Whats going on...

[Nicke]

This mornong the whole house and my bed was shaking/moving, I didnt bother too much and continued sleep. 10 o clock people banked on the door and lot of people went to the mountain behind Patong to be safe from a tsunami or flooding. Me and Geir didnt believe that but we followed the other people, it was panic in the air.

I still dont know what happened but there is a helicopter circleling around Patong. Anyone heard something?

[Coolhand]

Found this in the Phuket Gazette:-
PHUKET: Emergency response units have been scrambled after waters off Phuket surged onto land this morning, washing away homes on the east coast and causing damage at all the resort along the west coast.

The sea rose after tremors from an earthquake just before 7 am off Sumatra, Indonesia, that measured 8.1 on the Richter scale.

At 11 am, Phuket International Hospital confirmed that at least 10 people had been admitted for serious injuries, and that many more were expected to arrive.

At Bangkok Phuket Hospital, many other injured people had been received, though a total could not be provided.

The Gazette has received reports of deaths in Kalim, in Thalang, though that report has yet to be confirmed.

Kawee Sukunthamath, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), has told the Gazette that homes along the west coast are being evacuated as a precaution.

The move follows waters at Khao Khat, on the east coast, reaching up to about 300 meters inland, washing coastal homes and vehicles away. People were holding on to whatever they could to stop from being swept away.

In Patong, Gazette columnist Woody Leonard reported, “A giant wave went up the beach, at least as far up as Beach Rd … People were running from the beach as fast as they could. The beach is devastated … There were a lot of people on the beach, [and they were] swept away by the wave.”

The waters reached as far inland as the Club Andaman Resort.

K. Kawee said that the tremors were also felt in Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Pattani. The Gazette has received a report that the surge left a Royal Thai Navy ship at Tab Lamu naval base beached.

[Coolhand]

From ABC News online:
Earthquake, tsunamis kill at least 162 across SE Asia
At least 162 people have been killed after a huge earthquake rocked Indonesia, unleashing tidal waves and flash floods across Asia that swamped coastal areas and displaced thousands.

The quake, which seismologists said measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, struck in the Indian ocean south-west of Aceh province on Sumatra island and sparked panic across the region.

Sri Lanka's eastern and southern coastline was one of the worst hit areas, with rescuers saying at least 162 people had been killed by tidal waves that battered villages.

Sri Lankan relief official M.D. Rodrigo said workers found at least 150 bodies in the Muslim village of Muttur while another 10 were found in the town of Trincomalee which went under several feet of sea water.

"The casualties could be higher," Mr Rodrigo said.

He said the water level was going down leaving a massive trail of destruction. A large number of people were also believed to be missing.

Tsunamis in the southern Thailand resort of Phuket meanwhile left at least four foreign tourists missing after they were swept out to sea.

Indian officials also reported the deaths of two people who drowned after being swamped by a tidal wave in Agarpara in West Bengal state, about 25 kilometres from the capital city of Calcutta.

Unconfirmed radio reports said at least nine people had been killed in Indonesia.

Waves up to five metres high hit the coast of Aceh forcing hundreds to flee to higher ground.

In Aceh, a region currently closed off to foreign media and aid agencies due to a long-running separatist conflict, there were unconfirmed reports of casualties, with buildings including a mosque and a hotel collapsing.

A reporter from the private ElShinta radio said the earthquake caused substantial damage in provincial capital Banda Aceh, including the partial collapse of Kuala Tripa hotel and several shops as well as cracks on the road.

Reports differed on the the exact location and size of the quake.

The US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Centre put the tremor at 8.5, which would make it one of the largest in history, off the west coast of Sumatra while the Strasbourg Observatory in France said the tremor hit 8.0 and was located north of the island.

Jakarta's Meteorology and Geophysics Office put the quake at 6.8 saying it was centred in the Indian Ocean, 149 kilometres south of Meulaboh, a town on the western coast of Aceh.

The office said there were reports of tsunamis, collapsed bridges and downed powerlines. They said telephone lines were also down, making communications with the region difficult.

First Lieutenant Suyitno of Aceh's south western Sigli district police said water began to rise about 30 minutes after the quake and added that hundreds of people residing near the coast or along rivers had evacuated.

Suyitno said there were no report of casualties yet and that the depth of the flood was around one metre.

Similar conditions were also reported in the coastal town of Lhokseumawe, in North Aceh district, 216 kilometres east of Banda Aceh.

The state Antara news agency said several shops under construction in the Beurawe area of Banda Aceh collapsed and search teams were searching for possible victims -- construction workers who might have been in the buildings.

The quake was also felt in the North Sumatra province capital of Medan, sparking panic among the population. But the meteorology office in Medan said that there were no reports of any damage or casualties.

The tremors were felt as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok, 1,500 kilometres north of the epicentre, where buildings swayed but no serious damage was reported.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 18,000 islands, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" noted for its volcanic and seismic activity, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.

Lying at the collision point of three tectonic plates results in frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as pressure between the massive segments of the Earth's crust is released.

Last month a succession of powerful earthquakes struck Alor island in eastern Indonesia, killing 26 people.

- AFP

[Coolhand]

According to the US Geological Survey, there were 9 eartquakes this morning in the region:

04/12/26 00:58:50 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA magnitude 8.5

04/12/26 01:48:46 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA magnitude 5.9

04/12/26 02:15:57 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION magnitude 5.8

04/12/26 02:22:01 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION magnitude 6.0

04/12/26 02:34:50 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA magnitude 5.8

04/12/26 02:36:06 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION magnitude 5.8

04/12/26 02:51:59 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION magnitude 6.0

04/12/26 02:59:12 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA magnitude 5.9

04/12/26 03:08:42 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION magnitude 6.1

More info can be found on:- http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/current/indian.html

[LivinLOS]

I got home at 7 or 7:30 this morning... All the Thai outside were paniking like ****... Then my landlady called cause the is freaking out about her house... I figured I was dieing already from the hangover and if I was gonna die I would do it in bed with the airco..

I did have a bit of a think and come to the idea that it would need a 40 - 50 ft wave to get to where I live and wipe out all of Patong.. As the quake was over in Indo we are the other side for the real damage..

Howvere my Neighbour just told me that beach rd is ****ED.. Bangla is Semi ****ed and theres water up to Rat U thit.. Will go with cam now (hope the batt is charged)..

[LivinLOS]

Just a few.. Uploading 30 or so to my galleries.. but heres a teaser or two...

[domifletch]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Just a few.. Uploading 30 or so to my galleries.. but heres a teaser or two...

God! What a disaster! I am really sorry for the people injuried or dead in this nightmare. Hope that all the BM's staying in Phuket now and the friends I have there are OK.

[Baz]

To nicke

can you check on etv and his dad.
they are saying a lot of divers are missing and just one dive company from patong said 30 divers with his company are missing.
i know etv likes diving so can you check he's alright.
thanks
baz

[LivinLOS]

I hear one story where divers go to one place called emerald cave.. So the story goes you go there and as the sun rises it comes into the cave and makes the whole place green and lit up...

40 divers missing from that tour alone !!

[fun2have]

To you guys in Patong
Hi to you fellas, my heart is full of sadness to the people of phuket
I need help with the status of a friend of mine.
His an Indian gentleman
Sachin Sachdeva
Nickname is Rainy
He owns New Eras Fashion small shop up from the Jewellery shop on Bangla
Virtually opposite the Honey Bar on Bangla.
I am hoping all is ok with him
How far is the severe damage up Bangla
Thanks for your help all you guys there.
Take care all.