Tsunami:
Magnitude of Terror
Effects
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Contents
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Damage to Countries
Death Toll
Economy
Environment
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Effects
Damage to Countries
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Indonesia
• The epicenter of the Earthquake was located some 160km
west of Sumatra and nearly all the casualties and damage
took place within the province of Aceh.
• Indonesia's Ministry of Health has confirmed 166,320 dead
but this is not the final count because most regions are still
inaccessible and reports are slow. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has stated that up to 100,000 are missing. In addition,
the UN estimates that 655,000 people are homeless and
sheltering in scattered refugee camps across the province.
• Ten metre tall waves passed the northern tip of Sumatra to
turn southwards towards the Straits of Malacca and strike
along the northeast coast.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Indonesia
• The nearby town of Leupung has been obliterated by the
tsunami.
• Nothing is left standing there and the estimated number of
survivors is placed between two and seven hundred out of
an original population of ten thousand.
• Other towns affected include Calang, Meluboh, Teunmon
and numerous others. Most villages are simply destroyed or
are too remote
• The nearby town of Leupung has been obliterated by the
tsunami. Nothing is left standing there and the estimated
number of survivors is placed between two and seven
hundred out of an original population of ten thousand.
• Other towns affected include Calang, Meluboh, Teunmon
and numerous others. Most villages are simply destroyed or
are too remote
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Sri Lanka
• An island nation situated in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka was
the 2nd worst hit by the tsunami.
• However, in terms of country size, Sri Lanka was in fact hit
harder by the tsunami than Indonesia because most of its
coastline was hit by the deadly waves.
• Sri Lankan authorities report 30,196 confirmed deaths as of
3 January 2005 after the island was hit by the tsunami.
• Many of the dead were children and the elderly. The south
and east coasts were worst hit. An estimated one and a half
million people have been displaced from their homes.
• Roughly 1,200 bodies were counted at Batticaloa in the east.
800 were reported dead when the tsunami reached more than
2 kilometres (1.25 miles) inland at Trincomalee to the
northeast.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Sri Lanka
• More than 5,000 are dead in the Amparai district. Even a
train, the Sea Queen, moving between Colombo and Galle
was struck by the killer waves, killing 1,300 onboard out of
the 1,600 passengers.
• The agricultural sector has been adversely affected by the
aftermath of the tsunami. 259 hectares of paddy land along
the coast were destroyed.
• Furthermore, the paddy lands which were flooded with salt
water cannot be used for cultivation due to the salinity of the
soil. Large numbers of agricultural machinery have been
destroyed and canals and drains have been blocked.
• Many hotels were damaged as well. Hotels along the
southern coast were packed with both foreign tourists and
Sri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend.
• The main highway in the southern Sri Lanka which runs
along the coast was closed in the wake of the tsunami,
delaying relief supplies.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
India
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In terms of the number of casualties, India was the 3rd worst hit
country partly because a large section of its coastline was hard hit
by the tsunami.
The areas that were hit included the state of Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala, Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar
islands.
With a death toll of 7,793, the state of Tamil Nadu was no doubt
the worst hit on the mainland.
In the Nagapattinam district alone there were 5,525 casualties, with
entire villages having been destroyed.
The Kanyakumari district has had 808 deaths and the Cuddalore
district 599, the state capital Chennai 206 and Kancheepuram
district 124.
• The casualties in Kanyakumari include pilgrims taking a
holy dip in the sea and visitors to the Vivekananda Rock
Memorial. People playing and taking a Sunday morning
stroll along the Marina beach in Chennai were washed away.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
India
• In addition, the fishing villagers who lived along the shore
and those out at sea were washed away as well. In
Velankanni, in the district of Nagapttinam, most of the
casualties were people visiting the Basilica of the Virgin
Mary for Christmas and the residents of the town.
• Operations at the nuclear power plant at Kalpakkam were
suspended after sea water gushed into a pump station.
• There were no reports of any radiation leakage or damage to
the reactor but 100 casualties were reported.
• The official death toll for the Andaman and Nicobar islands
is 812, and about 7,000 are still missing, presumed dead.
• At least one fifth of the population of the Nicobar islands are
amongst the casualties.
• Entire islands were washed away and communications have
yet been restored with the Nancowry group of islands, some
of which have been completely submerged, leaving the total
number people out of contact at 7,000.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Thailand
• The Thai government reports 5,246 missing and estimates
that 8,000 are likely to have died.
• Several popular tourist resorts such as Phuket, Khao Lak
and the Phi Phi Islands were hit hard by the waves.
• The resort area of Khao Lak report 3,950 confirmed deaths
and the final count may very well exceed 4,500.
• Hundreds of holiday bungalows on the Phi Phi Islands were
washed out to sea. Bhumi Jensen, grandson of His Majesty
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was among those killed.
• The tourism and fishing sectors have been adversely
affected by the aftermath of the tsunami.
• The beach resorts along the Andaman Sea coast have been
extensively damaged it will take many years for recovery.
• Numerous hotels and small businesses have been ruined and
the price for recovery will be extremely costly.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Malaysia
• Shielded by the island of Sumatra, Malaysia escaped the
kind of damage that struck countries much further away.
• The affected areas were the northern coastal areas islands
such as Penang and Langkawi.
• The number of deaths are as follows; 52 in Penang, 12 in
Kedah, 3 in Perak and 1 in Selangor with a total of 68.
• Among the dead were picnickers and children playing at the
beach in Penang.
• However, no deaths are reported among foreign tourists.
• Fishing villages in Batu Maung and Bayan Lepas in Penang
were damaged as well.
• Coastal areas in Peninsular Malaysia were also affected.
Roughly one quarter of holiday vessels anchored in Rebak
and Telaga harbour in Langkawi were damaged.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Myanmar
• It is difficult to gauge how many people have been killed in
Myanmar because foreign journalists are not permitted to
enter and the information published on state-run newspapers
is tightly controlled.
• However, the official death toll stands at 56 whereas
independent sources report of some 90 deaths. At least
30,000 citizens of Myanmar are in dire need of shelter, food
and water and around 788 buildings were purportedly
damaged or destroyed.
• An estimated 7,000 people are still missing
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Others
• In Bangladesh, 2 children killed after a tourist boat capsized
in surging waves.
• In Yemen, 1 child was killed and 40 fishing boats wrecked
on Socotra Island.
• 10 were killed in Tanzania, with an unknown number of
people missing.
• Waves struck Kenya causing some minor damage. One
person reported drowned at Watamu, near Mombasa.
• 3 were killed in Seychelles, seven people missing. A major
bridge in Port Victoria also destroyed.
• 2 deaths have been reported in South Africa, with some
significant damage to structures inland.
• 176 people were reported dead in Somalia with 50,000
people displaced from their homes.
• A further 82 people dead and 26 missing, presumed dead
were reported in the Maldives.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Effects
Death Toll
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Death Toll
Country
where
deaths
occurred
Deaths
Confirmed Estimated1
Injured
Indonesia
173,981
220,000
~100,00
0
Sri Lanka
38,195
38,195
15,686
India
10,744
16,413
Thailand
5,305 3
Somalia
Missing Displaced
6,245
23,000+
400,000700,000
2
~573,000
-
5,669
380,000
11,000
8,457
4,499
-
150+
298
-
-
5,000
Myanmar
(Burma)
59
2,500
45
7,000 4
3,200
Malaysia
68 – 74
74
299
-
-
Maldives
82
108
-
26
12,000 –
22,000
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Death Toll
1– 3
3
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10
10+
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-
Bangladesh
2
2
-
-
-
South Africa
25
2
-
-
-
Kenya
1
2
2
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-
Yemen
1
1
-
-
-
Madagascar
-
-
-
-
1,000+
Total 228,601+ ~288,608 ~125,000
~40,000
~1.5 million
Seychelles
Tanzania
Note: All figures are approximate and subject to change. For more details on specific countries, click the country name in the first column.
1 Includes those reported under 'Deaths'. If no seperate estimates are available, the number in this column is the same as reported under
'Deaths'.
2 Includes approximately 19,000 missing people declared by Tamil Tiger authorities from regions under their control
3 Data includes at least 2,464 foreigners.
4 This number of missing includes citizens of Myanmar who have fled into Thailand and who have been deported back to Myanmar without
papers.
5 Does not include South African citizens who died outside of South Africa (eg, tourists in Thailand).
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Effects
Economical Impact
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Economical Impact
• The immediate relief needs in the affected countries in the
Indian Ocean are gigantic and complicated, and there will be
a long term need for rebuilding in these areas.
• The disaster is complicated because there are the effects of
the earthquake near the epicenter (Banda Aceh) and the
widespread effects of the tsunami wave.
• In effect, there are two disasters, a very serious earthquake
as well as the effects of the tsunamis generated.
• The effects are likely to be most severe and apparent for
island economies and countries/cities dependent on the sea
and near the epicenter of the earthquake (Banda Aceh,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Maldives).
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• For the many indigenous fishermen who have no other skills,
can no longer depend on fishing as a means of survival for
the time being.
• The fish stock has been depleted, as would the fishermen's
money. Also, the many of the fishermen's families would
have lost their sole breadwinners, together with the fishing
boats and equipment, adding on to their already heightening
problems.
• The tsunamis that affected the coast of Thailand, Indonesia
and the Maldives has destroyed much of the marine biology
there, also damaging the ecosystem severely.
• Even if the fish had detected the incoming tsunami, they
would most probably still have gotten caught up in it, due to
its immense energy.
• Any fish trying to swim away from it would also have ended
up on the shores,after being swept ashore.
• Also, the arrival of a tsunami is marked by a huge receding
wave, which would have left fish flopping on the seabed.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• Millions of fish were swept ashore by the huge waves, and
many more will continue to die, being unable to survive in
the severely damaged habitat left in the wake of the tsunami.
• The marine ecosystem is hence likely to have been affected
badly, with the predators up the food chain, such as dolphins
and sharks, dying out due to the lack of food. Many species
will not be able to adapt to the sudden change in their
lifestyle and will inevitably die.
• In addition, even if there were fish to be caught, there would
be a substantial number of people in the region who refuse
to consume marine products such as fish and shellfish, for
fear that they could be eating the remains of the victims of
the tsunami.
• Getting them to consume seafood again would be no easy
feat. All these serve to deal the already battered fishing
industry another devastating blow.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• Fish is also a popular food in these countries due to the
affected countries being surrounded by water, and the
sudden lack of fish and its important nutrients may pose a
problem for the people used to having fish at every other
meal.
• Seafood farms in countries such as Thailand would also
have been damaged, with their owners suffering enormous
losses.
• Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan
Egeland said that relief supplies could be moved to tsunamihit regions in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, but ninety percent
of the problem remains in Indonesian archipelago.
• He estimated that there are currently over 1.8 million people
in tsunami-stricken countries in need of food aid around 1
million in Indonesia, and around 700,000 in Sri Lanka, with
the remainder in the Maldives and Somalia.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• ABC News has reported that heavy rains and fresh floods
had disrupted relief efforts in Asia's tsunami-hit countries
villages as the United Nations refugee agency started a 400
ton airlift as part of a $2 billion relief operation to save the
millions who had survived but were struggling to survive.
• Tropical rainstorms in Aceh province of Indonesia and
flooding along Sri Lanka's low-lying coast also hampered
aid deliveries.
• The damage to human and animal life was also tremendous,
leaving an estimated 150,000 people dead in Indonesia alone.
The latest total death toll is expected to be over 225,000, one
of the largest dealt by a tsunami in history.
• When the sheer force of a incoming tsunami obliterates
everything in its path, it also clears away roads and railways,
hampering rescue efforts.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• In addition, the torrential water deluging entire hectares
prevent helicopters from landing. Most of the affected
villages were situated in isolated areas and are extremely
hard to get to.
• Furthermore, the huge mass of water also broke sewage and
water pipes, contaminating water and food sources.
• Subsequently, diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery
and dengue then become more rampant.
• The rotting corpses left behind by the tsunami also helped to
spread diseases to the survivors.
• Crops, settlements, wildlife, properties were severely
destroyed, with power and communications disrupted,
adding on to the daunting task of rescue work.
• People clung on to trees for their dear life; some were
rescued, but some were also swept away, right in front of
their relatives and family members.
• The emotional and mental trauma would remain in all those
affected for years, even if they had escaped a watery grave.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• Skipping to the damage to the economy, the tsunamis of SE
Asia have dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry in the
region.
• The huge losses of life suffered by Thailand and the
Maldives, which were once extremely popular tourist
destinations, only proved that safety measures in the above
countries had been taken lightly and were inadequate.
• As such, potential tourists would have lost a sense of
security in visiting these countries.
• People would also refrain from visiting the countries for fear
of being affected by similar incidences due to this lack of
protection.
• Furthermore, few people would want to visit a site ravaged
by the forces of nature, where countless died, for the time
being, either out of respect for the dead or due to its pure
eeriness itself.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• The governments of the affected countries would hence lose
massive amounts of money which could have been
otherwise used for improving the general standard of living
of the people.
• The impact of the tsunami on the Maldives and Phuket is
expected to set the growth rate back for at least two years. It
would take half to two years to rebuild the devastated
stretches of beaches, which were once tourist havens, and
probably even longer to attract back the tourists.
• Countries which would be affected most severely would be
Thailand and the Maldives, both of which are still in the
developing stage and need large amounts of resources and
finances to provide for an ever-growing population. This is
especially for the Maldives, which relies mainly on tourism
revenues to feed its people, and would pose a formidable
problem.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• Now, not only do all the above countries stop getting
tourism revenue, they also have to fork out money and
divert government spending to rebuild the resorts and hotels
which were destroyed during the tsunami, which would be
extremely detrimental to those who lost a lot of assets during
the disaster. Somalia, a country in Africa, would also be
badly affected due to the extreme poverty and lack of
government.
• To quote another example, Banda Aceh was arguably the
place which suffered the most losses during the entire event.
Their road to recovery would be arduous, as the area itself is
in political turmoil, with the tsunami exacerbating the
numerous problems it was already facing.
• The greatest challenge in the long term however, for all
countries, will be in making sure that the poor, especially
those who fish for a living, those who are on the margins of
the tourist economy and in remoter areas are helped to
recover.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• On to secondary impacts, they depend very much on the
structure of economies and on their tenacity.
• The effects are much worse when many other sectors
depend a lot on the affected sector or if there is a huge
impact on the government expenditure.
• Generally, the more developed economies are more resilient
than those economies which are less developed.
• Surprisingly, the large scale economic effects of such natural
disasters are mostly quite short-lived.
• It has been proven unusual to find large drops in national
income or dips in the annual growth rate from these
catastrophes.
• Sometimes, natural disasters can also have a positive effect,
because of increased spending on the rebuilding of
infrastructure and more concerns over safety matters.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Undesirable Effects
• The refugee camps housing the internally displaced people
also had squalid conditions, unfit for living in.
• Hence many wounds were only hastily treated as there was a
shortage of manpower.
• Luckily for the injured, many volunteers from over 10
countries joined in the relief efforts to provide adequate
healthcare services for them.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Effects
Environmental Consequences
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Environmental Consequences
• Precious coral reefs and mangrove areas would have been
crushed by the huge tsunami waves that have devastated
southern Asia, an environmental and economic setback that
could take years to reverse.
• The reefs around Sri Lanka and Phuket have been severely
damaged due to then bearing the brunt of the forceful walls
of water.
• When the waves get close to shore, their height is amplified
and they release all their energy, decimating everything in
their paths.
• The atolls of the alluring Maldives and the southern Thai
islands (including Mangrove areas that act as nursery
habitats to fish and shrimp) were also destroyed by the
strong waves.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)
Environmental Consequences
• According to scientists, reef-forming coral grows only about
½ cm, or 1/5 inch a year, thus for the seaside resorts on the
numerous affected islands to regain their previous splendor
could take several years to a decade.
• The worst marine damage was likely to have been
concentrated 100m to 1km from shore.
• Fortunately, large sea mammals such as whales and dolphins
probably suffered little impact.
• According to Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organization, dolphins can feel
disturbances happening in the water and would have most
likely headed for deep water where they would be safe.
• Also, they mostly inhabit the areas far offshore, where the
tsunami has the least damaging capacity.
ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 – May 05)