Singapore-headquartered natural gas player Conrad Asia Energy has disclosed information about its recent commercialization activities for shallow-water gas discoveries in two production-sharing contracts (PSCs) located off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh Province including a potential small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant the past two years have been spent exploring commercialization options for the current discoveries in shallow water areas of Offshore North West Aceh (Meulaboh) (ONWA) and Offshore South West Aceh (Singkil) (OSWA) discoveries near shore as well the multi-trillion cubic feet (Tcf) prospective resource potential in deep-water areas relatively close to shore (approximately 30 km offshore) The natural gas player holds 100% operated interests in both PSCs offshore Indonesia, which were won in November 2022 and signed in January 2023 Each PSC has a 30-year tenure to develop the existing discoveries and explore additional resources which contains the Meulaboh-1 and Meulaboh East-1 gas discovery wells A screening exercise was commissioned to test the technical and commercial feasibility of a small-scale LNG plant (under 0.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa)) as an outlet for gas from the Meulaboh Main and East discoveries The study confirmed this to be a feasible gas commercialization option due to its nearshore location and flow-testing which showed almost pure methane content.  competent person reports (CPRs) estimated a gross (100%) 2C contingent resource of 214 Bcf of sales gas (161.5 Bcf net attributable to Conrad) in three of the four discovered gas accumulations in the two PSCs Meulaboh and Meulaboh East as a cluster were estimated to hold 86.9 Bcf and Singkil 74.6 Bcf of the amount net attributable to Conrad The CPRs for ONWA and OSWA ascribed an NPV of $88 million net attributable to Conrad Conrad Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer noted: “The CPRs have indicated the value of our discovered resources at US$88 million based on a domestic market commercialization option Additional options are now being evaluated which include gas to power We have been working to mature some of these options in partnership with PGN Indonesia’s largest gas company and the small-scale LNG option is looking particularly favorable as several of such projects are now being brought into commercial production.”  Plans are underway to acquire up to 500 square kilometers of modern 3D seismic data in each PSC to delineate near-field low-risk drilling opportunities and continue to evaluate the deepwater prospective targets several large structures with multi-Tcf potential have been identified in the deepwater area The environmental permits for the seismic acquisition are expected in Q4 2024.  “Conrad’s two Aceh PSCs which cover both shallow and deep-water areas have four gas discoveries in shallow water and large low-risk exploratory potential in the deep water especially considering the historical exploratory success rates in the shallow-water geological play type of close to 70% We aim to bolster our discovered resources in the shallow-water areas with the upcoming 3D seismic,” said Xynogalas Prospective resources in the Aceh PSCs exceed 15 Tcf of recoverable gas (P50 100%) of which circa 11 Tcf (P50) are net attributable to Conrad Seismic studies of these structures show gas chimneys and flat spots providing direct indications for the presence of hydrocarbons The Singaporean firm claims several partners have expressed their interest in a prospective farm-down of some of its participating interests in the ONWA and OSWA PSCs Conrad signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesia’s Pertamina to cooperate in using the gas from discovered gas resources from its ONWA and OSWA PSCs for liquefaction The two intend to further mature the small-scale LNG opportunity for the discovered Aceh resources and investigate its options for the gross prospective resources The duo plans to cooperate in the development and maintenance of possible small-scale LNG infrastructure and natural gas sales The deal also covers broader cooperation relating to the two blocks including a joint study of commercialization schemes for gas and LNG supply a plan for developing gas and LNG infrastructure The partners have since agreed that commercializing the gas discoveries in the form of small-scale LNG and transportation to the nearest LNG receiving terminal is the preferred development option The latter is said to be one of the many opportunities that exist in the immediate area of the resources The potential market for gas in the area is described as strong including refined products from mining companies where Conrad claims to be engaged with potential gas buyers Conrad is developing another field offshore Indonesia – Mako, believed to contain 2C contingent resources of 376 Bcf. Steps towards its commercialization were taken in July when a binding gas sales agreement (GSA) for the sale and purchase of the domestic portion of gas was signed with Pertamina A final investment decision is expected by the year’s end Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox Ingersoll Rand Engineering Project Solutions At Ingersoll Rand’s Engineering Project Solutions we have been managing and implementing engineered to-order air packages for complex technical requirements for over 60 years We provide specialized custom compressed air and gas compressors as well as nitrogen generation packages to international EPC contractors and engineering companies across a range of […] Urge lawmakers to protect this lifesaving funding now “The devastation was unimaginable,” said Arianto Andrian describing what he experienced in Indonesia as he recalled the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that struck the shores of South and Southeast Asian countries on December 26 Arianto had planned to meet his friends at a Ulee Lheue beach when the earth beneath him shook violently knocking people to the ground and toppling buildings Arianto and a friend hopped on his motorbike to head to the city center struggling to maintain control as the tremors continued “When we reached the bridge near the Grand Mosque shouting that the water was rising,” said Arianto “We had never heard the word ‘tsunami’ before and I had no idea what was happening.” Arianto was in Banda Aceh the closest major city to the epicenter of the magnitude 9.62 earthquake off the west coast of Aceh province in Sumatra With an estimated death toll of around 170,000 more than 230,000 lost their lives and millions were displaced The natural disaster was one of the world’s deadliest in history and the deluge of wreckage that washed into communities Arianto waded through waist-deep water in search of family Unpredictable aftershocks occurred for days afterwards “[The smell of] decomposing bodies filled the air and there were fears of disease outbreaks,” said Arianto “Volunteers worked tirelessly to collect bodies for mass burials.” Arianto made his way to Meulaboh to check on family when he met Mercy Corps team members who asked to rent this motorbike in exchange for fuel He began to assist Mercy Corps with translating for survivors who spoke Acehnese and was eventually offered a job on the team Arianto went on to work with Mercy Corps for 20 years and his first assignments were to help his community recover from the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami “The 2004 tsunami was a turning point in global disaster response leading to groundbreaking efforts in disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness,” said Ade Soekadis Mercy Corps Executive Director for Indonesia as one of the first organizations on location to offer aid Mercy Corps launched its largest-ever disaster response It also marked a turning point that has shaped how we approach disaster preparedness “The early days of working with Mercy Corps in post-tsunami Aceh were incredibly challenging,” said Dasci Fadihu who had been helping with the recovery effort in the immediate aftermath and eventually joined Mercy Corps in late 2005 The situation was dire with limited electricity Mercy Corps delivered critical lifesaving supplies like food rations we distributed tools and paid locals to clear debris and rebuild public facilities like schools and healthcare facilities—providing a lifeline to more than 423,000 people in 64 villages helping communities to buy essential items that met their most urgent need—an approach that is now standard in humanitarian responses that was groundbreaking 20 years ago Cash assistance offered greater flexibility and autonomy for communities setting a new benchmark in humanitarian aid that has since been widely adopted Now a standard of our disaster response toolkit cash assistance helps people recover in ways that best work for them And it is effective in part because it can be quickly acquired and distributed while also keeping local markets afloat during a critical time “[Mercy Corps emergency response] taught me that effective humanitarian response requires more than just immediate relief—it involves a nuanced understanding of the local context and a genuine commitment to supporting communities in rebuilding their lives,” said Dasci the cash-for-work program provided an opportunity for the community to convene and support one another while delivering vital services Participants helped clear mud from homes and schools Many participants used their earnings to start small businesses who began as an intern during the 2005 recovery efforts and is now a Mercy Corps regional program advisor saw how deeply the disaster affected community members She supported a mental health activity to help parents and children heal from the trauma they experienced It was almost eight months after the tsunami when Mercy Corps organized games and activities for several villages in Aceh to bring people together during a difficult time “I had the opportunity to monitor these activities across various villages,” said Piva “It was heartwarming to see previously solemn and withdrawn community members become cheerful and engaged during the competitions.”   Mercy Corps approach to supporting communities in the wake of disasters was inclusive of the different types of aid people may need From essential supplies to mental health support partnerships with the community helped to identify the type of aid they received and needed most partnerships with communities across Indonesia focused on strengthening disaster preparedness Mercy Corps worked with communities to develop risk management plans rebuild critical infrastructure like schools and health clinics and supported over 1,000 farmers with seeds and tools to restore devastated rice fields Mercy Corps worked with local financial institutions to provide funding to small business owners in need “One of my most memorable experiences was supporting a clothing seller at the Aceh Market,” said Dewi Hanifah who was part of a team supporting entrepreneurs to recover after the tsunami The clothing seller was one of many small business owners who grew his business with the support of the loan By embedding disaster readiness into local government strategies and helping to rebuild livelihoods the initiative laid the groundwork for resilience Mercy Corps launched a dedicated team of emergency responders delivering lifesaving relief in the wake of more than 20 disasters Mercy Corps has collaborated with local governments to create evacuation maps and deploy cutting-edge early warning systems to strengthen disaster preparedness communities in disaster-prone Indonesia are undeniably safer and better able to withstand crises than they were two decades ago thanks to locally led efforts like community-based disaster response teams and regular evacuation drills,” said Ade I can confidently say communities would fare far better.” who continued to work with Mercy Corps since that large-scale emergency response 20 years ago reflected on his part in supporting the efforts in 2004 “It has been the most transformative journey,” said Arianto “I’m proud to have been part of rebuilding my community.” The focus remains clear for Mercy Corps: supporting communities to cope 86% of our expenses funded program services over the last 5 years Rush your support to help keep life-saving aid flowing to families facing war agar dibebaskan membayar denda dan biaya pemulihan hutan gambut yang telah dirusaknya Gugatan perlawanan eksekusi pun didaftarkan ke Pengadilan Negeri Suka Makmue Kallista Alam yang diwakili penasehat hukum dari Duta Keadilan meminta Pengadilan Suka Makmue menyatakan Penetapan Ketua Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh tanggal 22 Januari 2019 tentang Eksekusi Putusan No: 12/Pdt.G /2012/PN-MBO Jo 1 PK/PDT/2017 tidak mempunyai kekuatan hukum Kallista Alam tidak bertanggung jawab atas kebakaran lahan pihak yang dikalahkan harus dipanggil secara patut untuk diberikan peringatan menjalankan putusan penetapan menjalankan putusan ditentukan setelah delapan hari pemanggilan Kallista Alam maupun kuasa hukumnya tidak pernah menerima panggilan sah dan patut sehingga tidak pernah menerima peringatan,” terang kuasa hukum perusahaan yang diwakili Sri Yuni Hartati Kabupaten Aceh Barat mengabulkan permohonan eksekusi dan meminta Ketua Pengadilan Negeri Suka Makmue melelang aset PT Kallista Alam dengan perantara Kantor Pelayanan Kekayaan Negera dan Lelang Banda Aceh dengan sertifikat Hak Guna Usaha Nomor 27 seluas 5.769 hektar Baca: Putusan Pengadilan Dieksekusi, Aset PT. Kallista Alam akan Dilelang pegiat lingkungan dari Gerakan Masyarakat Aceh Menggugat semua upaya hukum telah dilakukan dan perusahaan divonis bersalah “Mereka telah selesai dalam upaya mencari keadilan Sudah tidak ada lagi hukum lanjutan,” terangnya Kalista terhadap penetapan Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh sangat aneh Penolakan eksekusi hanya bisa dilakukan pihak ketiga yang merasa berkepentingan terhadap objek eksekusi bukan sebaliknya karena semua putusan hukum telah selesai Kalaupun mereka menilai ada kesalahan putusan sampaikan ke Mahkamah Agung lewat jalur kasasi atau peninjauan kembali kasasi dan peninjauan kembali juga ditolak Mahkamah Agung Direktur Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia [Walhi] Aceh Kallista Alam telah berlarut hingga tidak ada titik temu untuk memperkuat aturan bagi pengrusakan hutan atau lingkungan sejak pertama kasus ini bergulir sudah ada delapan keputusan keluar kasus panjang ini menunjukkan ada kelemahan menjerat perusahaan pemegang hak guna usaha “Gugatan-gugatan hukum memang dibolehkan dalam perspektif hukum keadilan terhadap lingkungan hidup tetap jadi perhatian utama semua pihak,” tegasnya Baca: Putusan Pengadilan Meulaboh Dibatalkan, PT. Kallista Alam Tetap Didenda 366 Miliar Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan [KLHK] pada 2012 menggugat perdata dan pidana PT Kallista Alam ke Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh dalam putusan Nomor 12/pdt.G/2012/PN.MBO Kallista Alam bersalah dan mewajibkan membayar denda Rp114 miliar tunai kepada KLHK melalui rekening kas negara Rp251 miliar untuk pemulihan lingkungan terhadap 1.000 hektar hutan gambut Rawa Tripa yang dibakar perusahaan Putusan PN Meulaboh diperkuat putusan Pengadilan Tinggi dan Mahkamah Agung Kallista Alam yang tidak menerima putusan tersebut menggugat Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan Badan Pertanahan Nasional Kantor Wilayah Provinsi Aceh serta Dinas Penanaman Modal dan Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu Provinsi Aceh ke Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh dengan Nomor Perkara: 16/Pdt.6/2017/PN.Mbo koordinat gugatan perdata yang dicantumkan KLHK dan putusan pengadilan tidak sesuai di lapangan Perusahaan juga menggugat adanya pihak ketiga atau Koperasi Bina Usaha Kita di lahan 1.605 hektar yang telah dicabut izinnya oleh Gubernur Aceh Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh pada 12 April 2018 mengabulkan gugatan PT Kallista Alam dan membebaskan perusahaan tersebut dari segala tuntutan hukum Pengadilan Tinggi Banda Aceh dalam putusan Nomor Perkara 80/PDT-LH/2018/PT.BNA membatalkan putusan Pengadilan Negeri Meulaboh dengan Nomor Perkara 16/Pdt.6/2017/PN.Mbo Kallista Alam tetap harus membayar denda dan biaya pemulihan lahan   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   RSS / XML Puluhan mayat yang ditemukan sepanjang Kamis dikebumikan secara massal di sebuah sudut Kota Meulaboh Jumlah korban tewas dalam bencana Tsunami di Kota Meulaboh diperkirakan mencapai 10 ribu jiwa Site developed by     Copyright © Yedioth Internet who had long lost hope of finding her alive Wati, 15, showed up at a cafe in Meulaboh, in Aceh province, Indonesia earlier this week saying that not long after the wave hit she was found and "adopted" by a woman who forced her to beg in the streets but had very little information to guide her – only the name of her grandfather Someone at the cafe tracked down a man by that name who quickly summoned her parents unsure if it was actually his granddaughter who was given that name by the woman who found her and whose original name is Meri Yuranda The tsunami that struck on 26 December 2004 and killed 230,000 people in a dozen nations which was closest to the epicenter of the magnitude-9.1 earthquake With tens of thousands of bodies never recovered many people cling to the hope of finding lost loved ones often putting up fliers or placing ads in newspapers said she did not need a DNA test to prove the girl was hers "She has her father's face," she said adding that she had stopped believing she would ever see her daughter again "Then I saw the scar over her eye and mole on her hip Wati and her father had different accounts of what happened on the day of the tsunami The girl says she remembers her father putting her into a boat with her sister The father says that before the family was separated he put both of his daughters on the roof of their house Indonesia — There was something about the schoolgirl’s face — her broad forehead Zainuddin went back home and pulled out an old photo of his niece 14-year-old Raudhatul Jannah would be reunited with her family here in West Aceh nearly a decade after she and her older brother were swept from their parents’ grasp by the great tsunami and given up as lost to the sea Jannah’s is one of the happier stories of the children whose lives were upended the morning of Dec 2004 — 10 years ago on Friday — when a monster earthquake shook the Indian Ocean floor triggering giant waves that surged more than 21/2 miles inland on Indonesia’s Sumatra island India and several other countries perished that day most of the thousands of children who were reunited with their parents found them in the first few chaotic weeks when relief agencies poured in and helped desperate families find missing children with photos posted in refugee camps and other places thousands of teachers hired and a post-tsunami baby boom promises to fill the new classrooms for years to come few can say that life has returned to normal for the tsunami children the government estimates that as many as 33,000 children lost one or both parents Many of them are still struggling to adjust Some lost their families altogether and were forced to live for at least a time on the streets or find refuge with benevolent strangers No one can forget the disaster for very long because of subsequent earthquakes here Some children are seized with fear even when it rains “I never go back to the beach,” said Iqbal who like many Indonesians goes by a single name the “thick and black waters” remain as vivid as ever in his mind as do the details of that day when his parents were separated and he lost one of his two sisters and my dad was waiting for her on a motorbike,” Iqbal said There was a big earthquake and suddenly people were shouting Iqbal and his sisters and older brother ran out of the house but one of the girls “ didn’t make it.” He is now living at home with a brother who works as a street merchant selling ginger about 10 percent of the current students lost their mothers or fathers “Many (tsunami) children were toddlers when their fathers got remarried because they had young children and it was hard to raise the family on their own,” he explained said remarriages have caused stress and behavioral problems in some children “Now they have grown up and realize that this is not their real mom,” he said “Some of them keep skipping classes or don’t come to school at all.” 9 was one of about 1,500 schools in Aceh flattened by torrents of water so powerful that a 2,600-ton barge was lifted and dropped nearly 2 miles from shore The tsunami arrived on Sunday morning when school was out but the earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of 45,000 students and 1,820 teachers in Aceh At least eight teachers and an unknown number of students at Junior High No the public school was rebuilt and opened in August 2006 It now has 325 students in the seventh to ninth grades said the students today score lower in tests and seem more distracted and sad than those she taught a decade earlier Aceh children are better off than before the tsunami Scores of international relief groups have helped improve health and hygiene standards Vaccination rates for children are much higher and significantly more youngsters are enrolled in early childhood education Aceh’s mental-health system also has developed although the World Health Organization said funds are drying up Rina Agustina was 4 when her mother carried her out of their house and ran until she tripped on a rope tied to a boat that was carried by the waves The next thing Rina remembers was a group of guys lifting her from the water and taking her upstairs in a house Rina would never see her mother and older sister again And it was a full month before she would be reunited with her father who found her after looking through photos posted at a Save the Children office in Banda Aceh Kamal couldn’t tell for sure whether it was his daughter; the girl in the picture had mud on her face He couldn’t see whether she had Rina’s dimples And none of the children’s photos had names on them the young girl reunited with her parents after nearly a decade After her uncle spotted her standing at a cellphone kiosk in June Jannah had a tearful reunion with her parents within days at the very spot where she and her still-missing brother had been swept away by the waves and presumed dead Jannah’s family announced that Arif also had been found uncles and other relatives in Meulaboh and elsewhere are eager to recount details of the story: how Jannah and Arif clung to a plank of wood after slipping from their parents’ grasp; how both children were rescued by a fisherman who ended up adopting just Jannah; how Arif was mostly homeless said the trauma of the past decade took a toll on 17-year-old Arif He had gone no further than the third grade the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami was triggered by a massive 9.0 magnitude underwater earthquake It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history a series of catastrophic tsunamis that tore across the Indian Ocean killed over 270,000 people and millions were left terrified and homeless The destruction was unlike anything people had ever seen we pause to remember those who lost their lives ten years ago And we're reflecting on the incredible outpouring of generosity from people all over the world to help survivors in their greatest time of need. Because of compassionate supporters like you people in some of the hardest-hit areas were able to survive those first days and communities built back stronger in the years that followed. See photos from our emergency response below we mobilized our largest emergency response to date sending dozens of staff to tsunami-devastated areas with lifesaving relief and supplies Mercy Corps was one of the first humanitarian organizations to arrive in remote areas of India a war-torn coastal region near the epicenter of the deadly earthquake temporary shelter supplies and blankets to help more than half a million people survive immediately after the disaster Building supplies helped people construct temporary shelters for their families We also quickly began building and repairing latrines bringing in water trucks and reconstructing wells and repairing essential health clinics to ensure that survivors stayed healthy in even desperate conditions we helped more than 423,000 people in 64 villages earn daily wages to repair public facilities Local workers cleared and constructed hundreds of miles of roads and cleared debris from more than 32,000 acres of public land This work helped revive the local economy and gave individuals a way to earn income to restore their own livelihoods tools and fertilizer to help farmers earn income after their fields were washed away More than 1,000 farmers were able to replant and harvest their rice fields Sri Lanka and Somalia responded to urgent relief and recovery needs in similar ways: providing emergency relief supplies hiring locals to rebuild roads and public spaces and helping people restart their farms and small businesses With an eye on the future across the tsunami-struck region we also paid workers to repair ruined classrooms and provided supplies uniforms and tuition to help 30,000 children return to school as quickly as possible Mercy Corps provided assistance to more than 1 million survivors of the disaster More than 250 of our field team members and hundreds of local partner staff in the region contributed to this massive effort It's been a decade since the Indian Ocean tsunami but the work that supporters like you made possible has not been forgotten “Much of the disaster response work Mercy Corps is now doing has been informed by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami We learned so many lessons at the time – lessons which are now incorporated into our program design to help ensure that a disaster of that magnitude does not claim that many lives again,” said Indonesia Country Director Paul Jeffrey to make sure communities are more prepared for future disasters and have the resources they need to recover more quickly We've worked with the government and local businesses to create earthquake and tsunami education programs early warning systems and tsunami evacuation maps as well as establishing shelters that are adapted to better withstand a disaster we're focused on improving health in areas where disease and malnutrition are a chronic threat helping communities increase access to water and sanitation and working with new mothers to ensure proper infant care We are also partnering with local people to create new economic opportunities and more inclusive businesses and social enterprises that bring greater prosperity and security to people throughout this region for years to come You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By The Associated PressArif Pratama Arif Pratama was reunited with her mother Jamaliah in Meulaboh Jamaliah is convinced she is the girl separated from them when the village they lived in was hit by the killer waves in 2004 Indonesia — Hours after the tsunami hit their village Jamaliah and her oldest son found her husband Their 4-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son were nowhere to be seen it remains hard for those who survived to understand One of the largest earthquakes ever recorded forced the Indian Ocean to heave gigantic waves at jetliner speeds into Indonesia's westernmost coast Some 230,000 people in 14 countries were killed with Aceh province logging nearly three-quarters of the deaths Around 37,000 bodies were never recovered and presumed swept out to sea — the majority women and children Most of the 1,500 children found after the disaster were returned to their families or taken in by neighbors or friends who uses one name and heads the Aceh provincial Social Affairs Office but news of a few other miraculous meetings over the years left some parents wondering if their own kids might still be alive "The uncertainty of what happened to those children the desperate hope that maybe they did survive somehow that irresistible idea that they might be reunited what parent wouldn't think about that?" said Harry Minas a mental health expert from the University of Melbourne who has worked in Aceh since the tsunami "The grief with that sort of loss can be perpetual." Jamaliah and Rangkuti spent a month and a half searching for their son They scoured areas around their home and traveled for hours on washed-out roads up a chewed-up coast tangled by debris Their home and the entire street were gone — there was nothing for the kids to come back to even if they had survived Rangkuti was so withdrawn and traumatized he wouldn't go near the sea or even look at water in the river and with no money and a surviving son to look after they decided to stay with relatives several hours away in North Sumatra and the family settled in and tried to move on Jamaliah had a baby boy two years after the tsunami and Rangkuti finally started to let go of the grief and guilt that had locked him into a deep depression But neither gave up hope they would one day find their lost children "I believed it in my heart," Jamaliah said "I prayed every night because of the strong emotional connection to my kids I believed we would be together again." He'd had a dream three nights in a row about a girl in Banda Aceh whose headscarf fell away from her hair At first he thought it must be his own daughter he visited a cafe not far from his house and was shocked to see a face that looked just like the one from his dreams it was all identical with the girl in my dream," he said adding that he was convinced she looked just like a younger version of Jamaliah told him the girl was a tsunami orphan taken in by close friends of hers Zainuddin said he later talked to the foster family and discovered that after the disaster a fisherman found her and a boy on the sparsely populated Banyak islands about six and a half hours by car and boat from Jamaliah's house in Meulaboh The girl had little memory of life before the tsunami "I remember when we were on the board I was there with my brother," she said "I was found by someone on the beach and taken to a house Someone took me and someone took my brother." Jamaliah and Rangkuti traveled around 60 miles by bus to meet the girl the mother said it was hard to tell if she was really her child — so much time had passed the girl had lived with three different relatives in one foster family and was now located in South Aceh She had not attended school regularly and only had a fourth-grade education and she collected neighbors' laundry to help the family make ends meet Jamaliah asked to take her back to Meulaboh The desperate mother said she prayed for a sign that the girl would remember something from her childhood a small town about five hours from Banda Aceh along the so-called "Clinton Highway," a coastal road built with U.S Landmarks and houses the girl might have remembered have been largely replaced by buildings financed by billions of dollars in international aid Only a few reminders of the tsunami remain including the skeletons of windowless buildings at the beach and the occasional brick foundation jutting out of the sea But one important place escaped the tsunami: A house that belonged to Jamaliah's mother memories of eating sweet tropical fruit came back "She remembered the chicken coop and the rambutan tree," Jamaliah said "She remembered waiting for durian that her grandmother used to give her." Read Chapter 1. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices who served as the commander of the SAF's Humanitarian Assistance Task force in Meulaboh following the 2004 tsunami tells TODAY of his experiences during the mission Todayonline.com and Today Online domains and apps are now part of 'Channelnewsasia.com' domain We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with TODAY to be fast Upgraded but still having issues? Contact us Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country Digital access for organisations. Includes exclusive features and content. See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Raudhatul was just four-years-old when the 2004 tsunami hit I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice When four-year-old Raudhatul Jannah was swept from her parents’ grasp by the Indian Ocean tsunami on Boxing Day 2004, they believed she was lost to them forever. Ten years on, a chance sighting has led to them being reunited with their daughter. The family lived in Indonesia’s Aceh province, the place closest to the epicentre of the earthquake which sparked the tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries. As the giant waves raced ashore, engulfing their village in West Aceh, Jamaliah and her husband clung to a floating plank of wood, clasping Jannah and her seven-year-old brother, Arif Pratama Rangkuti, tight. But the two children were washed away by the raging waters, and after a month-long search their parents gave up hope of ever finding them alive. Even so, Jamaliah “prayed to God every night” that they were safe and she would see them again. This June, Jamaliah’s brother was visiting a village in another district, Aceh Barat Daya, when he saw a young girl walking home from school who bore a striking resemblance to his missing niece. He learnt that she had been caught up in the tsunami and swept to some remote islands south-west of Aceh. There, a fisherman had rescued the little girl and taken her back to mainland Sumatra, the island of which Aceh forms the far north-western tip. He gave her to his mother, who brought up her up and called her Wenni. After the tip-off from her brother, Jamaliah and her husband visited the village on Wednesday and were astonished to discover that the girl really was their long-lost daughter. “My heart beat so fast when I saw her,” she told Agence France-Presse yesterday. “I hugged her, and she hugged me back, and [she] felt so comfortable in my arms.” Jamaliah said she could not stop the “tears from flowing” during the emotional reunion. “I am so grateful to God for reuniting us with our child after 10 years of being separate. God has given us a miracle. My husband and I are very happy.” The couple have fresh hope that their son may be alive, too. Their daughter, who is now back in her home town, has told them that the two children were stranded together on Banyak Island. The family plans to travel to the sparsely inhabited island, 25 miles off Sumatra, to look for him. He would now be 17. Meulaboh, where the family lived, was one of the worst hit places in Aceh, with an entire city flattened by the earthquake and tidal waves. The family’s home, along with countless others, was destroyed. Jamaliah told Indonesia’s Metro TV: “I prayed day and night that if this disappeared girl was safe, that we might find her. Even just one month ago, her father was contacting everyone he knows, and kept saying that ‘my sweet child must be alive’ every day after he came back from work.” Amid some scepticism about the story, Jamaliah has declared that “if anyone is in doubt, I’m ready for DNA tests”. She also said that she recognised Jannah instantly, despite the passage of time. In 2011, another Indonesian girl who was swept away during the tsunami was reunited with her parents, seven years on. The girl, then aged eight, had been adopted by another woman, but ended up having to beg on the streets. Jamaliah said she was optimistic about finding her son. “We will look for him on Banyak, because we believe he is still alive.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies A family lost a son and daughter in the Indian Ocean disaster Indonesia | It all started with a dream that led to a chance meeting: a girl who had been swept away by the Indian Ocean tsunami a decade ago the child's uncle said she visited him in his sleep The daughter was only 4 when a towering wave ripped her away with her 7-year-old brother But the mother had always been convinced both children were still alive and that the family would be reunited the uncle ran into a 14-year-old orphan girl who had survived the disaster and washed up on a remote island with her older brother They had stayed alive by riding a slab of wood but after the uncle sent a photo of the girl the mother became convinced God was giving the family a second chance ‘I'm sure that's my daughter,'?" she recalled after hearing that a 17-year-old homeless boy calling her "Mom" had also been found was hanging clothes on the line while her three kids were inside watching TV They then heard people screaming: "The water is coming The family leaped onto their motorbike and made it as far as the market but couldn't outrun the wall of black water Jamaliah and her 8-year-old son were pulled away by the wave but somehow they managed to hang on to each other Rangkuti put his 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter on top of a large floating board but when the water got sucked back to the sea his fingers slipped and they were dragged off by the torrent Jamaliah and their oldest son found Rangkuti wandering on a street Some 230,000 people in 14 countries were killed that day in one of the worst natural disasters in modern history with Indonesia's Aceh province logging nearly three-quarters of the deaths "The uncertainty of what happened to those children what parent wouldn't think about that?" said Harry Minas a mental health expert from the University of Melbourne who has worked in Aceh they decided to stay with relatives several hours away and Rangkuti finally started to let go of his grief "I believed it in my heart," Jamaliah said "I prayed every night because of the strong emotional connection to my kids He'd had a dream three nights in a row about a girl in Banda Aceh he visited a cafe not far from his house and was shocked to see a face that looked just like the one from his dreams — a younger version of Jamaliah and later discovered from the foster family that a fisherman found her and a boy on the sparsely populated Banyak islands about 6½ hours by car and boat from Jamaliah's house in Meulaboh "I was found by someone on the beach and taken to a house Jamaliah and Rangkuti traveled 60 miles to meet the girl called Weniati the mother said it was hard to tell whether she was really her child the girl had lived with three different relatives in one foster family She had not attended school regularly and had only a fourth-grade education Jamaliah was permitted to take her back to Meulaboh Much of the town had been destroyed and rebuilt but a house that belonged to Jamaliah's mother had survived and Jamaliah wanted to bring her home with them for good to Meulaboh She said the foster family was hesitant and asked for a DNA test but said they had no money for to pay for it The foster grandmother who last cared for the girl later agreed to let her go "It turned out that Weniati herself is confident that Jamaliah is her mother and Rangkuti is her father," she said I don't want to impede the reunion of a daughter and her mother." Jamaliah was on television with the girl she was calling her daughter The exposure caught the attention of Lana Bestir in West Sumatra who had been feeding a homeless boy for years after he turned up at her Internet cafe When a photo of the young siblings taken before the tsunami flashed on the screen It looked similar to the boy she knew as Ucok She said she showed him a picture of Jamaliah from the Internet without giving him any information about her Liah!" Bestir recalled the boy saying after staring at the photo It hasn't been easy since the family moved in together Jamaliah said some people question whether their story is true she said it would never stop a mother's love a couple who had lost their children amid devastation of the tsunami were reunited with them years later For most of the next decade Jamaliah refused to believe that Raudhatul had really gone – two of the thousands who died as a consequence of that day In one of the most remarkable stories to emerge after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami Jamaliah and her husband were reunited with Raudhatul after a relative spotted a teenage girl in an Aceh village who bore a striking family resemblance I felt sure that she was my daughter,” Jamaliah says of the photo her brother sent from his phone like the pain when I gave birth to Raudhatul.” Their subsequent reunion saw their family photo broadcast on television screens across the country and fortuitously into one home in West Sumatra where a woman recognised Arif Pratama as the boy who occasionally slept outside her internet cafe is counting his blessings but insists he always knew they were out there “I really felt that both of my kids were still alive,” he says The 2004 tsunami devastated Indonesia’s Aceh province killing and displacing hundreds of thousands flattening entire towns along the west coast Meulaboh, where Jamaliah and her family lived, was one of the worst hit. For days the town was cut off from help because the bridges to the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, had been washed away Those who survived – reportedly a quarter of the 40,000 people living there – went without water and food forced to search for dirty rice among the corpses and debris Jamaliah waited anxiously at the hospital for bodies to arrive checking to see if her children were among the dead As the days and weeks passed she scoured the refugee camps The morning the tsunami struck they had all piled on to one motorbike to flee “The street was so jammed with cars and bikes and then the wave came along with the debris and bits of houses and trash,” recalls Jamaliah her husband had groped for a floating piece of wood managing to place Raudhatul and Arif on top before the water swept them apart but as they drifted out to sea they clung to that door before they were eventually rescued “All I can remember was being on that plank with my brother I was only four and a half,” says Raudhatul “I was on the plank and then suddenly we were on the island took the two children into their home on the Banyak Islands But a frightening and unpredictable nine years ensued One day Sari threw boiling water at Arif’s face – he still has the scar on his forehead – and after that his sister recalls him being taken away stayed with the couple for two years during which time she was occasionally beaten by the fisherman’s wife “I remembered my mother and I missed her,” says Raudhatul of that time Two years later the young girl was handed over to the fisherman’s sister Raudhatul spent her days collecting used water bottles to resell to make sure they had enough money for food who happened to live in the same town just 1km away who first spotted her on the street in June that one day my prayers would be answered and we would be united againJamaliah Rangkuti“My brother has a picture of her when she was little and he showed the picture to the people there,” says Jamaliah After Zainuddin sent a photo of the teenage girl to his sister Jamaliah and Septi travelled to Blangpidie When I saw her I hugged her and she cried with me,” says an emotional Jamaliah that one day my prayers would be answered and we would be united again.” Sarwani refused to give the 14-year-old up claiming the teenager was the child of a divorced couple Word spread around the village that Jamaliah wanted to have a DNA test and by the next day Sarwani had changed her story “They were just making excuses because they actually wanted money,” says Jamaliah This first miracle led the couple to find their missing son who had been living on the streets in a neighbouring province Jamaliah says she is lucky beyond belief but admits it is tough making up for lost time can barely read and write after years of living on the street Arif wanted to be in the armed forces,” says Jamaliah I can help them achieve what they wanted.” A powerful magnitude 9.1 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean near the coast of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province,  Indonesia 2004 at 7.58 am local time (Asia/Jakarta GMT +7) The quake had a very shallow depth of 30 km (19 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so) This was the 7th deadliest quake known in history, the most disastrous quake in Indonesia ever recorded, the most fatal quake worldwide in 2004, the quake that claimed most fatalities worldwide in the decade from 2000 to 2009, and the 2nd most distastrous quake of the 21st century This is the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is the largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound The earthquake caused severe damage and casualties in northern Sumatra Reference #3969:The assessments after the tsunami estimated losses and damage at just under $10 billion No separate death toll is available for the earthquake as the tsunamis followed within 20 minutes the relatively light damage from the earthquake suggests that the death toll was probably no worse than for the earthquake of 28 March 2005 - that is and more than 1,000,000 homeless by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 13 countries in South Asia and East Africa According to provisional estimates (February 2005) the material losses caused by the catastrophe come to approximately US$ 10bn Reference #13456 (accessed June 2023) lists magnitude 9.1 Mw Reference #10476 (v.10) lists magnitude 9.31 Mw Reference #1053:Earthquake intensities were observed at the following selected localities: Tectonic SummaryThe devastating earthquake of 26 December 2004 occurred as thrust-faulting on the interface of the India plate and the Burma plate the faulting released elastic strains that had accumulated for centuries from ongoing subduction of the India plate beneath the overriding Burma plate the India and Australian plates move toward the north- northeast with respect to the interior of the Eurasia plate with velocities of about 60 mm/y in the region of the earthquake In the region of northern Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands most of the relative motion of India/Australia and the Eurasia plate is accommodated at the Sunda trench and within several hundred kilometers to the east of the Sunda trench The direction in which India/Australia converges toward Eurasia is oblique to the trend of the Sunda trench The oblique motion is partitioned into thrust-faulting and strike-slip faulting The thrust faulting occurs on the interface between the India plate and the western margin of the Burma plate and involves slip directed at a large angle to the orientation of the trench The strike-slip faulting occurs on the eastern boundary of the Burma plate and involves slip directed approximately parallel to the trench The 26 December main shock occurred as the result of thrust faulting on the western Burma-plate boundary but many strike-slip faulting aftershocks occurred on the eastern plate boundary Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE) Final Scientific Report of the ISC-GEM Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue, ISC-GEM Global Instrumental earthquake Catalogue (1900-2018). Versions 1-10 downloaded beginning 18 March 2013. DOI: 10.31905/D808B825 Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) Comprehensive Catalog of Earthquake Events and Products Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2018: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3446, scale 1:22,500,000, DOI: 10.3133/sim3446