# Many Thousands Reported Dead in Tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 26, 2004, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668 "2004-12-26T09:09:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/41 "2004-12-26T23:28:19Z")
Sounds like [Singapore got away with it](http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/124176/1/.html), since it’s the other side of Sumatra from the quake. That said, I can imagine a bit of the swell must have passed through the Straights of Malacca. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/42 "2004-12-26T23:29:03Z")
Have we heard from **False God**? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/43 "2004-12-26T23:56:30Z")
My kid sister is backpacking about southwestern India. Last we heard, she was on a beach somewhere near Madras. We had some pretty frantic hours this morning. My parents finally got a typically unruffled message on their machine (I’m paraphrasing): “Hi. I’m fine, don’t worry. There are lots of waves here. It’s pretty incredible. I’ll call back later. Love you!” My sister is a bit of a force of nature herself. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/44 "2004-12-27T00:06:17Z")
:smack: **Alessan** , please tell me she’s not going to go surfing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/45 "2004-12-27T00:13:28Z")
While I applaud the change of the thread title, it’s rather behind the times regarding the reported death toll, which now exceeds 11,000 and rising. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/46 "2004-12-27T00:20:17Z")
**False God** was the first doper I thought of. I hope he, his family and any other doper families affected by this are all ok. ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/47 "2004-12-27T01:08:20Z")
I am without words; my heart is filled with sorrow. Such an event, so sudden, such damage, such destruction. Makes me realize once again that we never know what is beyond the horizon; the future is very uncertain. WRS ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/48 "2004-12-27T01:12:13Z")
I have folks in Pakistan - if I or they can help anyone (call someone in India or something) email me. Email’s in my profile. WRS - Barukh atah Hashem elokeinu melekh haolam, dayan haemes. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/49 "2004-12-27T01:18:01Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > Looked it up, it’s [False\_God](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) > > Mods, any ideas of how someone could get hold of him? According to your link, his last activity was at 5:16 PM today. (I’m not sure what time zone, but I’d say that’s a good sign!) ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/50 "2004-12-27T01:19:36Z")
Sri Lanka checking in. Looks like several thousand dead and tens of thousands displaced, mostly on the east coast. Apparently there was some flash flooding in lowlying areas of Colombo, but I didn’t see any or hear first-hand accounts. The Maldives, about an hour’s flight from here, was apparently completely under water at one point (the majority of thee islands are three feet above sea level, the waves were four to five feet high – do the math). ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/51 "2004-12-27T02:01:09Z")
Glad you are ok, **False God**. Thank you for checking in here. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/52 "2004-12-27T02:26:31Z")
Even the most cursory examination of the figures suggests a death toll far higher than 11,000. This is gonna get much worse. Remember, there were no casualty figures from Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/53 "2004-12-27T03:35:24Z")
Oh, wow. Oh, geez. _has no words_ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/54 "2004-12-27T03:42:00Z")
As at 3+ hours ago, the _Sydney Morning Herald_ was reporting a latest estimated death toll of 12,300 people, with that toll expected to rise considerably as bodies are found. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/55 "2004-12-27T03:45:34Z")
For anyone wanting to help through donations, here are the websites for the [Canadian Red Cross](http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=011441&tid=001), [American Red Cross](https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp) and the [International Red Cross Red Crescent](http://www.ifrc.org/helpnow/donate/donate_response.asp). My prayers are with that half of the world tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/56 "2004-12-27T06:10:03Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Remember, there were no casualty figures from Africa. Africa? So far I’ve heard nothing regarding tsunamis hitting Africa at all… am I missing something? (quite possible, as I’ve been awake for close to 30 hours now) Thanks to whichever Mod changed the thread title, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/57 "2004-12-27T06:14:51Z")
I heard that 9 people were washed away in Somalia, but that’s all I’ve heard from Africa. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/58 "2004-12-27T06:25:43Z")
I weep as I write this, it’s an area of the world I have often traveled. My heart is breaking as I watch the news. God, I have no words… ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/59 "2004-12-27T06:36:07Z")
14, 400 lost, according to the _Sydney Morning Herald_’s lates update (1 hour old). Indeed, as **elbows** said, it’s a part of the world I’m familiar with too, and it hurts to see this. It’s ironic that this age of communication and cheap, fast travel has brought us closer to these tragedies. In the old days, the numbers would be meaningless - funny little people a different colour to us… who cares, right? That we are now able to be so deeply affected by this is in its way a wonderful thing. Also a terrible thing. Our planet is getting smaller. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668/60 "2004-12-27T07:02:16Z")
Wow, I just got back from coastal India a couple months ago. If I were still there and still alive, I would be helping with the relief efforts right now. Thank goodness it hit offshore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-thousands-reported-dead-in-tsunamis-in-south-and-southeast-asia/281668.md?page=4)