Cyprus-Forum.com

[devil]

We have all seen the terrible event in South-East and South Asia on the TV. So terrible, I knew three of the victims, holidaying in Thailand, and one survivor from the same family.

We are in a seismic region, just north of the confluence of the African, European and Anatolian plates. In recent years, it has been fairly quiet, with a 5.8 epicentred in Limassol district about 3 years ago, if my memory is correct, but there have been horrific quakes in Cyprus in recorded history, having destroyed entire cities.

Most modern buildings are (hopefully) constructed to withstand quakes but I pose the questions:
a) are the rules strictly followed or do some unscrupulous builders take shortcuts (quality of concrete, no. and size of steel reinforcements)?
b) there has been a rash of wooden and agglomerate houses recently, with no apparent reinforcement?
c) above all, are the conditions of subduction such that a sudden change of submarine bed level could occur, producing a tsunami? I suspect there is sufficient evidence that this may have happened in the past or, at least, sudden changes of land level (I remember swimming off Salamis in 1952 - 1956 and seeing the rows of amphorae lined up on the quays of the ancient harbour, now several metres under water, ready for loading on a boat.)
d) are we really well prepared for such an event? Could a tsunami destroy all the hotels from Cape Greco to Coral Bay? Would we be any better off than Phuket or Batu Ferringhi?

Just a thought (in telluric ignorance)...

[Piratis]

I believe buildings are well constructed. We had several earthquakes and the only case I remember that we had causalities was once about 10 years ago when some part of a very old house in a village in Paphos collapsed killing 2 people.

We never had Tsunamis thought. I hope such thing will never happen because I am 100 meters from the beach! But is there any way to stop a Tsunami? We can't build a wall around the beach.

[Old Soldier]

I believe buildings are well constructed. We had several earthquakes and the only case I remember that we had causalities was once about 10 years ago when some part of a very old house in a village in Paphos collapsed killing 2 people.

We never had Tsunamis thought. I hope such thing will never happen because I am 100 meters from the beach! But is there any way to stop a Tsunami? We can't build a wall around the beach.

Hey Brother!!!!! When your time is up, it is up. You can't build a wall high enough. Accept it.

[Piratis]

Hey Brother!!!!! When your time is up, it is up. You can't build a wall high enough. Accept it.

How about a boat in the balcony?

World Vision, an international Christian relief and development agency with offices based in Cyprus is sending relief staff to assist the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives were ravaged by the tsunamis in South Asia.

Based in Nicosia since November last year, World Vision’s Middle and Eastern Europe Regional office will assist with the emergency response to the devastation and staff will help develop longer-term projects to enable families to piece their lives together again.
David Robinson, Regional Vice president for World Vision said: “We extend our deepest condolences to the citizens of Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia who live and work on the island. Many of you have lost loved ones and homes to return to – World Vision and its partner aid agencies are giving and will give their all to get help to those in need.”

For more information contact Rebecca Lyman, Regional Communications Officer on 99160139 or visit http://meeroworldvision.org.

Those who wish to donate money to help tsunami victims can do so at Hellenic Bank, account number: 1400328110702

Limassol Municipality announced yesterday it had decided to cancel its New Year’s celebration programme of events as a show of support for the tsunami victims. The £4,000 which was to be used to fund the New Year’s Eve festivities tonight will instead be donated to the victim’s relief fund.

The Municipality of Kato Polemidia said yesterday it had launched a 15-day drive to collect money for tsunami victims in South Asia. The Municipality is donating £200 to kick off the campaign and is urging the public to make donations too.

Donations to the Doctors of the World fund can be made to any of the larger banks in Cyprus by simply stating that you would like to donate money to Doctors of the World. Donations can also be made directly into the following bank accounts at:
Bank of Cyprus: 011401016785, Cyprus Popular Bank: 01521008116, Arab Bank: 1301093320500. The organisation can be contacted at 70009990.

The Sri Lankan Consulate says donations can be made to the following account at the Bank of Cyprus: 0338-05-020461

Donations can be made to the Cyprus Red Cross by going to any bank and saying you want to make a donation to the Red Cross. The organisation has also set up a special account at Laiki Bank: 07021074301, or Tel: 22-666955 head office, 22-664988 Nicosia branch, 25-355104 Limassol branch, 24-655643 Famagusta branch, 24-655080 Larnaca branch, 26-933259 Paphos branch and 22-666955 Kyrenia branch.

A donation account has been set up by the Cyprus Association for Permanent Relief for people wanting to donate money to people in the tsunami hit regions. Donations can be made at any bank by stating you wish to make a donation to the Asia section of the Cyprus Association for Permanent Relief. The Association can be contacted on 24-629493 or 24-652269.


Vadira Wickramafinghe, President of the Sri Lankan Welfare Association in Cyprus has urged those wanting to donate money to contact him on: 99-351140, 99-827064 or 96-386262.

The Gardash Cultural Centre, in collaboration with immigrants support group KISA, is accepting donations at 5 Arsinoes Street, Old Nicosia between 5 and 11pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and between 6pm and 1am on Friday and Saturday (closed Monday). Preferred donations are dry food (especially rice and sugar) and clothes and shoes. Financial donations can be deposited at: Bank of Cyprus, account number 0128-01-027987. Tel: 99-553714 and 99-485802.

The immigrants support group KISA says money can be donated to the following bank account: Bank of Cyprus 0128-01-027987. Call 22-878181 for more information.

The Cyprus Green Party have issued an announcement stating that one of their funds ‘Children of the world’ will be donating to children suffering in the regions where the tsunami struck. Donations can be made to the following bank account:
Bank of Cyprus: 0186-05-006813.

[devil]

We never had Tsunamis thought.

Cyprus has suffered from several tsunamis of varying degrees of severity, perhaps nothing like has been seen in the Indian Ocean.

If I did, I would be tempted to dial the machine to the beginning of the year 364AD, which archeologists now say was a year before the cataclysmic under-sea earthquake and tidal wave that, in a matter of moments, destroyed Kourion.

In Stratigraphie comparée et chronologie de l’Asie occidentale (IIIe et IIe millennaires), published by Oxford University Press in 1948, Schaeffner presumed similar events derived from excavations in Cyprus.

Greece is taking the threat seriously:

On July 9, 1956 a 20-meters-high tidal wave swept the Cyclades islands in central Aegean as well as, southern Aegean regions after an earthquake that measured 7,5 on the Richter scale, while on February 7, 1963 a 6-meter-high tidal wave created by an underwater landslide caused damage in the western Corinthian Bay in the Peloponnese.

We have seen in this recent horror that tsunamis can travel vast distances.

I wouldn't be too complacent: it could happen here.

Throughout history, damaging earthquakes have repeatedly destroyed cities along the eastern and southern coasts of Cyprus. So far during the 20th century, 12 shocks having magnitudes of 6 or greater have left more than 100 people dead and economic losses of over several million pounds. The most recent damaging earthquake in September 1953 struck Paphos, leaving 63 dead, 200 injured and many damaged buildings.

[GammaDragon]

I think all the "what if" questions being raised about earthquakes and tsunami's are a complete waste of time . Who knows what could happen, the world could be struck by a meteor and Cyprus could become a new addition to the Asteroid Belt outside Mars, along with England and any other country - island or not. We can't build a wall around Cyprus, or seal the earth's tectonic plates with glue. Our time's up when our time's up, I guess No point losing sleep over it

[devil]

Such a fatalistic answer is unhelpful. We can always be prepared, not to prevent a disaster, but certainly to minimise the effects, should one occur.

Do you wear seat belts in your car, to minimise the effect of an accident, should one occur?

[GammaDragon]

Sorry for the tone of my post if it offended, I guess that's just how I felt when I wrote the post I suppose we can try to minimize the effects of such attrocities, but we should understand we can't prevent them entirely - yet.

Maybe we can fit all the animals with water-wings

[Veliki_Graditelj]

Terrible really. One friend of mine vanished....I've still no any news about her. She went with her husband in Sri Lanka or Maldives I think. After all, it's lesson for those who are too materialist; how a life is a great gift.

[Veliki_Graditelj]

Good news. Friend of mine just called me saying that both husband and she are O.K. It was a period of torture for all of us.