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Chennai News
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Tsunami News
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What is
Tsunami?
Sunday,
January 2, 2005 (Port Blair):
The killer tsunami, which struck South East Asia on the
morning of December 26, has ravaged the Andaman and Nicobar
islands.
For the residents of this group of islands in the Bay of
Bengal, it represents a paradise lost.
"I had two daughters. Both are gone now. I found the body of
one of them, but not the other. I clung on to the trees with
my little baby and held her above my head," said Kanchan
Singh, resident, Car Nicobar.
Kanchan and her surviving child were among the first evacuees
from the Car Nicobar island, some 250 km south of Port Blair.
Erased from map
The Air Force base there is now rubble and villages like
Malacca, Lapatty, Takana have been erased from the map. Even
today, hundreds of islanders are queuing up to leave the
devastated region. The death toll is completely uncertain.
The tsunami has left a similar trail of destruction in Great
Nicobar Island, India's southernmost tip.
Its main town, Campbell Bay, its jetty and its police station
are all reduced to ruins. Rescue operations here began on
Tuesday, and the locals are angry.
"They are saying Campbell Bay is in good condition. But
according to us, it is in the worst condition. There is just
one hill left. If the tsunami comes again, all of us will be
getting destroyed," said Ganesh, a local.
Endless wait
As evacuees pour into relief camps in Port Blair, there
is reunion for some and confirmation of the loss of a loved
one for others.
There are some, like Shamshad Begum, who are waiting and
waiting.
"I am waiting for my son. He is in Car Nicobar. I live here
and he studies there. He is 10 years old. I have no news of
him," said Shamshad Begum.
When last checked, Shamshad Begum was still waiting for her
son at the relief camp.
(With
Reuters input)
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