19 july 2009

Massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean

The massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean has been described as one of the worst natural disasters. 187,000, with nearly 43,000 missing and many hundreds of thousands injured and suffering trauma and the grief of losing family members, their homes and their livelihoods.
Roads, bridges, water, electricity supplies, health centres and schools were totally destroyed.The landscape was unrecognisably.Some areas lifted high out of the water while others were washed entirely away. Debris and waste were scattered widely and salt inundated farmland and underground water supplies.
The reconstruction will take many years, but there are hopeful signs with the long-term commitment made by the Australian Government and other donors to Indonesia. Steps are now being taken to establish a tsunami warning system, overcoming the previous reluctance because of the expense and low frequency of tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.

Reported by:
Grace Thian