Phuket - tsunami (2004): history and consequences

Tsunamis are giant and long oceanic waves that occur as a result of an underwater volcanic eruption or earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7 points. During the underwater earthquake, the parts of the ocean floor shift, which forms a series of destructive waves. Their speed can reach 1000 km / h, and height - up to 50 m and above. About 80% of the tsunami occurs in the Pacific Ocean.

Tsunami in Thailand (2004), Phuket

December 26, 2004 - this day went down in history as a day of a tragedy of giant proportions, which took a huge number of lives. At this time, a tsunami occurred in Phuket (2004). Patong, Karon, other beaches suffered the most. At 07:58 local time on the bottom of the Indian Ocean near the island of Simeleu there arose a powerful earthquake measuring up to 9.3 points. It caused a large series of giant waves that people around the world still remember with fear and regret. Water killers in a few hours have killed about 300 thousand people and caused terrible destruction on the shores of Asia.

Thailand was one of the states that suffered huge losses from the onslaught of the tsunami. The catastrophe hit the western part of the coast. In 2004, the tsunami on the beaches of Phuket destroyed completely the infrastructure: hotels, clubs, bars. These were the most famous holiday destinations among tourists around the world - Karon, Patong, Kamala, Kata. According to general estimates, several hundred people died.

The history of the beginning of the great catastrophe

It was the usual morning, when many were still in bed, but some already rested on the beach. At the bottom of the ocean there were powerful tremors that led to the displacement of water. Underground strikes were absolutely insensible, and so no one even suspected of the beginning of the catastrophe. At a speed of 1000 km / h, the waves rushed to the shores of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Somalia. This was the beginning of the tsunami in Phuket (2004). Karon Beach was among the places that suffered the most.

On approaching the land, the height of the water flow in some places was about 40 meters. Tsunami in Phuket in 2004 had a very powerful destructive force, even exceeding the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

About an hour after the underwater earthquake and on land, strange phenomena began to occur: somewhere 1.5 km off the shore, the surf noisy, the animals and birds began to run away in fear of going to the mountains. People did not immediately understand the whole point of danger and collected seashells from the shallow ocean floor. Since the wave-killer 15 meters high did not have a white crest, it was not immediately noticed from the shore. When the tsunami in Phuket (2004) came to the beach, it was already too late to be saved. With incredible speed, the waves crashed everything in their path. Their destructive power allowed them to penetrate two kilometers deep into the land.

When the wave stopped, the water rushed back very quickly. The big danger was not the water itself, but the debris, trees, cars, concrete, armature, billboards - everything that threatened to deprive a person of life.

Characteristics of the 2004 tsunami in Phuket

The site of the accident is the western extremity of the Pacific earthquake belt, where approximately 80% of the world's largest tremors occurred. There was a shift of the Indian plate to Burmansk, where the length of the fault was about 1200 kilometers. The catastrophe was incredibly large, as the Indian plate on the ocean floor was shared with the territory of Australia, and Burmese is considered part of the Eurasian. The fault of the plates was divided into two phases with a break in a few minutes. The speed of the interaction was two kilometers per second, a fault in the direction of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Such a devastating tsunami in Phuket was not eighty years old. Scientists say that centuries must pass before the joined plates begin to move again. According to the seismologists, the tsunami in Phuket (2004) gained strength, which was equal to the energy of five megatons in TNT equivalent.

Consequences of the tragedy

The consequences of the disaster were just awful. Phuket after the tsunami (2004) is an awesome picture. The cars were in the hotel lobby, the boat was on the roof of the house, and the tree was in the pool. That's what the water has done. The buildings that stood on the coast were completely destroyed. Thailand's paradise - Phuket - tsunami (2004), a photo of which can be seen in the article, turned into hell. From the wreckage of furniture, houses and cars were seen the bodies of dead people and animals. The survivors were in such a state of shock that they could not leave the place of the tragedy. The tsunami in Thailand in 2004 (Phuket) was not a one-time event: the wave returned twice and took 8,500 people with itself. One of the elite islands of Phi Phi completely gone under water. A large number of victims are children.

Elimination of consequences of the disaster

Immediately after the departure of water, rescuers began to take measures to eliminate the consequences. Military and police were quickly mobilized, camps for the victims were established. Since there is a very hot climate on the island, the risk of infectious contamination of water and air grew with each passing hour. Therefore, it was necessary to find all the dead, if possible, identify and bury. Mobilized groups worked for days without rest. Most countries of the world did not remain indifferent and sent out human and material resources to help Thai residents.

The approximate number of deaths in Phuket during the 2004 tsunami was 8,500 people, of whom 5,400 were foreign nationals from more than forty countries. This was the most deadly tsunami of all known.

Conclusions of scientists and specialists

After the disaster, it was necessary to analyze the sources of the tragedy and take security measures. The Thai authorities have joined the international program of tracking phenomena in the ocean depths. The system of alerting residents in case of danger was created, training was conducted on the rules of behavior during the siren signal. The target group of such measures were not only local residents, but also tourists.

Enormous efforts were made to renew the infrastructure of the social sphere and tourism. On the island were built buildings of strong reinforced concrete, where the walls were erected parallel or at an oblique angle to the anticipated tsunami movement.

Years after the tragedy

Today, thirteen years have passed since the tragedy, which claimed approximately three hundred thousand lives, left pain and suffering in the hearts of people around the world. During this time, Thailand was able to completely restore the affected areas. A year after the tragedy, residents who lost their homes overhead were provided with new housing. The buildings were built of materials that, in case of danger, could withstand natural disasters.

Today, tourists almost forgot the tragedy and with even greater enthusiasm go to rest on the shores of the kingdom. After the tsunami in Phuket (2004) Karon beach, Patong and all other popular places became even more beautiful. The best buildings and structures were built. And only warning signs of danger return people at that time of natural disaster.

Russians who survived the tsunami

Phuket in 2004, Patong and other tourist beaches are holiday destinations and many Russian tourists. In the Russian embassy in the city of Bangkok after the tragedy, an emergency staff worked around the clock. The headquarters received about 2,000 telephone calls per day. In the first list there were about 1 thousand 500 Russians who may have been on the island during the disaster.

Before January 6, everyone was on the list. From the very first day of the tragedy, all the victims were helped by volunteers - Russians living in Thailand, as well as employees of travel agencies. Gradually there were survivors, in parallel the list for evacuation on flight of the Ministry of Emergency Measures of Russia was made. In this way, it turned out to send home about eighty Russians and citizens of neighboring countries.

A list of missing persons was also compiled. On January 8, the list was completed, the search continued. For about a year, the identification of the dead was carried out. Later, people began to be considered not lost, but dead.

Can I come to Thailand after a worldwide catastrophe?

After the disaster , Thai authorities and US scientists have established the world's largest deep-sea system for early detection of the tsunami. A warning about an impending disaster occurs a few hours before the disaster begins. Also after the tragedy, a system of evacuating people away from the giant waves was worked out. Even on such a small island as Phi Phi, it is possible to evacuate mountains.

The system, which in advance beats alarm, was tried on April 11, 2012, when the tsunami again happened (all were evacuated, this tragedy did not bring such terrible consequences as in 2004). In addition, scientists predict that until the next disaster should pass dozens of years.

Those who are still afraid to rest near the sea, experienced travelers are advised to go to the north of the country, where the most terrible thing that can happen is the way out of the banks of the rivers Chao Pray or Mekong. It's pretty unpleasant, but not deadly.

What should you do if a tsunami happens?

The first sign of the approach of giant waves is an earthquake. To date, the security system in Thailand, having discovered changes in the depths of the ocean, will signal a danger. Under no circumstances can one ignore the sudden outflow of water. In this situation, you need to act very quickly.

If there is a shock or there will be a warning about the approaching tsunami, it is necessary:

• Collect all the valuable things, warn as many people as possible about the danger, hastily leave the territory;
• Hide from the giant waves in the mountains or areas far from the shore;
• Pay attention to the signs showing the shortest path to the hill;
• The first wave can be small, therefore in a safe place it is necessary to stay for about two hours, until a complete calm.

After the devastating tsunami of 2004, the government revised the security system, and today the risk of hazardous phenomena is reduced.