The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Over 1,700 killed in Tamil Nadu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 27, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Over 1,700 killed in Tamil Nadu

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

Villagers of Panayur running to safety on Sunday morning when tsunami hit the Chennai coast. — Photo: N. Sridharan

CHENNAI, DEC. 26. Over 1,700 people were killed as Tamil Nadu bore the brunt of the seismic sea waves triggered by an earthquake that had its epicentre more than 2,000 km away near the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Fishermen, morning walkers and inhabitants of the coastline were washed away by waves that rose to up to 10 metres and flooded the beaches and seaside huts and buildings.

The mild tremors experienced in some parts of the State at 6.30 a.m. gave little indication of what was to come. Between 7.30 and 9 a.m., huge waves slammed the coastline taking those near the seashore by complete surprise. There was little time for anyone to react as the waves swept away even those who were a couple of kilometres from the sea.

When the waves receded, hundreds of bodies were found strewn on the shore. Debris stood in the place of houses. Overturned cars had no claimants.

The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, put the death toll at 1,705 with Nagapattinam accounting for 788, Cuddalore 290 and Kanyakumari 392. After making an aerial survey of the affected areas, Ms. Jayalalithaa announced Rs. 1-lakh relief each to the family of the dead.

In Chennai, 131 persons were washed away, including early morning walkers and children playing cricket on the beach. The toll in other coastal districts was: Kancheepuram 61; Villupuram 23; Tiruvallur 13; Tirunelveli 4; Tuticorin 2 and Thanjavur 1. About 1,000 people were stranded on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari.

It took some time for the magnitude of the tragedy to sink in. While those near the shore who managed to escape the fury of the waves tried to move as far away as possible from the sea, others who heard the news headed for the beach. The police had to barricade the roads to prevent access to the sea. Those who went to the Marina beach in Chennai after the first huge tsunami had to make a hasty retreat when another came their way.

Seeks expert advice

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, spoke to Ms. Jayalalithaa and expressed his shock over the calamity. Ms. Jayalalithaa said the State Government required expert seismological advice as to what could be expected further. The Prime Minister promised to do the needful.

The State Government requested the help of the armed forces in the rescue and relief operations. Accordingly, three Armed Forces units and the Coast Guard in the State, put all their resources at their command. Coast Guard ships patrolled the coast off Chennai, Pondicherry, and the Palk Bay while the Navy's two ships joined in the rescue efforts along the eastern shoreline. Besides, the Coast Guard eastern region headquarters sent a ship each from Visakhapatnam, Haldia and Paradeep to help in relief and rescue.

Army aids in rescue

The Army made available its personnel for providing medical relief and also to aid in the rescue efforts. The Arakkonam Naval Air Station, INS Rajali, deployed its reconnaissance aircraft, Tupolov 142 M, to assess the damage along the coastline. In some places along the Tamil Nadu coast the water ingress has been up to 1.5 km, according to an analysis of the data obtained from the aircraft.

The havoc and panic began when seawater inundated parts of the Chennai port in a short span, including its privatised container terminal, and the waves caused in the ships in the inner harbour to rock violently.

In the impact the mooring of ABG Kesava, a vessel awaiting repairs and whose engine had been dismantled, was tossed up and the ship started drifting. The swirling waters pushed it towards the inner harbour, where three other vessels were berthed. There the vessels smashed against one another. One of them hit two hoppers, which are the facility for unloading (imported) sugar, bringing them down like a house of cards. The vessel also hit the wharf cranes and caused damage to them. Two ships belonging to the Coast Guard — Sarang and Vikram — were also damaged.

District Collectors have been asked to send reports to the Commissioner of Revenue Administration for preparing a comprehensive report to be forwarded to the Centre for requisitioning relief. The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, is visiting Tamil Nadu tomorrow. The two Union Ministers deputed by the Prime Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar and Dayanidhi Maran, are going to Nagapattinam.

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