Heaven and Hell in One Place

Shopkeepers, who lost their means of living, could only stare blankly at the sky. Carts were destroyed, prepared ingredients were thrown away and customers stopped coming.

Mask-wearing soldiers turned cars right side up and rescued people trapped under stones. Because they worked with their hands without the aid of cranes, the speed of work was very slow. Beachside, which was full of holiday vacationers, including Korean tourists has been taken over by a death shadow.

The window glass of the Meridian Hotel, near the seashore, has been broken, and its outdoor swimming pool is full of dirt. The manager said, “We are sending out our customers because water and electric supplies have been cut. We do not know when we will be able to receive them again.”

The tsunami affected the coast. The road connecting Caron beach south of Paton beach and Carta beach are full of broken glass and rubbish even after three days since the disaster.

Agneta Goustaphson, a Swedish tourist resting at the Carta Beach Resort, said, “On Sunday around 10 in the morning, a massive wave hit the hotel after the sea ebbed 300 meters. The water increased up to my breast so I grabbed a pillar so as not to be washed away.” She was planning to leave tomorrow, but cannot leave yet, so she is staying here for the moment.

Hospitals Are the Busiest Places in Phuket-

Phuket Bangkok International Hospital, where 10 Koreans hurt in the Phi Phi Islands on Sunday are currently staying, is holding 20 to 30 percent more patients than its capacity. Beds were full, with endless emergency patients arriving. Fortunately, all the Korean patients left the hospital yesterday.

Hyung-June Park lovesong@donga.com