Asian Tsunami Disaster

December 26 Sunday was Pournami - a full moon day - and considered an auspicious day”¦ a day for taking a holy dip in the sea and praying to the Sun God. About 300 people were reported to be on the Manginapudi beach in the early morning. Many had come from Machilipatnam, Vijayawada and other places”¦ About a 100 fishermen had put out to sea in their small rafts. Those who had returned from a night of fishing were on the shore taking in their catch and drying out their nets”¦

The beach suddenly turned into a graveyard with the a huge tidal wave sweeping people deep into the sea. No one knows how many people perished in the disaster. At the end of the day 26 bodies were recovered and identified. Eyewitnesses spoke about a Truck with some 100 local people which was found afloat”¦.it seems that 50 of them are still missing. There are tragic newspaper reports. A family of 20 lost 7 of its members, all women and children”¦.. A muslim boy, Shaik Subhani, was wailing on the beach. His mother, two sisters and his uncle were washed away. (His father had died a few years ago)”¦!!! The death toll will certainly be in hundreds”¦! The fishermen's huts on the beach of Mangnapudi have all been destroyed and the survivors are taking shelter in the Care & Share Gioia School. It is a similar situation along the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Places like Peddapatnam (List 2), Machilipatnam (List 11), Bantumilli (List 53)”¦ have been affected with the sea water rushing inland. People are scattered and there is lots of confusion : for sure huts and paddy crops has been destroyed. The people of Peddapatnam island have been evacuated to Machilipatnam town and have been sheltered in a Government college building”¦ Over the next days and weeks we will have to take care of the displaced families: feed them, rebuild their huts and houses and provide them with the basic necessities. There will also be a need for medicines, de-salinating the fields and drinking water wells and providing for sanitation”¦.

If you wish to contribute to this cause, please send your contributions to: Care & Share Charitable Trust Account No: 151555 Indian Overseas Bank Branch Code No: 1067 Ring Road Branch Vijayawada - 520008 Andhra Pradesh, India Swift Code No: IOBAINBB028

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