r. Vincenzo Baravalle writes from
Padang: “I am able to confirm that all our confreres are well, including those who work in the
Mentawai, and that none of our buildings have been damaged by the earthquake and tsunami which struck Indonesia last Sunday
(Dec. 26, 2004).
The earthquake, which lasted 7 minutes, was felt slightly in Padang and Bukittinggi; more powerful tremors were felt in the Mentawai and even stronger in Nias, which is closer to the epicenter. The earthquake was followed by a sudden drop in the level of the sea: in Padang, the ships at the mouth of the river that serves as a port for journeys to the Mentawai, tilted over as if they had run aground.
Everyone was caught by surprise because, after the shock of the earthquake had passed, calm had returned and nobody expected any-thing else to happen. About six thousand people have been confirmed dead, but the number is destined to rise.
The people were astonished by the phenomenon, but not by the earthquake, since they are quite used to these. After an hour, the tsunami arrived and the sea became really ugly. The geographical position of the island Nias, the small archipelago of Tello, the Mentawai islands, and the west coast of Sumatra with its various small peninsulas that shield the inland territory, offered some protection from the onslaught of the waves. The normally high waves also mean that the western coasts of the Mentawai islands are low in population.
The island of Nias suffered the greatest damage on its western coast (Sirombu and the Inako islands) with about one hundred fatalities, including a protestant pastor. The worst disaster struck Aceh, north Sumatra, whose coast took the full frontal impact of the tsunami, which reached inland more than 3 miles.
Everyone was caught by surprise because, after the shock of the earthquake had passed, calm had returned and nobody expected any-thing else to happen. About six thousand people have been confirmed dead, but the number is destined to rise.
The President of Indonesia has declared three days of national mourning and has called upon the entire nation to pray for the victims and help the survivors. The various Churches and Religions, the State Organizations, private television networks, newspapers and university organizations are all working to collect funds for the disaster zones.
Aid will transcend all religious barriers and denominations (almost all the surviving victims are Muslims, except Nias which has Catholics and Protestants among its population). We are celebrating a true Christmas of solidarity with our dead and suffering brothers. Many survivors have expressed their trust in God’s Divine Providence”.
(From Xaverian News)