Globalisation

2004 Asian Tsunami:

2004: Thousands die in Asian tsunami

Massive sea surges triggered by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean have killed over 10,000 people in southern Asia, with many more feared dead.
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake under the sea near Aceh, north Indonesia, at 0759 local time (0059 GMT) generated the biggest tsunami the world has seen for at least 40 years.
The wall of water fanned out across the Indian Ocean at high speed and slammed into coastal areas with little or no warning.
Officials in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India have all reported death tolls in the thousands and the figures are expected to rise sharply over the next few days.

Indonesia is thought to be the worst-hit country in the region, with 4,185 confirmed dead. In Sri Lanka, over 3,500 people have died and one million more have been made homeless. President Chandrika Kumaratunga has declared a national emergency.
Hundreds of fisherman are missing off the southern Indian coast and witnesses have reported scores of bodies being washed up on beaches.
Other countries hit by the tsunami include Malaysia, Thailand, the Maldives, the Seychelles and the Indian-owned Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Harrowing stories from the disaster zone are beginning to emerge.
Jayanti Lakshmi, 70, lost her son and twin grandsons while out shopping with her daughter-in-law in Cuddalore, southern India.
She said: "I wish I had died instead of the others, my daughter-in-law would have a life. I can't bear to watch her pain."
And a father in Sri Lanka watched as his entire family was swept away by the sea.
"It dragged my wife away, then my two-month-old twins," he said. "Then I watched my seven-year-old son drown."
Large part of the affected area are popular holiday destinations and many resorts have been badly hit.
In Thailand, hundreds of holiday bungalows have been destroyed on the popular Phi Phi Island. Tourists from all over the world are thought to be among the dead.
Health experts now fear that many more could die as diseases like typhoid, cholera and malaria spread rapidly.
United Nations Emergency Relief Co-ordinator Jan Egeland said many of the affected areas had dense populations living in sub-standard housing.
"This may be the worst natural disaster in recent history," he added.

BBC gives plenty of facts and figures about the tsunami and gives plenty of detail about what happened during and after the disaster. The news report mentions all the different countries which were effected and even includes quotes  of people who were involved or who lost family members to emphasise  just how bad the Tsunami was. This report seems to know what happened and hasnt exagerated about what happened and does well to provide information considering it is a UK report.

Earthquake triggers deadly tsunami The world's most powerful earthquake in more than 40 years struck deep under the Indian Ocean on December 26, triggering massive tsunamis that obliterated cities, seaside communities and holiday resorts, killing tens of thousands of people in a dozen countries.

As the region moves forward with reconstruction and recovery, efforts are also under way to maintain donations and relief, establish long-term strategies and develop early-warning systems so another disaster may be avoided.

The CNN news report of the Tsnuami is alot shorter and contains less figures and just says that tens of thousands of people died, it doesnt go into much detail about what happened on the day. This report also doesnt have quotes from anybody effected by the Tsunami or any experts.