Tsunami damage was enhanced by coral theft

[摘要] Evidence has emerged that the illegal mining of the coral reefs along Sri Lanka's coastline may have effected the impact of the tsunami. Studies have shown that were coral was mined and gaps appeared that the waves travelled kilometres inland, killing thousands but where the coral reef was left intact the wavestravelled only 50 metres inland. This phenomenon was witnessed before in Nicaragua in 1992 where a tsunami surged 1 kilometre inland through a break in thecoral reef made to let boats through. On a nearby beach where the coral was intact there were still beach umbrellas left standing. There has been a groundswell in Sri Lanka for better enforcement of laws to protect the coral reef andprotect people from further disasters.