Meulaboh

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Mosque in Meulaboh

Meulaboh (or Moulabouh) is the capital of Kabupaten Aceh Barat, Indonesia. Meulaboh is among the hardest hit areas by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Being just 150 km from the epicenter of the earthquake, Meulaboh was hit by tsunami, leaving the estimated deaths of 40,000 people out of 120,000.^{[citation needed]}

1 Geography
2 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake event
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Meulaboh is about 245 km southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province. Meulaboh is located in westhern part Sumatra island (geo loc.: 4°8′N 96°7′ECoordinates: 4°8′N 96°7′E).

[edit] 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake event

Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicle from USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) is delivering materials and supplies needed by the citizens of Meulaboh.

For more details on this topic, see 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia said that the final count might reach 400,000 dead (for all of Indonesia).

"The casualty rates in Meulaboh defy imagination," said Aitor Lacomba, Indonesian director of aid group International Rescue Committee. "Tens of thousands need immediate assistance there."

A damaged airstrip has been cleared enabling International Red Cross medical teams from Japan, Spain and Singapore to begin treating survivors.

"There is a strong smell of putrefaction and, whilst body retrieval has commenced, it can be assumed that there are still hundreds, possibly thousands of bodies remaining underneath the debris," said Red Cross engineer Sara Escudero.

The Red Cross said it would use Meulaboh as an aid staging post for the Sumatran west coast, as Singapore deployed a second helicopter landing ship there on Tuesday, with 200 men, food supplies and trucks.

The Environmental group Greenpeace is sending its flagship, Rainbow Warrior, to Meulaboh with aid and a team from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).