'It was total chaos' (From Penarth Times)

'It was total chaos'

A DINAS POWYS couple who were holidaying on the island of Phuket when the tsunami waves struck have spoken about their escape from the scenes of devastation.

And they have hit out at the time it took the British authorities to respond to the situation and help nationals caught up in the chaos.

Karen Jones, of St Dyfed's Close, her 16-year-old son Ashley Gordon and her partner Robert Adams, left the UK on December 22, and were caught up in the Boxing Day catastrophe which has shaken the world.

Karen said: "We awoke to the sound of shouting and screaming at around 9.30am on the morning of December 26. It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies.

"At first we thought an invasion was taking place, as we had heard about unrest in southern Thailand.

"Our hotel was directly on the beach. We were on the third floor. When we looked out of the window, the water had already reached the second floor and was still rising rapidly. It was terrifying as it looked as though it would reach us. The beach had disappeared completely.

"A stampede started in the stairwell as people from the lower floors of the hotel, many seriously injured, tried to reach safety.

"People were terrified. It was total chaos. Nobody knew what had happened, not even the Thais.

"When the water was sucked back up the beach, we left the hotel to head for higher ground. The walls of our hotel were covered with blood.

"As we made our way to the hills, people lay injured and dying around us. Whole families had been taken.

"Other people were collapsing because of the heat and shock. Hours after the event there was still no sign of ambulances or emergency services.

"When we got to the hills a Thai man took us into his house, and we stayed with him until we thought it was safe to leave.

"Our hotel was devastated, so we took a cab to Phuket airport where we found more scenes of pandemonium with masses of people camped out.

"The airport was gridlocked. We came across a Moroccan woman who was extremely distressed because she had lost her Swedish husband and her children."

Karen, her son Ashley and her partner Robert managed to get on a flight out of Phuket with Malaysian Airlines the next day.

Robert added: "I am shocked by how long it took for the British authorities to get organised.