1 Hour Before Disaster: Thailands Government Got Aware of Tsunami Danger !

by Erich 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Erich

  Raw Story acquires Nation tsunami article

  The following article appeared in the Thai daily The Nation under Pravit Rojanaphruk?s byline Dec. 28 and was acquired by a RAW STORY correspondent. The article was referenced in the Washington Post and the Swedish newspaper Expressen .

  see http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=519

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  Our Thai correspondent says the talk about town in

  Minutes after the earthquake hit northern at 7:58am on Sunday, officials of the meteorological department, who were at a seminar in Cha-am, convened an emergency meeting chaired by Supharek Tansrit-tanawaong, director general.

  They had just learned that the office had reported an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale, which was much lower than the level officially recorded later.

  ?We didn?t think there would be subsequent seismic waves, because a similar quake of 7.6 on the Richter scale, which hit Sumatra on November 2, 2002, did not affect ,? said a member of the department who asked not to be named.

  Moreover, the quake this time hit west of and officials thought the island might offer a natural shelter, preventing any waves from breaking towards Phuket and its vicinity, he said.

  With slightly less than one hour before the waves came ashore, Supharek said, the department officials did not expect a tsunami. There are just four people on the department?s 900-person staff who were earthquake experts, he said. Also a tsunami had not hit in more than 300 years.

  But sources said they did discuss the likelihood that a tsunami could hit ?s coastal towns. This was also played down.

  ?The very important factor in making the decision was that it?s high [tourist] season and hotel rooms were nearly 100-per-cent full. If we issued a warning, which would have led to an evacuation, [and if nothing happened], what would happen then? Business would be instantly affected. It would be beyond the Meterological Department?s ability to handle. We could go under if [the tsunami] didn?t come,? said a source who attended the meeting.

  ?We hesitated for a while whether we should issue a warning or not. It was discussed but we didn?t have a chance to do it.?

  Supharerk denied that tourism factored into the discussion at the 11th hour. ?I think we have done our best,? he said.
• 

  Dansk

  “The very important factor in making the decision was that it’s high [tourist] season and hotel rooms were nearly 100-per-cent full. If we issued a warning, which would have led to an evacuation, [and if nothing happened], what would happen then? Business would be instantly affected. It would be beyond the Meterological Department’s ability to handle. We could go under if [the tsunami] didn’t come,” said a source who attended the meeting.

  But something DID happen! Surely it should have been a case of better to be safe than sorry! Typically, profit always takes precedence over lives. And as for a business going under - one can always be started up again. Life can't!

  Ian
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  Gill

  One hour is nothing.

  The only thing that could have been achieved in one hour was mass panic.

  Sometimes, there's nothing you can do.
• 

  Erich

  Gill:

  Incredible nonsense (sorry). 1 hour is too short time? Always better a mass-panic instead of thousands of dead people.

  E.
• 

  stillajwexelder

  RAF Fylingdales in the North Yorkshire Moors was built with American money to give 4 minutes warning of an impending ballistic missile attack by the Russians. The point I am making is 1 hour is eternity in situations like this and would should have saved lives.
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  Gill

  I agree with all your points. No need to apologize Erich. But look at it like this.

  TV announcer 'We believe a huge wave is coming. Please evacuate the coastal region.'

  Tv watcher 1. 'Right. Must pack. Get my passport. Find my husband/wife/children/relatives.... oh my God!' PANIC

  TV Watcher 2. 'Yeah, yeah....another drink please.'

  Out in the streets, people running screaming, fighting. Where to go? Where to go?

  Did they have much of a chance in the first place?

  Before you know it and hour is gone.
• 

  Dansk

  But Gill,

  Some would have got away! If it were my child or my wife who got away I'd be eternally grateful for the one hour warning! Of course many would still have perished, but potentially many could have been saved. It was well worth the announcement!

  Ian
• 

  Gill

  You can't be sure of that, but your point is taken.

  When people start to panic, all kinds of incredibly irrational things begin to happen.

  What if the tidal wave swept some people in land and they hung on to something and survived.

  In another scenario, that same person may have been crushed to death in a stampeed. There is no parallel universe in which to compare and decide which is the best outcome.

  A man dies suddenly of a heart attack. He has a 'medically classified' quality death.

  A man dies is pain and fear and terrible anxiety. He's had time to think and FEAR what might happen to him.

  I'd chose the heart attack myself.

  Panic is the most terrible, fearsome thing that can happen to a person. FEAR that is overwhelming and incapacitating is not something to be wished on anyone. FEAR for you children is unbearable and for your loved ones not something to be wished on anyone.

  In numbers saved, I don't believe it would have made too much difference and in saying that I'm not implying that a single life saved is futile.

  In the end, what happened is what happened. Maybe some lessons can be learned but I firmly believe that an hour is NOT enough to significantly change anything simply because of PANIC.

  It would have been more than enough if everyone filed in a neat orderly manner away from the coast. But where would you have had them go in the Maldives?

  There are things that you see happening that you cannot change no matter what you do. If only this and if only that is only a form of denial. This terrible catastrophe happened. We cannot change it. Denial and 'if only' comes with all grief situations. That's something all caring people are doing now, grieving.
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  Brummie

  I think they should have caused a 1 hour panic and have hoped for the best for all who were walking innocently and unsuspectingly on that beach. The helpless panic that came one hour later testifies to the truthfulness of this.

  Brummie
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  stopthepain

  In this case an hour is alot of time.the wave only got so far inland.I gurantee if you jogged for an hour away from the ocean ,you would have survived.Im not saying thier would have been no casualties,but any able bodied smart people would have left the area by foot.