Current death tally 145 (only a few (<10 ) identified and relatives notified),
still +- 200 missing, 61 dead expected to be found at the language school.
Pitiful record came from the Philippines of one girl texting home from the
CTV building - one hand pinned - then asking for help - then as smoke
came in "Make it quick"; then silence. Utterly tragic.
Thank goodness there were only two such "modern" buildings with many
workers inside, that collapsed so dreadfully.
One unexpected development was that in several quite tall modern buildings
(the Forsyth-Barr building was one), the central lift shafts and stairwells
collapsed, leaving the buildings a hollow shell with people trapped on high
floors. Amazingly, staff had learned from "9/11" and has stashed alpine
climbing gear inside, and thus were able to lower themselves to safety
outside the buildings by as much as 4 stories, down to the tops of car-park
buildings.
Isn't it great when somebody actually learns from history and applies that
learning !!. And benefits from it.
Marvellous help from all around the world ( ? 10 countries); not only
specialist Urban Search and Rescue teams (600 people), but police from
about 5 countries to help with security esp at night. Every state in Australia
+
Federal police has sent some police to help with patrols.
Unbelievably, in all this carnage, there are some scumbags who are all too
ready to loot and rob. They are getting short shrift from the courts; put away
instantly for a month until proper trial can be done.
Bring out the cat-o-nine-tails, sez me. Strip, over a barrel, 50 lashes.
In the face of the developing separation of town and country, the adjacent
farming community are pitching in to help remove the expected 300,000
tonnes of silt deposited in streets and on house sections (lots, for the
'Murican speakers), that was brought to the surface during liquefaction.
This will unite Cantabrians as never before.
Brian Swale.
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|