True frigment

Shoes and other belongings of the victims are seen on the bridge over the Tigris river, in Baghdad. (Photo: AP 01/09/05)

Since 9.11, everyday we open a newspaper is like watching a Hollywood movie: from human contagion to natural diaster, from terrorist attack to war among mankind, from plane crush to freak accident, we confront with unpredictable tragedy day in day out. The more advance we are, the more problem we have. The recent stories covered Katrina hurricane swipes across New Orleans are so similar to The Day after Tomorrow. People are facing with dwindled food and water and desperately to run away from their flooded home in army trucks. Tears of Boxing Day tsunami is still lingering in our lids, the outcries of London bombing are still reframing our security conscious, even yesterday’s suicide bombing in Iraq that killed thousands of innocents are still inflaming our guts, all the flimflam figment of Hollywood come true. Our world is not safe anymore.


Hitting the road: Stranded residents carrying a few belongings try to find a way out of the city. (Photo: Reuters 02/09/05)

Counting the cost of Katrina
By Jason Reed
News Orleans
and Mark Coultan
September 2, 2005

SURVIVORS are evacuating the shattered city of New Orleans as authorities confront growing lawlessness and desperation after hurricane Katrina's ravaging of the US Gulf Coast.

President George Bush, who flew over the region, called it one of the worst natural disasters in America's history. "This recovery will take years," he said.

A million people fled the area before Katrina struck, but tens of thousands were thought to be trapped in the city.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said there were also many bodies in the water and others hidden from view. Asked how many, he said: "Minimum hundreds, possibly thousands."

Mr Nagin declared a state of martial law in the city and ordered police to drop their search-and-rescue operations to concentrate on stopping widespread looting and violence.

Gunshots repeatedly rang out and fires flared as looters broke into stores, houses, hospitals and offices — some in search of food, others looking for anything of value.

As more National Guard and army troops headed into the historic city to help with relief efforts, thousands of weary residents waited hours or waded through floodwaters to try to catch rides out of New Orleans.
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Stranded people grew even more desperate yesterday as food and water supplies dwindled. Some pushed shopping carts filled with belongings. Others pleaded for food.

A convoy of some 300 buses began shuttling more than 20,000 people holed up in miserable conditions in the Superdome football stadium to Houston's Astrodome. Passengers described harrowing conditions in the Superdome, where the sewerage was not working and the water was contaminated.

Mr Nagin estimated it may be 16 weeks before residents can return after the 225 km/h winds and a nine-metre wall of water hit the coast on Monday.

Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu said she had heard at least 50 to 100 people were dead in New Orleans, while in Mississippi, the death toll topped 200. Governor Haley Barbour said it was "just the greatest devastation I've ever seen".

Floodwaters have finally stopped rising in New Orleans, which is mostly below sea level.

The Bush Administration declared a public health emergency and is working with Congress on emergency legislation to assist recovery efforts.

The Administration also said it would release oil from the nation's strategic reserves to offset losses in the Gulf of Mexico, where production shut down.

UN emergency relief co-ordinator, Jan Egeland, said Katrina could dwarf the devastation of other recent natural disasters in terms of economic costs. It was "one of the most destructive natural disasters ever".
President George Bush speaks from the White House after cutting short his holiday to oversee the country's response to the disaster.

President George Bush speaks from the White House after cutting short his holiday to oversee the country's response to the disaster.
Photo:Reuters

Australia has offered to send two specialist emergency managers to help with recovery operations and the Government says it will send more help if needed.