Indian ocean tsunami alert lifted now
October 1st, 2009 - 1:17 am ICT by Aishwarya BhattJakarta, Sep 30 (THAINDIAN NEWS) A massive earthquake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 7.9, and struck 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast of Sumatra. The quake was along the same fault line that created the massive and tumultuous 2004 India Ocean tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, apart from property loss worth in millions.
Hence, a tsunami warning for countries along the Indian Ocean was issued after the quake struck early evening Wednesday and then lifted about an hour-and-a-half later, when things stabled down.
In the Indonesian earthquake, thousands are still believed to be buried under the rumble and rescue workers are trying their best to save them. In unconfirmed reports, one health official was heard saying that around 1000 people are feared death.
Rustam Pakaya, the head of the health ministry’s disaster centre, said via a text message that a hospital in Padang in the region near the epicenter of the quake had also collapsed in a heap.
‘Jamil hospital collapsed and thousands of people are trapped in the rubble of buildings,’ Pakaya said.
A resident called Adi told Indonesia’s Metro Television there was complete devastation around him. ‘For now I can’t see dead bodies, just collapsed houses. Some half destroyed, others completely. People are standing around too scared to go back inside. They fear a tsunami.’
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