Tsunami: 'all safe but slum destroyed', says nun from kerala

[diamond14]

http://www.catholic.org/cathcom/international_story.php?id=11919

Tsunami: 'all safe but slum destroyed', says nun from kerala

By MISNA

12/30/2004

Entire sea-front slum areas in Calicut in the southern Indian State of Kerala were struck by the tidal waves that followed the violent submarine earthquake near north Indonesia on 26 December, forcing thousands of residents to flee. The news comes from Sister Marina Kollarath, regional superior of the Sisters of the Presentation of Como, who is based in a convent approximately seven kilometres from the sea.


“Now they have all lost everything and the scenario is one of total devastation; shacks have collapsed and broken boats are strewn across the beach.” The local authorities allegedly used loudspeakers to give warning of the approaching danger, facilitating the timely flight of the people along the shore to safer areas; the nun claims that the warning came directly from the state ministerial authorities, but she could not explain why the same did not happen in other states in india badly affected by the tsunami.

Official sources put the number of dead in the whole of Kerala at 170; the areas worst affected are Kollam and Apallpuzha.

[IronLionZion]

1. my family's from Kerala

and yes, that's a shame. I think a lot of people were saved by the public address warnings though.

Too bad they didn't have that in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Those folks didn't have a chance. It looks like the relief efforts are effective. They were able to mobilize quickly and already had large stockpiles of medicine. All without accepting aid from Bush.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Isn't Kerala one of the most democratic and egalitarian states in

India?

That's what I recall.