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from ISLAND-AID in West Sumatra
by malkie on Sunday, February 6
@ 10:37 AM
These images capture glimpses that help understand the scale of the tsunami. In some areas a 15-20m high freight train consisting of debris, petrochemicals and hot water, scorched the landscape leaving behind an eerie scene reminiscent of the damage caused by WW2 atomic blasts.
A new reinforced concrete mosque lies folded flat. Perhapse the force of the wave was broken by the structure saving the clump of coconut trees behind it. The main road now lies 100m out to sea in front of this structure.
20km North of MEULABOH two roads were once lined with houses and shops. Faint scars show the foundations of buildings and the pattern of rice paddies lie below. The main coast road has disappeared entirely.
A road to nowhere.... this side road services a population of over 15,000 inland from PATEK. This was the only link to the outside world and it will not be reopened for a long time. The community lost about 45% of its population and more than 75% of its villages. 45% of those lost were fishermen and their families.
Along the coast North of MEULABOH the wave raced over rice paddies and flat land up to 4km inland taking every building and living thing with it.
A crumpled bridge has been tossed aside by the tsunamis. More than 120 major bridges have been destroyed and 384km of roads have disappeared.
The coastline has dropped 1-1.5m and large areas will never be productive again.
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