Powerful Earthquake Hits Japan

Tsunami Alert for New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and others. Waves expected over the next few hours, caused by 8.9 earthquake in Japan.

Malaysian Meteorological Department expects high rise on West Sabah and Labuan coastal water between 6 pm till 12 am.

may Allah bless everyone affected by the earthquake & tsunami. Insya-Allah!

Tsunami, not easily detected

Tsunami (pronounced soo-nah-mee) comes from the Japanese words ‘tsu’ (harbour) and ‘nami’ (wave).

It is usually caused by underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occurring less than 50 km beneath the sea floor, with a magnitude higher than 6.5 on the Richter scale.

Once a tsunami is generated, its energy is distributed through-out the water column, regardless of the ocean's depth.

A tsunami is made up of a series of very long waves. The waves travel outward from the source area, like the ripples caused by throwing a rock into a pond.

The deeper the water, the greater the speed of tsunami waves.

In the ocean, tsunami wave amplitude is usually less than one metre.

The indication of tsunami waves may be more than a hundred km away.

Therefore, passengers on boats will not feel or see the tsunami waves as they pass by underneath at high speeds.

For the same reason, tsunami waves cannot be seen or detected from the air.

Tsunami may reach a nearby shore in less than 10 minutes and there is not sufficient time for the local authorities to issue a warning. For people living near the coast, the shaking of the ground is a warning that a tsunami may be coming.

Worst Earthquakes since 1970

The huge earthquake yesterday off Indonesia, with a magnitude of 8.9 on the open Richter scale according to the US Geological Survey, is among the deadliest in recent years.

* Jan 5, 1970 - China - 15,621 killed in Yunnan in the southwest. Magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale.

* May 11, 1974 - China - At least 1O,000 killed in the southwestern Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Magnitude 7.1.

* December 1974 - Pakistan - More than 5,000 killed in the north.

* Feb 4, 1975 - China - At least 1,300 killed in Liaoning in the northeast. The town of Haicheng is evacuated in time. Magnitude 7.3.

* Aug 17, 1976 - Philippines - 3,700 killed when tsunami slams into southwest coast of Mindanao after a quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale.

* July 28, 1976 - China - The industrial town of Tangshan, 200km east of Beijing, was wiped off the map. Beijing releases an official toll for the first time, reporting 242,000 killed and 164,000 seriously injured, but Western experts say it was closer to 700,000 victims. Magnitude locally put at 7.8 on the Richter scale, but US geologists put it at 8.2.

* Aug 21, 1988 - India - About 1,000 killed on the border between India and Nepal. Magnitude 6.5.

* July 16, 1990 - Philippines - 1,200 killed when tremblor hits Baguio. Magnitude 7.8.

* Feb 1, 1991 - Afganistan and Pakistan - Almost 1,500 killed. Magnitude 6.8.

* Oct 20, 1991 - India - 768 killed in northern Uttar Pradesh. Magnitude 6.6.

* Sep 30, 1993 - India - 7,601 killed and 15,846 injured in the western Maharashtra state. Magnitude 6.3.

* Jan 17, 1995 - Japan - 6,424 killed and about 250,000 homes destroyed in Kobe. Magnitude 7.2. Japanese authorities say it is the country’s biggest earthquake in half a century.

* Sep 21, 1999 - Taiwan - Some 2,400 killed in central Taiwan. Magnitude 7.6.

* Jan 26, 2001 - India - More than 20,000 people killed and more than 160,000 injured in the western state of Gujarat, where the town of Bhuj was completely destroyed.

* March 25, 2002 - Afghanistan. At least 800 killed, 4,800 feared dead and thousands left homeless in Baghlan province in the foothills of the northern Hindu Kush mountain range.

Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund

There was no clue at all on the beaches of Penang or Langkawi or the seas off Kuala Muda that today would be any different from any other day. School holidays, the day after Christmas, fine weather — all the ingredients for a day out on the beach.

Then, just as tragedies always happen — unannounced — the giant tsunami which wreaked destruction from the shores of Indonesia, to Malaysia, Thailand, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, struck.

More than 82,517 people have died and the death toll is still climbing.
In Malaysia, 66 people are dead. In a country where such disasters are a rarity, the tourist island of Penang is reeling.

The New Straits Times and Berita Harian newspapers, joined by TV3 and 8TV have launched a Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund to assist Government efforts in rehabilitating and helping the thousands of victims affected by this tragedy.

All contributions will be handed over to the Federal Government Disaster Fund.

Contributions can be sent to the New Straits Times or Berita Harian at Balai Berita, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur and cheques should be made out to New Straits Times Press Berhad. On the reverse side of the cheque, please write "NST-BH Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund."