could such a thing happen again?
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sparked a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean and wiped out large portions of Indonesia. Since that period the effected governments have taken measures to create an early warning system but some believe it is
still not fully functioning .
The 2004 event acted as a wake up call for the world. There needed to be an early warning system.
A $400 million early warning system is now set up across 28 countries. However, parts of it don't work.
In 2012, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Banda Aceh, the same place as the 2004 earthquake. The warning sirens failed. Panick erupted among the people; instead of using the all purpose-built shelters, they clogged the roads trying to flee.
According to Shamika Sirimanne, who focuses on disaster risk reduction at the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific, "governments need to spend more to avoid a repeat of the 2004 disaster."
We don't have the power to stop earthquakes or tsunamis, but we do have the ability to provide early warnings, allowing people a better chance of survival.
If the needs are not met and warning systems do not properly work, we cannot provide early warnings and the chances of another disastrous tragedy like the one in 2004 remains likely.
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For more details look up....
http://www.catholic.org/news/international/asia/story.php?id=58172
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