KEPALA BATAS: It has been six years but the fishing community in Kuala Muda here can still remember the "claws" of the 2004 tsunami. Their voices shake as they speak about the fateful day when the sea, which had been very kind to them turned into a "monster", lashing out in fury.
Although they have moved on with their lives since the Dec 26, 2004 incident, the disaster continues to haunt them.
Veteran fisherman Yaapar Ismail, 63, said everybody was caught off-guard despite the strange signs that appeared several days before the tragedy.
Yaapar, or Pak Ngah as he is fondly known as, said a week before the tsunami, the fishermen netted huge catches.
"We normally took home catches worth RM200 and RM300 daily but several days prior to the tragedy, the catches skyrocketed and we were earning between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a day. It was unbelievable."
Yaapar said it was a bizarre phenomenon but little did the fishermen realise what was really going on underneath the ocean bed.
Two days before the tsunami, Yaapar said he and the other fishermen spotted dozens of dolphins in the Kuala Muda waters.
"It was like they were running away from something," he said.
When the deadly tidal waves struck, Yaapar said he was at his nephew's wedding and the house was near the sea.
"It was 12.45pm and the tents were packed with guests. Someone pointed to the sea and we saw whitish lines.
"We did not suspect anything was amiss until 30 minutes later, when the waves grew bigger and hit the buoy located about one nautical mile off the Kuala Muda coast. The lines turned into huge waves and struck the beach, sending the guests running helter-skelter."
As the tidal waves receded, the villagers were shocked to see the sea "dry up" as far as one kilometre.
"We were bewildered. It was like the sea had been sucked up by a great power, leaving tonnes of fish on the coastline."
However, nothing prepared the villagers for the second wave which returned with greater force minutes later.
Yaapar said all the wooden huts built along the rock bunds collapsed.
The tragedy claimed two lives in his village while 10 people died in the nearby Kota Kuala Muda village.
Another fisherman, Fauzi Yusof, 49, said the tidal wave swept away everything, but the Kuala Muda folk had the solid rock bunds to be thankful for.
"Otherwise, the damage could have been more devastating," he said.
The father of five said the village was inundated in black water.
His wife, Rohana Ramli, 47, who runs a food stall in front of their house facing the beach, said the waves were four metres high and completely destroyed her stall.
"I was stunned. The only thing on my mind was to get my five children to safety.
"I can never forget all this. The waves were like a fierce monster. The incident will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life."
Read more: Bountiful catch, then disaster http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/12bata/Article#ixzz19L4cTXfo
Although they have moved on with their lives since the Dec 26, 2004 incident, the disaster continues to haunt them.
Veteran fisherman Yaapar Ismail, 63, said everybody was caught off-guard despite the strange signs that appeared several days before the tragedy.
Yaapar, or Pak Ngah as he is fondly known as, said a week before the tsunami, the fishermen netted huge catches.
"We normally took home catches worth RM200 and RM300 daily but several days prior to the tragedy, the catches skyrocketed and we were earning between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a day. It was unbelievable."
Yaapar said it was a bizarre phenomenon but little did the fishermen realise what was really going on underneath the ocean bed.
Two days before the tsunami, Yaapar said he and the other fishermen spotted dozens of dolphins in the Kuala Muda waters.
"It was like they were running away from something," he said.
When the deadly tidal waves struck, Yaapar said he was at his nephew's wedding and the house was near the sea.
"It was 12.45pm and the tents were packed with guests. Someone pointed to the sea and we saw whitish lines.
"We did not suspect anything was amiss until 30 minutes later, when the waves grew bigger and hit the buoy located about one nautical mile off the Kuala Muda coast. The lines turned into huge waves and struck the beach, sending the guests running helter-skelter."
As the tidal waves receded, the villagers were shocked to see the sea "dry up" as far as one kilometre.
"We were bewildered. It was like the sea had been sucked up by a great power, leaving tonnes of fish on the coastline."
However, nothing prepared the villagers for the second wave which returned with greater force minutes later.
Yaapar said all the wooden huts built along the rock bunds collapsed.
The tragedy claimed two lives in his village while 10 people died in the nearby Kota Kuala Muda village.
Another fisherman, Fauzi Yusof, 49, said the tidal wave swept away everything, but the Kuala Muda folk had the solid rock bunds to be thankful for.
"Otherwise, the damage could have been more devastating," he said.
The father of five said the village was inundated in black water.
His wife, Rohana Ramli, 47, who runs a food stall in front of their house facing the beach, said the waves were four metres high and completely destroyed her stall.
"I was stunned. The only thing on my mind was to get my five children to safety.
"I can never forget all this. The waves were like a fierce monster. The incident will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life."
Read more: Bountiful catch, then disaster http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/12bata/Article#ixzz19L4cTXfo
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