Asia Buries Tsunami Dead, Death Toll Climbs

[Elise]

Nations on the Indian Ocean from Indonesia to Sri Lanka searched among the wreckage of a devastating tsunami for bodies to bury on Tuesday as fears grew the toll would far exceed the 29,000 now reported killed.

Two days after the biggest earthquake in 40 years struck the seabed off Indonesia's Sumatra island, triggering waves up to 33 feet high, officials found more death the further they ventured into outlying areas.

It was feared the final toll could rise above 55,000. A disproportionate number of the dead appeared to be children.

The United Nations said hundreds of relief planes packed with emergency goods would arrive in the region from about two dozen countries within the next 48 hours.


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7190621

[Cooley Hurd]

1. 55,000?!?!? Oh my God....

:cry: Has there been a more costly disaster (in terms of human life) in modern times?:shrug:

I also heard that several hundred Americans are missing...

[bobbieinok]

2. a German source was reporting 85k+

[Elise]

4. Because of the problems

with possibly not ever recovering all of the bodies as well as the horrible ramifications of what this has done/will do to the water, this 'event' is only going to grow in terrible ways as time goes on.

[Elise]

3. Yes.

Many Americans are indeed missing.

[reorg]

5. sure

however, when such things happen in far-away countries like China and no tourists are involved we don't seem to take notice and much less remember:

Earthquake 1976 in Tanashan (Tianjin) E. China (8.2) with an estimated 242 - 800 K deaths.

http://www.geocities.com/dtmcbride/hist/disasters-war.html

Only one year ago, more than 41,000 died in Iran.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/16/international1223EST0587.DTL


Man-made disasters far outnumber natural ones, though -- currently, and in the past.

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Thanks for the info...

However, your assertion that "we don't seem to take notice" is a false assumption (especially on DU). I knew the loss of life was great in the Bam disaster last year, but I didn't have the #'s handy. That's why I asked...

[fedsron2us]

11. The anniversary of the Bam earthquake

was remembered in a series of BBC reports in the UK during the run up to Christmas so it was not forgotten by every media organisation

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/04/middle_east_one_year_after_bam/html/1.stm

[allemand]

8. I'm angry at the media for continuing to publish just official death count

numbers and no estimates. I think this has contributed to the slow reaction of Western governments.
I mean, it is clear by now that thousands of their citizens died (in addition to the tens of thousands of locals), even more are injured, and one should think that Western governments should at least be concerned about them.

[allemand]

7. Indonesian vice president: Death toll in Indonesia could be 25,000

Indonesia toll 'could be 25,000'

Vice-President Jusuf Kalla has said the death toll in Indonesia from Sunday's earthquake and sea surges could reach 25,000 people.

"We don't have confirmed data, but I think between 21,000 and 25,000 people (died)," the Antara state news agency quoted him as saying.

The Indonesian island of Sumatra was closest to the quake's epicentre.

First reports from the coast nearest to the quake spoke of three quarters of the city of Meulaboh "washed away".

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4129233.stm

[Historic NY]

9. Aol news is reporting 44000 dead and climbing.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20041225210109990003

I've heard that rescuers have checked some smaller islands and have not found one person alive.

[momzno1]

10. If you consider the 1000s of miles of coastline

that was hit by the tsunamis in areas where they live and work on the beach and in the ocean the possible total deaths boggles the mind.
I really think that 200,000 is not out of the realm of possibility.

[Elise]

12. Nor do I.

Then, don't forget the injured; the homeless.............and, what do I see on cable news just a bit ago? A report on a freakin' model who was vacationing and survived! Does anyone want to talk about irony, let alone justice?

:grr:

[rocktivity]

13. A member of a Swedish heavy metal band is missing

He was vacationing in in Thailand with his girlfriend. Eight hundred Swedes are currently unnacounted for. As of last night, eight Americans are confirmed dead.

:headbang:
rocknation

[sportndandy]

14. Disease and starvation to follow

200,000 is not even conservative.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

15. idiot Powell says the U.S. will "asess" the damage before sending relief

Saw it on CSPAN -Colon Powell press conference-
Q: Will the U.S. be sending relief?
A: well, We'll have to asess the damage first and then bla bla bla...

Why the hell do they have to asess the damage ?
What do they not understand about the words 40 thousand dead and a million homeless?

Also heard that the only relief teams sent as of now were a few "dozen" people-(hate that word "dozen" by the way-is it like eggs or something?)-

and then it's only 15 million dollars pledged (given at some point in the future) for relief-

How many billions of taxpayers dollars did we spend on killing Iraqis?
pro life?
yeah right.

I just wonder why the hell the U.S. can't just load a few planes with some water purification tablets and cheap survival food and jam it on over there NOW !!

[Moderator]

16. locking

use this thread for now

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1103359