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  • Asia: Tourists From CIS Among Those Missing, Killed In Tsunamis

    Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
    Dec 30 2004

    Asia: Tourists From CIS Among Those Missing, Killed In Tsunamis
    By Antoine Blua


    With more than 100,000 people reported dead so far as a result of the
    South Asian tsunami disaster, governments and relief agencies are
    rushing to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of survivors. The
    region is a popular holiday destination for tourists from around the
    world, including the countries in the Commonwealth of Independent
    States (CIS). Thousands of holiday makers are reported either dead or
    missing, including nearly 50 Russian and Kazakh tourists. Citizens
    from other CIS states were also traveling in the disaster zone.


    Prague, 30 December 2004 (RFE/RL) -- A government plane airlifted
    home the first group of Russian tourists from Sri Lanka yesterday.

    Stanislav, who was among the 21 tourists evacuated, described to
    Reuters what he saw.

    "Of course, it was terrifying," Stanislav said. "We didn't know where
    to go. We wanted to hide as high above the ground as possible because
    we didn't know how big the wave was going to be."

    The Russian tourists sought assistance from the Russian Embassy in
    the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, where they received food and
    clothing. They complained that they felt let down by tour operators.
    No one required medical assistance.

    At least two Russian tourists -- a Moscow woman and her 6-year-old
    son -- were killed in Thailand when the tsunami struck the country's
    southern island of Phuket.

    A plane dispatched today is due to start evacuating Russian tourists
    from Thailand. The Russian Embassy in Bangkok has registered almost
    600 Russians as "safe and sound." More than 40 Russians are still
    unaccounted for, however.

    Some Russian tourists, such as Natalya, had just arrived in Sri Lanka
    when the tsunami hit.

    "We had just arrived [in Colombo] when it all happened," Natalya
    said. "So we did not even have our holiday started there. And we are
    grateful to the [Russian] Emergency Ministry. We just flew in and
    out."

    In Belarus, authorities say 41 citizens were in the region when
    disaster struck, but no deaths have been reported.

    Belarusian businessman Ihar Makalovich explained how his brother, who
    was visiting Thailand, escaped the tsunami.

    "He and his girlfriend went up to the hills to take pictures at that
    moment. This is what saved them. Their hotel was destroyed
    completely," Makalovich said.

    Some 75 Kazakh tourists were evacuated from Thailand earlier this
    week.

    Lada Li returned to Kazakhstan from southern Thailand after the
    tsunami struck.

    "It was really horrible, so horrible that the water rose above the
    second floor, breaking windows and sweeping people away," Li said.

    Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said yesterday that five Kazakh
    nationals, including two children, remain in hospital on Phuket.
    Three other Kazakh citizens remain missing.

    Azerbaijan's ambassador to India, Tamerlan Karaev, said he is
    optimistic about the fate of 17 Azerbaijani tourists believed to have
    been traveling in South Asia.

    "Fortunately, we haven't received any bad news so far about their
    fates," Karaev said.

    Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamlet Gasparian said he has no
    specific information but does not rule out that some Armenians may
    have been traveling in the disaster zone.

    "We called the Thai Consulate in Yerevan, and they said no visas were
    issued to Armenians prior to the disaster," Gasparian said. "And the
    [Armenian] Embassy in India has no data about whether there were any
    Armenians in the disaster zones. As for the Armenians living in the
    region, we don't have any information. But it is possible that there
    were some Armenians who flew to these countries from Moscow."Some
    travel agencies continue to send tourists to resorts in the region
    that were unaffected by the tsunamis.

    Many survivors of the tsunami lack proper food and medical help, and
    also face the threat of disease from the lack of clean drinking water
    and poor sanitation. Indian authorities have also warned that high
    waves could strike southern coastal areas again.

    Foreign governments are advising their citizens not to travel to the
    region.

    Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Mukhtar Karibai spoke with RFE/RL
    in Astana.

    "As a result of the natural disaster that took place in Southeast
    Asian countries, there is a high threat of communicable diseases in
    that area," Karibai said. "In addition to that, some foreign weather
    forecast services report the possibility of a recurrence of such
    natural disasters as earthquakes. Taking into consideration all of
    the above, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry advises Kazakh citizens not to
    travel to this area temporarily, either for business or for private
    trips."

    However, some travel agencies continue to send tourists to resorts in
    the region that were unaffected by the tsunamis. Many tourists from
    the CIS risk losing the money they have already paid for their
    holidays if they don't complete their trips.

    "The situation at those resorts doesn't always correspond to what you
    see on television," said Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for Russia's
    Association of Travel Agencies. "In fact, there are nice inland
    hotels. There is a warning [about travel to the region] from
    epidemiologists, from the Foreign Ministry, and the Federal Tourism
    Agency. And Sri Lanka's Embassy is asking [Russia] to suspend flights
    to their country. And the airport in Colombo is asking [Russia] not
    to send any planes there. And Phuket [in Thailand] is asking for
    tourists not to be sent there but [instead] to Pattaya and other
    provinces. We can't forbid people to go there. It is their right. Our
    border is open."

    Tyurina said a charter flight yesterday to Phuket was full, and that
    no flights to the Maldives have yet been canceled.

    Officials in Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka region say about 180
    tourists left the peninsula for Thailand yesterday.
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