12/30/2004: A First-Hand Account from Kerala
A First-Hand Account from Kerala
This is the account of 28-year-old Rjelal, formerly a resident of Alappad, a village of 25,000 on the coast of Kerala.
It was 9:00 Sunday morning on December 26, we all were watching TV inside the house. Suddenly we heard some unusual sounds from the sea and came out of the house to see what was happening.
I had my mother, father and my wife, Diddime, with me. We were married just two months back and she was pregnant. As our neighbours and we watched the sea in curiosity, we could see the waves getting fierce. Strangely then, the sea backed up almost five kilometers from the beach, and the ground was so visible that many gathered at the shore to watch this unnatural phenomenon. Some even started walking through the muddy surface, not knowing what awaited them.
After some time, we saw the water returning with much force. Seeing this, we all ran to our houses. As I reached my house we could hear the mighty waves lashing against the shore. I called for my family members, and could already hear loud weeping and screaming. Within a split second, killer waves mounted to heights of 25 to 30 feet.
I saw my house being virtually uprooted. My family members and I were thrashed back and forth. Because of the force of the water, my attempts to hold on to coconut trees failed. I saw my mother holding on to my wife and attempting to grab hold of a tree. In a little while, the water washed me farther away till I lost sight of them.
Somehow I caught hold of a tree after being injured. Utterly weary and weak, I could hardly cry. Taking out even the last drop of energy left in me, I searched for my family members, but to no avail. The deadly trauma lasted for about three hours, and I watched many children and women being washed away in front of my eyes. I saw the dead bodies of my neighbors floating in the water. Since I myself was fighting for life, I could only watch with tears but could not help.
After the dreadful nightmare, the water slowly went down, and I could hear screaming and weeping everywhere. Being carried about half a kilometer from my home, I searched for my loved ones. Finally I saw my mother alive but extremely exhausted, and she could barely utter a word.
A little way from there, I saw the still body of my wife terribly jammed inside a broken concrete fence. I felt as if I was fainting but somehow I gathered strength and pulled her out, thinking she is alive. To my shock I learned that she was already dead. I carried her body to the place where my house was, but as I reached the spot, I could see nothing but a pile of rubble. Later with many other dead bodies recovered from nearby, I buried my wife.
My only means of survival is as a fisherman. The only thing that I owned was a small boat and fishing net. This devastating event destroyed the boat, nets and every possible means of survival. Today, I have no house, no clothes except that which I wear, and no means to survive.
Since we've lost our houses and a warning was issued from the government regarding aftershocks, we have been evacuated to the nearby relief camp (now holding nearly 1,500 people). There seems to be no possibility of returning to the same village until the place is declared safe and the ruined houses are rebuilt.
Today we completely rely on help from organizations like Gospel for Asia. We are settled in the camps temporarily. I do not know what I am going to do. I have nothing left to begin life. To continue fishing I must have a boat and fishing net, which I lost. The only shelter that I called home is gone. It's even hard to identify the place my house once was.
For thousands of tsunami survivors like Rjelal, cramped, unsanitary facilities are their only refuge as they mourn the loss and shock of the destruction. Gospel for Asia's workers are doing everything they can to relieve the suffering, bringing these devastated people both the physical aid and spiritual comfort that they need so badly.
Donate to Tsunami Relief
Donate by Telephone
