Communication is spotty, being subject to the whim of the generators (and my dwindling stash of emergency money), so I probably won't be able to write again for awhile. Thanks for writing, and your concern, though. Take care. Later. -Winston |
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icekubes7
Dec 27, 2004, 2:22 PM
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I have a non-refundable ticket for Thailand leaving January 14th. I was planning on going down to Railay/Ton Sai to climb, of course. I'm thinking I still want to go and help with the clean-up and rebuilding. Are any other climbers thinking of doing this, too? Does anyone know if it would be possible to even get there and stay there by then? Any thoughts on what I can do to help when I'm there would be nice.
My prayers go out to everyone over there.
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csgambill
Dec 27, 2004, 2:35 PM
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In reply to: I have a non-refundable ticket for Thailand leaving January 14th. ... Does anyone know if it would be possible to even get there and stay there by then? Any thoughts on what I can do to help when I'm there would be nice. My prayers go out to everyone over there.
I think if you head down that way there will be some infrastructure set up by then and somebody will put you to work. If not, get it going yourself.
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icekubes7
Dec 27, 2004, 2:43 PM
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From http://www.railay.com/railay/intro/intro.shtml
"There are a few divers from Ao Nang and Krabi that are still missing.
Despite all the rumours, Railay is not going to be evacuated, and all the bungalows are still open. It is messy, but the Thais are amazingly good at making the best of the situation. The Bungalow owners reckon it will be 2 or three days before they get all the rubish cleaned up. That is not including the numerous boats which have ended up in some very bizzare places....
The sea is still rough for the time of year, and that has made everyone nervous. As the sea regains it's calmness, so will everyones confidence return. The main issue is the lack of boats. There are not many left, and those that remain are helping to search for people swept out to sea. If you have a flight booked Krabi airport is open and running as normal. You will just have to be patient in catching the boat over. I'd advise you catch a boat from Krabi wharf.
We'll update this as we get more information."
It seems like Railay may have gotten off relatively lightly. I'm pretty sure now that I'm still going to head down there in January to climb and to help with the cleanup/rebuilding and stuff. I feel for the other places that didn't get off so lightly.
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stompie
Dec 27, 2004, 2:57 PM
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In reply to: Wingnut, there was a 9.2 in Alaska in 1964. Doubt if that was the highest ever, but I can't say. Regardless, 8.9 is darn big, and especially troubling given there was just an 8.2 in Antarctica just days ago. The Earth's plates are a'movin'.
There are a lot of quakes bigger than this one. I believe that Wjngnut meant a new record for the area. I heard on the news that it was the worst quake for the area in 40 years. I don't think WN meant record for all times everywhere.
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sarcat
Dec 27, 2004, 3:38 PM
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Didn't hear about it until I turned on the news thismornig. WOW! Over 22,000 estimated dead/missing. I can't imagine the heartache in the are at this time. Seeing first hand how emergency personell can become 'stresses' when 3-4 people go missing in a disaster I can't imagine how they are coping in these areas.
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mandrake
Dec 27, 2004, 5:37 PM
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From The Nation (a Bangkok English-language paper). My condolences to those who have lost family and friends.
In reply to: Thai paradises lost to nature's fury Published on Dec 27 , 2004 Just a day before the tidal waves they were the epitome of earthly paradise, now they are scenes of hell. A postcard-perfect island with stunning scenery, pristine beaches, and azure waters, Koh Phi Phi is a scene of death and devastation. Sunday’s seismic tidal waves killed more than 143 people and swept away all but two buildings on the island. Krabi’s scenic shorelines, famed for their bizarre limestone rock-formations, sustained massive damage and it may well take months to clean up all the debris. Some 68 people were killed and many more are still missing. The popular Ao Nang Beach came in for an especially severe battering. “Phi Phi is a total wreck,” lamented Mitchai Anansakul, head of the Nopparat Thara Marine Park. “Almost every building on the island collapsed under the 10-metre wall of water.” Only two large hotel buildings, the Phi Phi Cabana and the Phi Phi Hotel, were left standing, but even they suffered heavy damage and will need structural inspection before they can be reopened, Mitchai added. Rescuers, who started at 6am, were working around the clock to evacuate survivors and injured victims to the mainland. “By late afternoon some 500 to 600 survivors, including many wounded, were still stranded on the island,” Lt-Colonel Prasertsri Kulna, an inspector at Marine Police Division 5, said yesterday. |
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hasbeen
Dec 27, 2004, 5:49 PM
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Here's a report from 8a
http://www.8a.nu/site2/
Seems like if you have a ticket you should head over. You can still climb and help out on rest days. I've only heard back from one person, so far, and he happened to be in Northern India when it hit. But it sounds like climbers are still climbing and helping rebuild the beach bars and they are getting back to business as usual. Doesn't sound like the resorts at Tonsai got hit. An NPR report stated that the number of travelers has helped a lot as they've been quick to help out with time and money. Since we (climbers) have a lot less money, in general, focusing on the more climbing specific areas that depend on us (Tonsai) should be our focus.
I've not yet heard anything from Phi Phi, which supposedly got hammered. Any news would be appreciated.
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