Hi Uray,
He is safe & sound!!
12.27.04
From Sir Arthur regarding the recent tsunamis in South and Southeast
Asia:
Thank you for your concern about my safety in the wake of Sunday's
devastating tidal wave.
I am enormously relieved that my family and household have escaped the
ravages of the sea that suddenly invaded most parts of coastal Sri
Lanka, leaving a trail of destruction.
But many others were not so fortunate. For hundreds of thousands of
Sri Lankans and an unknown number of foreign tourists, the day after
Christmas turned out to be a living nightmare reminiscent of The Day
After Tomorrow.
Among those affected are my staff based at our diving station in
Hikkaduwa and holiday bungalow in Kahawa – both beachfront properties
located in areas worst hit. We still don't know the fully extent of
damage as both roads and phones have been damaged. Early re****ts
indicate that we have lost most of our diving equipment and boats. Not
all our staff members are accounted for – yet.
This is indeed a disaster of unprecedented magnitude for Sri Lanka
which lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath. We
are all trying to contribute to the relief efforts. We shall keep you
informed as we learn more about what happened.
Curiously enough, in my first book on Sri Lanka, I had written about
another tidal wave reaching the Galle harbour (see Chapter 8 in The
Reefs of Taprobane, 1957). That happened in August 1883, following the
eruption of Krakatoa in roughly the same part of the Indian Ocean.
Arthur Clarke
27 December 2004
http://www.clarkefoundation.org/
