Tuesday, January 11 2005 10:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Port Blair: A wireless operator, who saved thousands of lives on the Black Sunday with what he calls his personal early warning system, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has earned the sobriquet of 'Father Teresa'.

The 39-year old Razzak Ali from the southern Andamanese Island of Teressa in the Nancowry group knew well ahead of the tsunamis that they are going to strike, thanks to his passion for environment channels on TV.

On December 26, this wireless operator at the port control tower of the Island saw the sea churn ferociously and recede to immediately understand what was in store.

''Oh my God! Tsunamis are coming,'' he shouted from the tower and ran down to warn everybody around.

While on his way to the interior of the Island, he saw a moped rider Md Nazam passing by and asked him to spread the bad news.

''Everyone, run to higher grounds,'' he shouted at the top of his voice.

In a little while, the mighty waves start crashing against the port building and the police station, Ali who is currently posted as a wireless operator in Diglipur in north Andaman after his evacuation from Teressa, 380 kms south of Port Blair, recounts the day with horror.

''I used to see the National Geographic channel and know what the tsunami is all about. That it would strike Andaman some day was something I never thought,'' he said.

Though the official population of Teressa is 3,500 with only one official death listed due do the tsunami, Ali and Nazam say at least 50 people were killed by the giant waves.

But for Ali, thousands could have died, says Ranjan Majumder, an inhabitant of Teressa, now evacuated to Port Blair.