2004-12-26 Tsunami Nine years after

25 December 2013 06:30 pm - 0 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

Portraits of Resilience

A mother’s nightmare

Nagalakshmi, lost two of her children in the Tsunami
"I loved and lost and survived" Rae Carson

Since 2004, December 26 marks the death anniversaries of two of Nagalakshmi’s children.
“I lost my only son and one of my daughters to the atrocious waves. We have not found their bodies to this day,” she says heaving a loud sigh.

A resident of Periyakallaru, she was a mother of nine children but only seven survive today.

“Everything happened so fast that day. We were inside the house when we heard some of our neighbours screaming for help, claiming the sea was gushing ashore. I only remember stepping out of the house to check and seeing a giant wall of water hurling towards our houses. I froze in shock and got caught in the strong current and the next thing I remember is waking up on a hospital bed in Kalawanchikudy where I spent close to six months, suffering in pain,” she tells. Nagalakshmi says she had accidentally swallowed the sea water that had rushed in with the Tsunami wave and it created a plethora of health issues for her.

“I was unable to consume any food for six months. I was fed through tubes and I kept coughing up some blackish substance. To this day, my body has not regained normalcy,” she adds.

Nagalakshmi’s husband had died about a year ago and now she is completely dependent on her three daughters, with whom she lives.

“We lost everything to the Tsunami; our house, our belongings. But those are things that can be bought unlike my children’s lives. There is no pain greater than having to outlive your children. . .” she says as she breaks down in tears.

(LP)

Recollection of a bloody Sunday

Survivor and aspiring lawyer, 16 year-old Sangeetha
"To live is to be haunted "- Philip K. Dick

“We were at the Sunday mass when we heard a deafening blare from behind the church. I was very young and I remember feeling even smaller as the crowd in the church began darting outside, screaming the terrorists were attacking the village,” 16 year-old Sangeetha Komalapalam - an aspiring lawyer says as she awakens the faint memories of that odious morning nine years ago.

Sangeetha was among the 33 girls of the Herman’s Girls’ Home (an orphanage managed by the church) who partook in the morning mass at the St. Andrew’s Church in Periyaneelavanai, Batticaloa on December 26, 2004. It hadn’t taken long for the church-devotees who mistook the commotion outside for a terrorist attack to realize they were in fact attempting to outrun a ferocious sea wave.

“As our warden took us outside midst the chaotic crowds, I remember seeing a giant, grey wave that reached as high as that tree, coming at us from the distance. . ,” Sangeetha says pointing towards a lone Palmyra tree bordering the beach.

“I suppose our warden foresaw the danger and dragged us back into the church. Few seconds later, a giant wave swooshed past the church. That was the last time I saw our Pastor’s wife and his baby,” she says adding the rest of the events that expired are a complete blur. She says she cannot remember much except for few flashbacks.

“I remember visiting the church grounds about two weeks later to find nothing left except for debris and rubble. It was only about a month later that my parents were able to visit me because the roads had been blocked following the Tsunami. I was very young then and did not quite grasp the gravity of what I witnessed. But I recall that for the longest time I was afraid to sleep alone in my room because I felt like I was being haunted by the souls of those who died on the church grounds that morning -sometimes I still feel that way . . .”

(LP)

Miracle Believer

Former Principal and survivor, V. Sugumar
“Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles is not a realist” - David Ben-Gurion

Resident of Kallaru, V. Sugumar firmly believes he was spared the wrath of the Tsunami wave by the grace of God.

“A total of seven people were reported dead in my village and several others went missing. My wife and I could have easily fallen prey just like them. We were even caught in the wave, slapped against rocks and trees but instead of being dragged out into the sea, we were rescued by some villagers while we were floating about, caught in the current,” he tells, recalling his memories.

“The sky appeared just like today, dark and angry and one could almost sense the evil that nature was about to unleash upon us,” he adds while pointing at the sky, gloomy with heavy rain clouds.

When Sugumar saw the angry wave in the distance, he had climbed up a coconut tree nearby.

“I was at the church, participating in the morning mass. My wife was unable to attend that morning and she was at home. I kept praying for her safety because there was nothing more I could do. Once the two waves crashed below me and subsided, I gradually descended and helped our Pastor look for his wife and baby. I suppressed my need to go home because I wanted to help those in most need. But our efforts were not successful. Few hours later, I went home to find our house damaged but my wife safe and sound. It was truly a miracle!” Sugumar says with certainty.

(LP)

A fighter

Survivor and former fisherman, A. S. Niswar
“A man can be destroyed but not defeated” - Ernest Hemingway

An armless man who was standing on the beach while staring at the blue ocean with a pensive look on his face, recollecting the Tsunami disaster says he lost his arm during the Tsunami wave.

“Before the Tsunami I used to work as a fisherman. And when the Tsunami came, I was returning home from the sea. When we were almost nearing the shore, suddenly a very strong wave came from the ocean as a flood and washed us away back into the sea while separating us from the boat.

“I was trying hard to stay without sinking, while desperately fighting with the waves, when suddenly a boat came and hit me. I don’t know whether it was our boat or not. But it was the sharp edge of a boat with a blade, and with the strong gush of water that came; my arm got caught to the sharp blade and cut its way through while pouring blood into the ocean. Since that day, I have been an armless man,” A.S. Niswar who was a 45 year old resident living in that area said.

This former fisherman is now unemployed and left with no option to support his family of four.
“I go begging to make ends meet,” he adds.

“Earlier our house used to be on the shore. But the Tsunami completely destroyed it nine years ago. However, after the Tsunami disaster, I and my family were given a house in a flat in this area by an NGO during the Tsunami reconstruction period. Now we live there,” Niswar told us while looking sadly at the sea. (JP)

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 0

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

2004-12-26 Tsunami Nine years after

Portraits of Resilience

A mother’s nightmare

Recollection of a bloody Sunday

Miracle Believer

A fighter

Comments - 0

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Western purple-faced langurs see blue!

Most Viewed in News

No decision to declare April 15 as public holiday

Suspicious death of 23-year-old woman at hotel sparks concerns

Belgian traveller scammed in Kalutara

Confusion remains if April 15 is a bank holiday

Sri Lanka defaults on USD 6 billion payment despite rising reserves: Patali

23 year old youth ends up having his testicles removed

MIRROR CRICKET

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings

Chamodi, Dewmi spins Sri Lanka U19 Women to big win

Amir, Wasim return to Pakistan national team

Sri Lanka captain quashes retirement speculation; sets sight on T20 World Cup Qualifiers

TODAY'S HEADLINES

Ruwan calls on Kotte Sri Kalyani Mahanayake Thera

Effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s legal system is questioned over alleged corruption: Chief Delegate

Public inconvenienced due to lack of transport

Ex-soldiers joining Russian military as mercenaries, Sri Lanka seeks details

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings

Security raised for Champions League ties after threat

SLA target four events at Paris Olympic Games

Chamodi, Dewmi spins Sri Lanka U19 Women to big win