US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO629

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000629 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE 
DCHA/OFDA KISAACS, GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA 
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS 
DCHA DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR WILLIAM GARVELINK 
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER 
GENEVA FOR USAID KYLOH 
ROME PASS FODAG 
NSC FOR MELINE 
CDR USPACOM FOR J3/J4/POLAD 
USEU PASS USEC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, AEMR, PREL, PGOV, CE, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - SITUATION REPORT ON SRI LANKAN RESPONSE 
TO EARTHQUAKE IN INDONESIA 
 
REF:  COLOMBO 616 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. On March 28, 2005, at 2315 local time, a magnitude 8.7 
earthquake occurred off the coast of Indonesia, destroying 
buildings and causing numerous deaths on the Sumatran island 
of Nias.  The following cable details the actions taken by the 
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to alert residents to the 
possibility of tsunamis in the Indian Ocean and provides 
information on the situation in Trincomalee, Ampara, and 
Matara in the hours following the tsunami alert.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
Actions Taken in Sri Lanka Following Reports of Earthquake in 
Indonesia 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
2.  On March 28, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, speaking in 
a news interview with BBC News, stated that he met with the 
Sri Lankan President to convey information regarding the 
earthquake in Indonesia and the possibility that tsunamis may 
occur.  Steps were immediately taken to order the evacuation 
of coastal areas.  The President broadcast a message and urged 
people in northern and eastern Sri Lanka to move two km inland 
and those residents of southern Sri Lanka to move one km 
inland.  According to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, the Sri 
Lankan Army, Navy, and Government Agents were notified 
immediately of the tsunami alert.  Broadcast announcements 
were made, and Tamil-held areas in the north and northeast and 
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were informed of 
the tsunami warnings. 
 
------------------------------- 
Field Reports from Trincomalee 
------------------------------- 
 
3.  On March 29, the USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team 
(DART) Information Officer (IO) spoke with an Office of 
Transition Initiatives (OTI) Program Development Officer (PDO) 
located in Trincomalee in northeastern Sri Lanka.  The OTI/PDO 
stated that during the night of March 28 there were numerous 
methods by which local residents were informed of the 
earthquake in Indonesia and the tsunami warnings issued by the 
GOSL.  Local television stations and Sri Lankan radio issued 
live telecasts and broadcasts with tsunami warnings; local 
temples held meetings to advise residents of the tsunami 
warnings; police made announcements over loudspeakers and also 
went door-to-door to advise residents to move to higher 
ground; sirens were sounded at 2320 hours local time to advise 
residents to evacuate; and local residents also received phone 
calls from relatives overseas advising them of the tsunami 
warnings.  Local authorities also notified hotels in coastal 
areas of the tsunami warnings. 
 
4.  According to the OTI/PDO, many residents watched BBC News 
and heard the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister's interview and were 
thus aware that the U.S. Embassy had initially notified the 
GOSL of the earthquake and possible tsunamis.  [Note:  The 
OTI/PDO stated that residents he spoke with in Trincomalee 
believed that the U.S. Embassy did a quote good job end quote 
of informing the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, and this was a 
good early warning system.  End Note.] 
 
5.  The OTI/PDO spoke to many individuals from various ethnic 
groups, and all praised the local media's response.  The 
OTI/PDO stated that the only problem he observed was that cell 
phone and land lines remained busy throughout the night. 
 
6.  Regarding the situation in the Indian Ocean, the OTI/PDO 
stated that there were unconfirmed reports of changes in the 
ocean.  Residents noticed a quote bad smell, end quote that is 
usually noticeable when lagoons are depleted of water.  There 
was also an unconfirmed rumor that the ocean had receded 150 
meters. 
 
------------------------- 
Field Reports from Ampara 
------------------------- 
 
7.  On March 29, the USAID/DART IO spoke with an 
OTI/Procurement Specialist (PS) located in Ampara.  The OTI/PS 
stated that the situation in Ampara was tense during the 
evening of March 28.  Both private and GOSL-controlled 
television and radio stations announced tsunami alerts, and 
police also alerted residents via announcements through 
loudspeakers in local mosques.  Local media also advised 
residents to remain alert for looting.  The OTI/PS reported 
that many women and children in coastal areas moved inland to 
the main roads as a precautionary measure.  However, many men 
in Ampara remained in their homes as they were observing the 
situation in the ocean. 
 
8.  The OTI/PS stated that after 330 hours local time, the 
situation became calmer, and around 345 hours local time, 
residents started moving back to coastal areas as the tsunami 
alert was lifted. The OTI/PS did not hear any stories or 
rumors regarding changes in the ocean in Ampara. 
 
9.  On March 29, a USAID/Colombo Foreign Service National 
(FSN) spoke with representatives of USAID/Office of U.S. 
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) implementing partner Mercy 
Corps in Arugam Bay in Ampara.  The Mercy Corps 
representatives stated that they had been advised of the 
tsunami warnings through phone calls from relatives in 
 
SIPDIS 
England.  Upon receipt of this information, the Mercy Corps 
representatives drove around town in their vehicles sounding 
their horns and went door-to-door to alert residents to the 
tsunami warnings. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
------------------------- 
Field Reports from Matara 
------------------------- 
 
10.  On March 29, a USAID/Colombo FSN spoke with 
representatives of USAID/OFDA implementing partner the 
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and reported 
that residents in Matara, on the south coast, were notified of 
the tsunami alerts via phone calls from relatives overseas as 
well as television and radio broadcasts.  The IOM 
representatives stated that all television and radio channels 
continuously broadcast warnings advising residents to evacuate 
throughout the night.  IOM representatives in Matara visited 
their temporary shelters and tents and noted that an hour 
after the tsunami alert was issued, people had fled these 
shelters and moved inland.  IOM, as well as Mercy Corps, 
reported that the police and Sri Lankan Navy assisted in the 
evacuation of residents in Galle in southern Sri Lanka. 
 
LUNSTEAD