TSUNAMI - Essay

‘Tsunami’ is a Japanese word meaning ‘a very tall tidal or coastal wave’. This is a huge movement of great mass of water often caused by underwater earthquakes. The terrible tsunami took place in India around 6.30 am on 26 December, 2006; it was caused by a massive underwater earthquake near Sumatra in Indonesia. The earthquake measured at 8.9 on the Richter scale and it was one of the severest earthquakes to have struck the earth in the last forty years. It jolted the ocean floor tremendously. As a result, a huge mass of rising water rushed at a tremendous speed destroying and devastating whatever came in its way. The tsunami caused widespread damage and destruction to life and property in coastal areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and a few other countries of South-East Asia and coastal Africa. A chain of waves of 30 to 40 feet in height struck and flattened large areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar islands. The tsunami is reported to have killed a staggering number of 1,50,000 people in the affected areas. Thousands of people were wounded, washed away and rendered homeless. Property worth crores of rupees was destroyed. Rescue and relief work was taken up on a war-footing in the affected areas. Relief materials were sent from home and abroad.                  

Word Meanings : wave : a tide : uenj; severest : extremely bad : DelÙeble yegje; tremendously : hugely : DelÙeble; widespread : extensive : yengle hewâuee ngDee; staggering : astounding : efJeMeeue; abroad : other countries : DevÙe osMe~