Swift reaction in Lanka to tsunami warning

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: Thousands of panic stricken people along the coastal lines in the East, South and West of the country who left their homes for places of safety in fear of Tsunami waves began returning to their homes after the National Disaster Management Centre lifted the Tsunami warning around 8 pm.

Thousands of people in the low lying areas along the coast in the North, East, South and West were asked to move to safer places after the Pacific Tsunami Centre issued a Tsunami warning around 5 pm yesterday after a powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter Scale hit Indonesia’s Sumatra region.

The earthquake was reported about 4.40 pm and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a Tsunami warning to all the countries in the Indian Ocean basin. A massive traffic flow was reported along the coastal areas as thousands of people returning home after work panicked as the news hit the streets.

Vehicles which were plying on the Galle Road and other coastal routes were diverted to inland routes after the Tsunami warning was issued considering the safety of the people.

A Spokesman for the Train Control Room said they suspended the train services on the coastal line from 6.30 pm to 8.30 p.m. Two trains were cancelled due to this situation and trains which were operating on the line were halted at safety places.

“Train services returned to normal by 8.30 p.m after the warning was lifted”, the spokesman added.

The warning issued by the Disaster Management Centre too reached the North and the East on time with the Police and Security Forces advising the people to move to safer places.

Sources from the North and East too said that people began to return to their homes after the Tsunami warning was lifted around 8.30 p.m.

The fishermen put their boats to sea from the fisher harbours once they were alerted about the Tsunami warning.

“The sea was illuminated with the lights of hundreds of boats launched from fishing harbours after the Tsunami warning was issued”, Mohammed Marikkar from Aluthgama told the Daily News.

People in Matara and Galle too moved to safer places at higher elevations after they got the Tsunami warning.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, Tsunami waves were due to hit the Sri Lankan coast of Dondra at 8.17 p.m., Trincomalee at 8.30 p.m., Colombo at 8.45 p.m. and Jaffna at 9.55 p.m.

Authorities from Malaysia and India for the Andaman and Nicobar islands and Australia for the Christmas and Cocos Islands issued Tsunami warnings after a powerful earthquake was reported from Indonesia.

According to reports huge waves, measuring 1 to 3 metres in height were reported from Padang in Indonesia but were not destructive.

All Indian Ocean nations lifted the Tsunami warning around 8.30 p.m as no huge waves were experienced during this period.