"dxAce" wrote in message
...
NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 27, 2004--Here is an update on the current
situation in India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Sri Lanka, with
thanks to The Daily DX, courtesy of its editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, and
from Horey Majumdar, VU2HFR: News agencies now report estimates of
more than 21,000 feared dead from the tsunamis (tidal waves) that took
place
in the Bay of Bengal December 26. The estimated death toll in the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands ranges from 2000 to 5000. VU2HFR reports that radio
amateurs in India are handling hundreds of pieces of health and welfare
traffic
regarding people missing and from relatives of those living in Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, which are closer to the earthquake's epicenter.


Just received from a ham friend:

This is a report from friends of ours from the Bahamas that have been
sailing around the world since the fall of 1999. We have been e-mailing each
other at least once a month. The e-mail below was received this evening.

Regards,
Gilda and Mike

It was both appalling and fascinating. Appalling in the thousands to die in
minutes and fascinating in the power of nature.
We decided to take Perky out of the marina and anchor in the bay of Nai Harn

on the south west side of Phuket along with some 70 other cruisers for a
Christmas BBQ on the beach. We awoke the following morning and were having
coffee in the cockpit when I commented on the low tide ashore. The tide
continued to go out......fast. Then Perky swung her stern shoreward and the
knot meter registered 4 knots. I started the engine and Carolyn ran for the
windlass. We watched a wave we guessed at 30 feet crash on shore and when it

receded the beach had no beach chairs, umbrellas, food stalls or people. We
raised the anchor and started heading out of the bay when the second wave
entered. It roared ashore, way higher than the first and left disaster in
its wake. Cars were swept into the ocean along with buildings and trees
along the road lining the shore. We motored to the 100 foot contour and hung

around there for hours listening to panic on the VHF radio. Reports of
horror were pouring in. Boats way up in land, the entire bay of Au Chalong
drying out prior to the tidal waves coming in, complete towns being washed
out to sea. The ocean was a dump. Litter covered every square inch for miles

offshore. Yachties were rescuing deck chairs and furniture and coolers
washed from restaurants. Someone reported a mannequin completely attired in
a bikini floating eerily out there. News reports from VOA told of marinas we

had visited being no longer there along with the yachts moored in them. The
entire Malaysian coast has been altered. The origin of the tsunami was from
the largest earth quake to hit in a century. 9.0 on the Richter scale. Over
100 times stronger than the San Francisco earthquake. The epicenter was only

230 miles to the south west of us but we were fortunately spared the brunt
of the tidal waves as the epicenter was on the south side of Sumatra.
Nevertheless the damage is enormous. No doubt you all have more news,
including pictures, than us. We unwittingly chose the safest bay to anchor
in and no lives or boats were lost here we think it was because it is the
deepest bay in the area. We were anchored in 50 foot of water. Patong which
is shallow and the neighboring bay, only a mile or two north of us, has
boats way inland and the town is in a state of absolute devastation. The
rest of Phuket is reportedly a disaster with many deaths. Mostly tourists
sunbathing on the beaches. We will spend the next few days helping the
locals put their lives back together.