The Dec. 26, 2004 earthquake under the Indian Ocean floor triggered an outbreak of devastating tsunami, leading to incredible damages and tragic losses of life in littoral countries. Records showed that the killer tsunami reached the seaside Indonesian islands after half an hour, and within several hours it reached the beach lands of Sri Lanka, Thailand and other countries at the rim of the Ocean. While earthquakes are somewhat unpredictable, and always beyond our control, according to experts, earthquake related tsunamis can be measured and predicted in time to release alert to residents of susceptible coastal areas. If an early warning system had been available in the Indian Ocean region, they believe, the casualties and losses would have been greatly mitigated.
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