20 Years Indonesian Tsunami Commemoration
The easy evening flows as usual, people are returning from their works and finishing their Isya prays. Having quiet dinner with their loved ones. Banda Aceh, a city in the westernmost of Indonesian archipelagos, on the tip of Sumatra island that the syariah law applies in harmony with the life of the Acehnese.
People waken up and confused when an earthquake shake their sleep. the sea waters are drying, as far as few hundreds meter in Lampulo, a port nearby Banda Aceh. People yelling and gathering after the 2 quakes and a booming sounds. The coastline filled with fishes that can outrun the sea. they are jumped out the dried beach. Peoples, old and kids running toward the seas to pick up fishes and they think that will be their best breakfast today.
The situation changing fast, after some 20 minutes, the water returns, bring the first waves back into the the shores. People started running toward the beach as fast as possible, leaving their picture of good meals turned to a fears and scares of their life.
The intense situation did not ended up there, soon after the largest yet to come. The second waves as higher than a coconut tree struck the land, bringing all of its mega kinetic power, dragging an d lifting everything on the sea to the land, hitting everything on its path, buildings, boats, and people who think they were save from the first waves.
The salt waters are everywhere, as far as 20 kilometers off the sea line. when all those waters pushing back to the sea where it should be it dragged anything it has carried within its volumes mixed with the houses, cars, boats, and all the hopes that Aceh people brings to their life.
In the island off the Aceh coast line, around 50 nautical miles away. This earth quake lifted the sea bed turns to newland, white sandy beach now turn to a rocky beaches. a tiny islands and inlets appears randomly and recreates the picture of what this island’s map was. This small island in Sinabang survived as they follow what their ancestor warnings. These stories they believed and saved them from higher number of casualties. The was in this island even reach to 100 meters high, as their stories they tell. The night before the quake, all the animals and cattle were disturbed and fleeing uphill. Dogs, cows, water buffalos, even chicken was running from the shoreline to uphill. The elder then evacuate their people without knowing what will happened, they are just trusting the word of mouth from their dearest elder. That turn to save a lot of lifes, no one picking up fishes when the beaches are dried.
The mega tsunami that recorded in history had passed its 20 years. 20 years ago, 26 December 2004, a 9,3 earthquake shake the world of the people in Aceh and east coast of Sumatra. An island part of Indonesian archipelago. The scale of this earthquake are massive and destructive, The whole city of Banda Aceh are flattened by the after shock wave that struck the land.
The casualty toll to estimated of 120,000 people dies, it is like erasing the whole generation by the nature. the gears the, tears feels like full filling and flooding the whole city of Banda Aceh. People are battered by the sorrows and unscripted survival. Accesses and communication suddenly isolated from outside world. What truly happened hasn’t heard by the world before days.
The indonesian government rushes to send aid and helps. What they saw are beyond everyone’s imagination. Pile of deatch nodies and bodies part were scattered mixed with logs, houses, cars, and everything that people posses in life. A huge ship, that was a floating diesel electric generator boat, dragged in the center of Banda Aceh. Covered with pile of debris. IN Lampulo, fishermen’s boats are displaced on the land. Everywhere you walked will smell of rotten meats fumes, decomposing animals and humans parts.
Not before a weeks, the news tarted spreads the nations, then the world. People start assessing the damage wit the datas they have so far, but the truest datas is not yet appears to public. The international charities, aids, doctors, scientist, armies, volunteers having trouble getting to this very city. The possible access now is from the sea.
The first aid were come from the Indonesian army and US ships that happened to be around. Then the internationals helps arrived with any way they can. Thousand of people sincere arriving and battling with to help survivals and cleaning up the cities. They must have a disinfectant bath every time the returned to post to avoid being infected of the germs invested in dead bodies.
Turned the earth quake lifting more than 100 nautical miles of seabed with the high up to 1000 meter up and down hidden under the sea. ANd the recovery of the cities, physically and mentally are developed with the helps of the people of the world. That at the end, we are living in a tiny planet what we called home.