Nature Sends Reminder Of 2004 Tsunami

Earthquake Off Taiwan Prompts Worries On Anniversary Of Disaster That Killed 230,000

(CBS/AP)  A powerful earthquake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, prompting fears of a tsunami on the second anniversary of the quake and deadly waves that killed thousands in south Asia.

An official at Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no longer any danger of a destructive tsunami headed for the Philippines, as had been predicted.

"The danger has passed," said Hiroshi Koide of the agency's earthquake section. "We predicted tsunami based on the depth and magnitude of the earthquake. But ultimately, it appears no large tsunami were triggered."

The quake was felt throughout Taiwan. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake registered magnitude 7.1, while Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau measured it at 6.7. It was followed eight minutes later by an aftershock registering 7.0, the USGS said.

Taiwanese media reported one person died and three were injured in the southern city of Pintung when their home collapsed. Four members of the same family were trapped in the rubble, the reports said.

Other media reports said city streets had cracked and a major bridge was damaged. They said fires were burning out in the area, apparently caused by downed electric power cables.

Also Tuesday, thousands of people fled beaches in one of Indonesia's largest-ever tsunami drills, two years after devastating waves crashed into coastlines and killed 230,000 people.

Elsewhere, survivors and mourners marked the anniversary by visiting mass graves, lighting candles along beaches, observing a moment of silence and erecting warning towers in hopes of saving lives in the future. Some volunteers were replanting mangroves, saying they were key to protecting coastal communities.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that ripped apart the ocean floor off Indonesia's Sumatra island on Dec. 26, 2004 spawned giant waves that fanned out across the Indian Ocean at jetliner speeds, killing people in a dozen countries and leaving millions homeless.

When the tsunami struck, entire villages were swept to sea in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, luxury resorts and fishing communities submerged in Thailand and thousands of homes destroyed in southern India — where commemorations Tuesday were small and subdued.

A dozen fishermen watched gulls circle overhead in one hard-hit hamlet early Tuesday, staring at the sea and telling stories about villagers who died. Hundreds more gathered as the day went on, some throwing flowers into the water as others lit incense sticks.

"Ever since the tsunami, my brother has done nothing but drink," said Nagarwali, 42, pointing to a fisherman who lost his wife and three children in the waves.

CBS News reporter Stephen Fleay says that despite the best efforts of the world's aid agencies, and an incredible outpouring of charity from around the world, around 70,000 people from northern Sumatra still live in temporary accommodation.

Fleay also says a network of emergency sea beacons to alert residents of any future tsunami is, as of yet, only half complete.

The drill on Indonesia's resort island of Bali — which involved real-time warnings sent from the capital to radios along the beach — was as much about raising awareness as testing technology deployed in the country hardest hit two years ago.

Nearly 167,000 of those killed were from Aceh province — hundreds of miles from Bali.

Sirens wailed as masses, many of them school children, briskly walked inland from the shore, accompanied by Indonesia's minister of research and technology and a handful of foreign tourists.

[alphaa10-2009]

Hidden away in this editorial summary of Stephen Fleay'a story is a real basis for optimism about the human condition. First, fatalism and resignation has been replaced by people taking constructive action. The tsunami drills also show a developing seismic alert network which can string together the far-flung points of the Pacific rim. As Sri Lankans and others discovered, being thousands of miles distant is no protection.

Though there is much recovery work left to be done, enormous progress has been made in rebuilding schools and the rest of the infrastrucure. Only the generosity of the world community of nations makes this possible.

Some also realistically credit the powerful pressure of world opinion, after the UN asked wealthier nations in 2005 to commit large sums to disaster recovery. The US, all told, pledged $857 million, and about $1.45 billion in pledged private aid-- after an initial offering of $15 million by Bush.

[godofredo29]

I blame myself.