English Assignment

Tsunami in Aceh

Tsunami occurred in Aceh and great earthquakeat 6:58 a.m. On Sunday, 26 December 2004. The event was located off the West of North Sumatra. This is the fourth largest earthquake in the world since 1900. The earthquake had a depth of 10 km.

The earthquake affected several countries throughout South and Southeast Asia. The tsunami crossed into the Pacific Ocean and was recorded along the west coast of South and North America.

The earthquake was felt at Banda Aceh and at Medan, Sumatra. By 30 December 2004 the death toll from the Asian tsunami disaster had risen to over 100,000 people, and by 05 January 2005 the number approached 150,000.

The earthquake was followed by at least eight severe aftershocks. The aftershocks took place in three phases, starting in the south and moving north along a 750-mile line. Aftershocks were distributed along much of the shallow plate interface and primarily extended northwards of the epicenter to the Andaman Islands.

A locally generated tsunami may reach a nearby shore in less than ten minutes. There is not sufficient time for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center or for local authorities to issue a warning. For people living near the coast, the shaking of the ground is a warning that a tsunami may be imminent. To reduce mortality and morbidity, rapid disaster relief organisations should include supplies for vaccination and treatment of tetanus cases and consider early tracheotomy for severe cases. This conclusion was obtained by two geological study results published in the latest issue of Nature. The research team that, in the journal Nature, said that the 2004 tsunami claimed in 14 countries. In Aceh and northern Sumatra, the waves that came as high as more than 30 meters.