Asian Earthquakes and their increasing impact on coastal East Africa

[Constantine MMX]

Before the recent Aceh quake, you had the one in Japan, and before that the most devastating one to date; the earthquake that unleashed the 2004 Tsunami, is this a growing threat?

Tsunami warnings lifted in Africa


April 11 2012 at 10:40pm


Fishermen evacuate their boat from the Indian Ocean following a tsunami warning in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday. Several African countries, including Kenya and Tanzania, have downgraded the tsunami alerts sparked by a strong earthquake off Indonesia.

Nairobi - Kenya and Tanzania lifted tsunami warnings on Wednesday after it appeared unlikely that a massive wave would hit the East African coast following a powerful earthquake off Indonesia.

The 8.6-magnitude earthquake and a series of aftershocks struck off Indonesia but there seemed little risk of a disastrous tsunami as in 2004.

“We are removing the alert, we are cancelling it,” Ali Mafimbo, Senior Assistant Director at Kenya's Met office, told Reuters by phone.

Tanzania, after earlier saying it expected waves of up to 1.5m, also downgraded its warning.

“We have downgraded the warning after establishing that the earthquake has subsided at its source, therefore the expected waves might not hit our coastline after all,” acting Tanzania Meteorological Agency Director General Emmanuel Mpeta told state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation television.

As a precaution, Tanzanian authorities advised fishing boats and ships to remain at anchor until Thursday.

Some 164 people were killed and more than 2 300 were displaced in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, the Seychelles, and Somalia after the disastrous 2004 Asian tsunami. - Reuters

[Xusein]

The damages from the tsunami could have been easily avoided if there was a warning system. There was plenty of time.

[Constantine MMX]

It used to be once every 70 years, now we had three in a decade+, that's a worrying trend.

Early warning systems are essential, especially in the Bari region and other parts of the Somali Indian Ocean coastline.