送交者: 行不得也 于 2005-1-03, 16:09:20:
Expert: I tried to warn of tsunami
Monday, January 3, 2005 Posted: 11:03 AM EST (1603 GMT)
PHUKET, Thailand (Reuters) -- A Thai expert says he tried to warn the government a deadly tsunami might be sweeping towards tourist-packed beaches, but couldn't find anyone to take his calls.
Samith Dhammasaroj said Monday he was sure a tsunami was coming as soon as he heard about the massive Dec. 26 earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island that measured magnitude 9.0 -- the world's biggest in 40 years.
"I tried to call the director-general of the meteorological office, but his phone was always busy," Samith said as he described his desperate attempts to generate an alert which might have saved thousands of lives.
"I tried to phone the office, but it was a Sunday and no-one was there," said the former chief of the meteorological department now charged with setting up an early warning disaster system for Thailand.
"I knew that one day we would have this type of tsunami. I warned that there would be a big disaster," he told reporters.
"Everyone laughed at me and said I was a bad guy who wanted to ruin the tourist industry," he added.