Reply #40: Emergency declared in the Maldives

[Minstrel Boy]

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (Reuters) -- The Maldives declared a state of emergency on Sunday after a tsunami wave deluged the remote Indian Ocean island cluster and flooded two thirds of the capital. Officials said 10 people were feared dead.

Seawater poured into the heavily built-up streets of Male, forcing residents to wade thigh-high to try and save their vehicles. Many cars were swamped and unsalvagable.

The international airport was unusable.

Television footage showed Maldivians wading through Male, picking up debris and garbage. The government was unable to reach many of the archipelago's more remote islands because phone lines were down.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/quake.maldives.reut/