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01.10.09 Three disasters in 48 hours
Typhoon Ketsana, a tsunami and a major
earthquake have wreaked havoc across the Asia-Pacific region as Samoa,
Sumatra and Thailand bear the brunt of nature’s fury.
In Thailand, Typhoon Ketsana lashed Ubon Ratchathani Wednesday,
dumping heavy rain and causing widespread damage to several areas. No
casualties were reported.
Ketsana, which has been downgraded to a depression, was centred in Ubon’s Muang district about 10am.
The
Meteorological Department was expecting Ketsana to weaken as it moved
further inland over Si Sa Ket, Surin, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima
provinces later Wednesday.
Ubon Ratchathani bore the brunt as
the depression damaged more than 23,000 rai of farmland, 250 local
roads, nine bridges and a school, provincial disaster prevention and
mitigation office head Borpit Panpinit said.
In Chon Buri, monstrous waves believed to be caused by the storm sank tourist ferries in Pattaya. No casualties were reported.
Meanwhile,
a tsunami warning was lifted in six Andaman provinces last night after
the Indonesian island of Sumatra was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.9
on the Richter scale. News of the powerful quake, which killed 21 and
left thousands trapped under rubble, triggered a tsunami warning in
Phangnga, Krabi, Phuket, Ranong, Trang and Satun. Authorities at 8pm
declared there was no threat.
The aftershock was not severe
enough to set off a tsunami, Meteorological Department forecast centre
head Burin Wetbantoeng said. Many villagers in Ban Nam Kem and Khao Lak
in Phangnga’s Takua Pa district ran for safety after hearing of a
possible tsunami.
In Pattani, on the Gulf of Thailand coast, people were alarmed by a sudden drop in sea level near Ban Laem Nok.
Mineral
Resources Department spokesman Adichart Surinkam said Ketsana, not the
tsunami, had caused the unusual coastal conditions.
There was
also a tsunami alert triggered by an earthquake measuring 8 on the
Richter scale in the Pacific Ocean which caused the tsunami which
struck Samoa and American Samoa Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the
government is sending 100,000 aid packages to Manila, which is facing a
humanitarian crisis after Typhoon Ketsana killed hundreds and displaced
hundreds of thousands more. Source: Bangkok Post, 01.10.09 http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/155740/three-disasters-in-48-hours
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