THAILAND WARNT VOR TSUNAMIGEFAHR... DREI MONATE ZU SPÄT (!)

Thailand urges evacuation after tsunami warning

Posted Mon 28 Mar 2005 at 10:07pmMonday 28 Mar 2005 at 10:07pm, updated Mon 28 Mar 2005 at 10:08pmMonday 28 Mar 2005 at 10:08pm

Coastal residents in southern Thailand were urged to evacuate as authorities issued a tsunami warning after a powerful quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

"The earthquake is strong enough to issue the warning for people to evacuate as a prevention, particularly in the area affected by the tsunami last time," Chalermchai Akekantrong, deputy director general of the meteorological department, told Thai television.

People at the famous Patong beach on the tourist island of Phuket were already headed toward higher ground, television reports said.

The warning came around one hour after a powerful quake measuring up to 8.2 on the Richter scale hit off the coast of the Indonesia island of Sumatra.

"The earthquake's epicentre was close to the epicentre of the last one. It is possible that the tsunami might happen, so the warning has been issued for six provinces in the south to be careful of the possibility of a tsunami," Kraisorn Pornsutee, permanent secretary for Thailand's ministry of information and communication technology (ICT), told Thai television.

A powerful earthquake on December 26 off the coast of Sumatra caused the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 5,395 people, roughly half of them believed to be foreign holidaymakers, in Thailand.

The unprecedented warning was issued for the provinces of Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun and Trang, the officials said.

"Provinces must coordinate with each other and send authorities to high-risk areas, because the televised warning may not be enough to alert residents due to the late hour," ICT minister Suwit Khunkitti told Thai television.

"If people see the water level drop quickly, they should head to higher ground as soon as possible," former meteorology department director general Samit Thamasaroj told Thai television.

- AFP

Posted 28 Mar 200528 Mar 2005, updated 28 Mar 2005

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-03-29/thailand-urges-evacuation-after-tsunami-warning/1540950