As of this afternoon, the death-toll from the tsunami in Southern Asia has hit 22,000. One regional blogger has reported that "a majority of the deceased from the mainland were local fisherman who had gone out in the sea, to net their nightly catch. Photo blogs of the disaster can be found here here, in addition to a plethora of personal blogs here, here, and here.

Arthur C. Clarke, a resident of Sri Lanka, has posted on his website that he is well and his family is safe.

But many others were not so fortunate. For hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans and an unknown number of foreign tourists, the day after Christmas turned out to be a living nightmare reminiscent of The Day After Tomorrow.

Among those affected are my staff based at our diving station in Hikkaduwa and holiday bungalow in Kahawa both beachfront properties located in areas worst hit. We still dont know the fully extent of damage as both roads and phones have been damaged. Early reports indicate that we have lost most of our diving equipment and boats. Not all our staff members are accounted for yet.

International Red Cross puts the death toll at 23,700 with many more deaths to come from waterborne diseases.

Amateur videotape played on television showed terrifying scenes of huge walls of water crashing through palm trees and over the tops of buildings and roaring up coastal streets with cars and debris bobbing on the surface.

To backdrops of screams and shouts, people were shown clinging to buildings, being swept away by the current, running for their lives, weeping, carrying the wounded and cradling dead children.

As the water receded, almost as quickly as it had arrived, bodies were seen in the braches of trees and broken cars and houses littered the shores as if a tornado had struck. Some of the bodies and debris were sucked back out to sea.

There were fears of thousands more deaths on India's Andaman and Nicobar islands, which are also close to the epicenter and where most communications have been cut off. According to one report, at least 3,000 people may have died there, including scores of members of the military and their families.

People are reporting that entire villages in Somalia have simply disappeared.

Secretary of State Powell has said that "King Bhumibol of Thailand had lost his grandson, Khun Bhumi Jensen, who was the son of Princess Ubolratana." to the tsunami.

More to come...

[Hat tips: BoingBoing, NYTimes]

Snottlebocket

Netherlands

March 2004

DEC 27, 2004 02:57 PM

those phuket photo's look like a paradise if you think the destruction away, it's beyond emotional comprehension that over 23.000 people died there so quickly.

katiebarthedoor

Louisville, KY

December 2004

DEC 27, 2004 03:04 PM

its been on the news here consistently. last sount here was 21,000.
i just cant get my head around 20,000+ human lives being snuffed out.

Minerva

HOPEFUL

Annapolis, MD

DEC 27, 2004 03:08 PM

everytime i hear about this it makes me feel ill. soon as my paycheck clears i'm donating to the red cross. i can't even imagine how horrible it must be over there.

pavlovsdog

Asheville, NC

May 2004

DEC 27, 2004 03:15 PM

This is absolutely horrendous. Bigger than anything in the last fourty years, but our media only gives it as a small blurb between segments. Awful.

mqx

Seattle, WA

January 2003

DEC 27, 2004 03:49 PM

pavlovsdog said:
This is absolutely horrendous. Bigger than anything in the last fourty years, but our media only gives it as a small blurb between segments. Awful.

Also, CNN and others like to concentrate on the tiny handful of Americans killed... I guess so their readers have someone to "identify" with.

We probably won't even hear about the related disease and poverty conditions that will spring up from the millions of homeless. So sad.

pandamonium

Woodstock, GA

April 2004

DEC 27, 2004 05:14 PM

a dear friend of mine was supposed to move back to Malaysia a couple of years ago.

i'm extremely worried

thelastbeliever

United Kingdom

January 2004

DEC 27, 2004 05:19 PM

That is just beyond fucking words. I have no idea what to say.

Beatnik

Venice, CA

August 2003

DEC 27, 2004 05:28 PM

this is like the wrath of god..... events that inspire history books, documentaries, and motion pictures.

they are all in my prayers

DeadBilly

Burnt Cabins, PA

February 2004

DEC 27, 2004 07:00 PM

I've been bothered by this story since it first broke. Living in a small town, I keep thinking that 23,700 would be almost half the population gone. And they still haven't got through counting the bodies.

My prayers, for comfort and healing, go out to everybody affected by this tragedy.

dirtyground

Chicago, IL

August 2003

DEC 27, 2004 07:18 PM

im so suprised this isnt getting as much coverage as 9/11.

just because this happened to another country doesnt mean its any less important.

acetracer

Hollywood, FL

January 2004

DEC 27, 2004 07:32 PM

Hepburn said:
im so suprised this isnt getting as much coverage as 9/11.

just because this happened to another country doesnt mean its any less important.

This isn't unusual. In 1998 Hurricane Mitch killed 11,000 people in Central America, most people don't even remember it. Just this year over 3000 people died in Haiti due to Hurricane Jeanne, nary a peep.

Felidae

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

DEC 27, 2004 08:23 PM

*tuts* This is what happens when you don't have decent plumbing.

BOARDS:

TOPICS:

Portland, OR

November 2002

DEC 27, 2004 02:47 PM

Netherlands

March 2004

DEC 27, 2004 02:57 PM

Louisville, KY

December 2004

DEC 27, 2004 03:04 PM

HOPEFUL

Annapolis, MD

DEC 27, 2004 03:08 PM

Asheville, NC

May 2004

DEC 27, 2004 03:15 PM

Seattle, WA

January 2003

DEC 27, 2004 03:49 PM

Woodstock, GA

April 2004

DEC 27, 2004 05:14 PM

United Kingdom

January 2004

DEC 27, 2004 05:19 PM

Venice, CA

August 2003

DEC 27, 2004 05:28 PM

DeadBilly

Burnt Cabins, PA

February 2004

DEC 27, 2004 07:00 PM

dirtyground

Chicago, IL

August 2003

DEC 27, 2004 07:18 PM

acetracer

Hollywood, FL

January 2004

DEC 27, 2004 07:32 PM

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

DEC 27, 2004 08:23 PM