Day 3 — search continues and evacuation begins

29.12.04 2.10 The names of dead and injured are listed on a few different websites now. The most comprehensive and frequently updated is still: You have to key in username= user + password= password (It has been moved since the previous announcement) Last night, a search form providing very good assistance was also established on the official www.disaster.go.th website, which might turn out to be the easiest to use during Wednesday as the webmaster is aparently improving it continuously. Click here 29.12.04 1.30 Danish daily Politiken quotes two danish doctors in Pang Nga for requesting urgent evacuation of patients from the hospital. The conditions are so bad that the injured may died while being treated there, they say. 29.12.04 01.20 The Swedish daily has established a forum for people looking for relatives. The many names and details of what is known is on: 29.12.04 01.11 «Missing parents & 2 brothers. Karl Nilsson,» it says on a sign held up by a seven year old Swedish boy who at the time the Norwegian daily VG talked to him had not yet found his parents and two brothers. When he was found after the wave withdrew some people took him to a temple. Here a Swedish doctor found him. After a day in her care he could tell his story of how he was playing in the hotel room with his brothers, when the water suddenly gushed in. http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=260371 29.12.04 1.00 Norwegian Steinar Kjelland from Ål in Hallingdal expressed to the Norwegian daily VG his disappointment with Norwegian reaction to the catastrophy as it hit on Sunday. Kjelland had been vacationing in Khao Lak and was on the first plane with eight evacuated Norwegians arriving Norway on Tuesday. “The Swedish and Danish embassies were much faster in getting there and helped their nationals better. We were told staff from the embassy would help us when we arrived Bangkok but nobody came. It was the Swedish emabssy who arranged my ticket,” he complained to VG. 29.12.04 0.50 The Norwegian hotel and restaurant which has become a meeting place for especially many norwegians has established a web forum for relatives looking for loved ones: Click here: http://www.iamdb.net/2vikings/ 29.12.04 00.40 Missing persons bulletins launched on Gazette Online http://www.phuketgazette.net in response to the many requests for assistance received. Readers concerned about the fate of someone known to have been in southern Thailand on the day of the catastrophe are welcome to post a message.      Also, a list of (not too complete) emergency embassy and consular representatives currently in Phuket, along with their phone numbers, can be found at http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=3877 29.12.04 0.20 Ten Norwegian policemen left Tuesday Norway to assist in the identification work in Thailand. When they arrive Thailand they will be assigned by the Thai police where they are deemed most needed, says Norwegian Ministry of Justice. 28.12.04 23.15 A Danish Embassy hotline has been set up according to the newspaper JyllandsPosten. Danish tourists in Thailand are encouraged to call the numer 02 343 1115. 28.12.04 22.56 No confirmed Scandinavian casualties in Malaysia Danish Ambassador HE Børge Petersen reports that all Danes registered with the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur are accounted for and safe. Also, there are no reports of any Danish tourist injured or dead.      Swedish Ambassador HE Bruno Beijer also reports of no Swedish casualties in Malaysia and refers to the embassy web site for continuous updates: <http://www.swedenabroad.com/kualalumpur>http://www.swedenabroad.com/kualalumpur      Norwegian Charche d’Affair A.I. Mr. Stale Slettebakken is relieved to inform that no Norwegian seems to have been injured or dead by the tidal wave primarily hitting Langkawi and Penang. He even spoke to Norwegians on Langkawi that didn’t really notice anything until they saw the news on TV. Finally, the Embassy of Finland reports of no known casualties amongst Finns in Malaysia.      All the Scandinavian embassies have been in contact with their nationals living in affected areas and are also in constant touch with local authorities for updates. 28.12.04 21.04 Keeping the many unidentified dead bodies for later identification is getting a problem as rescuers dig through mud and remove debris from the devastated areas. The Ministry for Public Health has sent 20 forty foot refrigerated containers to Phuket, where morgues are already full. In more remote areas, the unidentified dead are photgraphed, any particulars are noted and a sample of the tissue is taken for later DNA tests before they are being cremated or buried. 28.12.04 18.30 Thai government announces 3-day mourning period for tidal wave victims Government spokesperson Jakrapob Penkhae declared three-day mourning period from December 28-30, 2004 for victims of the tidal waves in southern coastal regions, and asked the people to wear all black. Besides lowering the flag at half-staff, the governmental offices are canceling all the New Year celebrations and activities. There will also be religious ceremony throughout the country on December 30 at 7 pm 28.12.04 17.30 ScandAsia reporter Charlotte Donvang Parks sends in latest report via the Royal Danish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur as at 14 hrs on 28/12/04:      Malaysian Authorities reports of 63 deaths in Malaysia:           10 in Kedah           49 in Penang           3 in Perak           1 in Selangor      26 people remains missing:           3 in Kedah           22 in Penang           1 in Perak      No Scandinavian has been reported missing or dead. 28.12.04 17.00 Hospitals in Phuket are in need of Swedish and Norwegian interpreters. If you can help, please call 0-2644-7249 or 0-2644-7245. 28.12.04 16.30 Jasso Kutira, a 22-year-old Finnish tourist evacuated to the center at Thammasat University, Rangsit, told Thai newspaper Kom Chad Luek that he was impressed by the kindness of Thai people and highly appreciated the helps he received during the unexpected disaster. He said he would come back to Thailand again, but might opt to visit other Thai attractions. 28.12.04 16.44 The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs, that Mr. Bjorndal mentioned below is likely one of the three Danes already recorded by the Danish authorities. ScandAsia got the information of his death Tuesday morning from the hospital when trying to contact him for an interview. 28.12.04 15.44 MR. THOMAS BJORNDAL, 71, who had been injured and was hospitalised in Phuket died this morning at 10 o’clock from his injuries. That brings the list of confirmed casualties to 4 Danes. At 19.00 last night, the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced that so far three Danes had died in the disaster. Thirteen were still missing and it is presumed some of these were dead as well. For the list of Danes hospitalised, see: 28.12.04 15.00 Thammasat University in Rangsit, north of Bangkok, is presently used as accomodation and coordinating center for foreign tourists transported from the south of Thailand. There are presently 358 tourists at Building D1 and some more at Gym 4 within the same campus. More will arrive at around 4 – 5 pm. today. The tourists taking shelter within the campus reportedly include Danes and Swedes. Some Norwegians and Finns are probably staying there as well, although can not yet be confirmed at the time of this report.      The buildings are provided as accomodation for them while they are waiting to get their flights back home, to get lost documents replaced, and as base to get in touch with their embassy, families and friends.      According to a Thai volunteer at the center within the university, possible help for the tourists evacuated here wll be food, drinking water, clean clothes, and basic healthcare items such as soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste and sanitary napkins.      The contact number of the center is 0-2151-0111. 28.12.04 13.40 Ten Swedes are confirmed dead. Last night, the number of not yet located Swedes stood at over a thousand individuals. At least thrity of them children.      At the Swedish Embassy’s center at Pearl Hotel, lists were drawn up of Swedes who had registered spouses, children, friends they were together with, whom they have lost contact with. When local Swedish journalist Christer Nilsson working with the news team from Aftonbladet on Phuket since Sunday noon checked the list, the number was 100 missing.      There were around 20.000-30.000 Swedes in Thailand on Sunday. Around 8.000 had traveled on group tours. Of those around 2.000 are still not located. If individual travellers are added, the list could be about 5.500.      The Khao Lak area is one of the worst hit. Fritidsresor had guests at Blue Village Pakarang and South Sea Pakarang on the beach. Both hotels have collapsed. They had 285 fully booked rooms. A special childrens playground was established near the waterfront. Staff of Fritidsresor have managed to get to the southern part of the area and transported survivors to Phuket.      “We still haven’t been in ciontact with around 600 guests in the Khao Lak-area,” said Eva Olivecrona of Fritidsresor.      A team of forensic experts is expected to arrive Phuket to day to help identify victims. In Sweden, information about jewelry, dental charts, tatoos, x-ray films are being collected to help them. _______________________________________________ Hospitals in Bangkok are in need of volunteers to help victims being evacuated to Bangkok. Be prepared to listen, comfort and help individuals with sometimes deeply traumatic experiences. Call if you can go there: Chris Kannegaard – 02 310 3102 (Bangkok General Hospital) [email protected] Charlotte Fung Korff – 02 632 0550 ext. 3376 (BNH Hospital) [email protected] Peter Lindner – 02 711 8000 (Samitivej Hospital) [email protected] _____________________________________________ From: Vibeke, Felicia (Thailand) Ltd. [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 10:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Fw: [ScandMail-th] Urgent need Rhesus Negative blood I went to the Hospital yesterday to give blood and they are in URGENT need of more!! Please help!!!!! The address is: Blood Donation / Red Cross Areedunan Road Accross from Bangkok Royal Sports Club / next to Chulalongkorn University Tel: 02 252 4106-9 _______________________________________________ From: jaana kopra [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 4:32 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ScandMail-th] list of injured gives names of the injured in Phuket hospitals. Hopefully this will be of help. Finnish site with info of divers you can find at www.sukellus.fi Jaana ________________________________________________ For more advice and requests as to what you can do to help, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScandMail-th