Wednesday, December 29 2004 11:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Car Nicobar: As the AN-32 cargo aircraft of the Indian Air Force approached the Tsunami buffeted Car Nicobar Island in the Andamans, a trail of destruction was visible as far as eye could see.

The damaged Air Traffic Control, columns of uprooted trees, collapsed houses and a short distance away, the IAF (Indian Air Force) base razed to the ground, remained mute witness to what happened 'out of the blue' on the morning after Christmas Day.

A few clothes were still hanging out to dry from one of the surviving buildings, a broken refrigerator was perched on a tree and household articles like plates, fans, geysers, suitcases, inverters, and even neck ties, lay strewn about.

It all started with a tremor at around 6:30 hrs (IST) on Sunday (Dec 26, 2004) when the entire island rocked like a boat making it difficult for one to stand.

"Then came the sea with all its might smack into homes," station commander, Group Captain V V Bandhopadhyay said.

"I saw three buildings collapse before my very eyes and then a huge column of water came rushing towards me. All around men, women and children were running for their lives. But it was too late. We lost about 100 IAF personnel," he said.

Today hundreds of people, including women clutching toddlers, were waiting to be evacuated as AN32 and IL76 aircrafts made sortie after sortie evacuating the distressed and flying in relief material and drinking water.

"Inspite of the disaster, efforts are being made to keep up the morale of those who lost all," Group Captain Bandhopadhyay said. "The biggest challenge is to provide drinking water to the people."

No one in his or her wildest dreams could imagine that such a disaster could strike. "We are living here for 40 years, but never in the past did anything like this happen," T Balakrishnan, a local said.

"In the morning, I felt the tremor and then heard a roaring sound. When I came out of my house, I saw a huge column of water about 20 metres in height. I did not look back and ran," K Balraj, another resident said.

Had the tsunami hit the island just an hour ago many more would have died in their sleep, he said.

Naik Avtar Singh of the IAF, who returned home early in the morning after his night shift said, "Initially I thought my head was reeling and I could not stand. But then when I heard people screaming for help, I immediately came out. I took my bicycle and pedalled for life as the water came chasing after me. I hurriedly dismounted and began running as water began coming from all sides. I thought I would not survive. But I did," Singh said.

Another IAF personnel said that he was feeling 'guilty' as two of his friend's children died, though he fought to save them.

His friend's wife and their three and a half year old son and eight month old baby boy had arrived just a week before.

"When the water started, coming my friend's wife gave me her elder son while she took up the baby. But the waters were cruel. The son and baby were plucked away from us and swept away to their deaths," he recounted. "I feel guilty somehow."

Local residents said that as the towering column of water advanced, the ground seemed to burst from beneath and water began gushing out from all directions.

Many of the injured were still trapped in the jungles where they had been swept away. They were yet to be rescued, they said.

Bodies were lying in villages some distance away as the civil administration could not cope with the situation "and epidemics might break out," another local added.