Indonesian Tsunmai, 2004 - Case Study

Location: The epicentre was located in the Indian ocean just 160km off the Indonesian Coast, in the Sunda trrench, at the destructive indo-Asutrlaia - Eurasain plate boundary. The was hit most of SouthEast Asia about also India and parts of Africa - the worst affected area was Indonesia

Earthquake Magnitude: 9.1 - the rupture was 600km long and largely parallel to the Indonesian coastline

• Death Toll - 230,000 in 23 couuntries
• 45,000 people injured
• 1.7million people homeless
• Roads, communications and buildings severely damaged
• 1500 villages entiely destroyed in Sumatra alone
• 60% of Sri Lanka's destroyed
• Contaminated drinking water
• Severe damage to habitats:- mangroves, coral reefs, forests and coastal wetlands
• Agricultural areas destroyed

• Unburied bodies increased the likelihood of disease such as Cholera and spread through the survivors
• Hospitals were destroyed so there was little immediate help for the severely injured
• many survivors will need long term trreatment to help them recoer from the psychological and emotional injuries as well as the physical
• Destroyed roads prevented aid reaching remote areas and it took days for rescue teams to get to remote areas
• Huge dent in Sri Lankan economy as fishing was primary source of foreign trade
• People died of dehydration or waterbourne diseases
• Tourism fell as people feared a repeat event
• Ecosystems were destroyed and further damaged local commercial production an therefore the economy
• $5billion in damages
• altered the seabed in the Malacca strait, making shipping even more dangerous
• Thousands of subsistence farmers were left unable to feed themselves - limited food suply and very expensive for survivors to purchase.