Tsunami Kills Thousands in India, Church Joins Hands in Relief Efforts

New Delhi – Church authorities have joined hands with local governments in relief and rescue operations across southern India and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where tidal waves triggered by an underwater earthquake near Indonesia have killed over 7000 people.

Catholic Bishops Conference of India President Cardinal Telesphore Toppo while extending Church’s prayers and condolences for the victims said the local Churches would collaborate in relief and rescue works.

Some 7000 people have died in southern India and hundreds are reported missing after 30–50 feet walls of tidal waves lashed against the shores of the Indian coastal region. It is believed that an earthquake that originated near Indonesia had triggered the tidal waves which traveled across the ocean to Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Maldives, rest of South East Asia and even parts of Africa on early December 26. According to international news reports, the total death toll has risen to 23,000.

The earthquake, measuring 9.0 in Richer scale and considered by many to be the most devastating in the last 40 years, prompted massive tidal waves that flooded islands in Andaman and Nicobar, the coastal cities of Chennai and Kerala and other coastal areas of India. Several hundreds were reported dead in Chennai alone. The casualty rate in the coastal regions of Orissa and West Bengal were lower.