Kaladan News

Dated: Monday, December 27, 2004

A Huge Earthquake off Northern Indonesia Triggered Burma Casualties

Chittagong, December 27: A huge earthquake off northern Indonesia triggered giant tidal waves and flash floods across southern Asia also caused casualties in Burma yesterday, said a trader who crossed the border and was reluctant to give his name for his security.

Six men and four women were killed in the coastal town of Kawthaung, the southern side of Burma when a huge wave caused by earth quake collapsed the bridge while they were crossing it, according to Reuters, Rangoon.

In Bangkok, scientists said they detected a 6.4 magnitude earthquake centered the Burma yesterday at about 0800 hours local time.

The quake, the world’s 5^th largest since 1900 and biggest since 1964, struck in the Indian Ocean southwest of Aceh province on Sumatra island and unleashed massive destruction throughout the region, sources said.

In Burma, particularly, Arakan State, Tannasirim, Rangoon and Pegu Divisions were also hit by tidal waves, inundating low-lying islands, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. But, According to DVB, only 3 people died and 50 were missing. Besides, about 100 houses, dozens of fishing were missing and a bridge was collapsed, which is connecting between Kaw Thaung and Palotoke village.

A witness told the Kaladan Press that she saw her house is moving. “I just came back from my uncle house and saw my house moved from side to side. It lasted for 32 seconds,” said a 45-year old housewife in Maungdaw.

Some fishermen from Maungdaw town said, “During the earth quake the sea becomes very rough and there are a fear of tidal waves.”

A fisherman said that the water in the river Naff convulsed for nearly two hours after the tremor with some waves temporarily submerging the shrimp projects. He also reported that the quake lasted 25 to 30 seconds and surged the water in the rivers, canals and ponds by a few feet.

A schoolteacher said, “We are lucky because it is located far away from the epicenter. We have no seismic station in our town in order to be able to ascertain more details about the quakes and its effect on the country.”

“The Maldives Island is only about three feet above sea level and a wave of water four feet high swept over us,” said Shaheed from Maldives. But there were no immediate reports of casualties, officials said.

The 8.9 magnitude earth quake originating in Indonesia killed over 8,400 in Asia such as in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Burma and more were wounded. Among them South Asia was the worst hit region, with many people reported dead in Sri Lanka and India, according to Agencies, Colombo. ##

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