Tidal waves in Maldives-SHTTC students are safe and sound, says tourism official |04 January 2005

This was what Miss Aruna Latulippe told the press at the International Airport at Pointe Larue on Sunday January 2 in the afternoon upon her arrival to Seychelles after visiting the students following the recent tidal surges which hit the islands a week ago.

Miss Latulippe, who is a development officer in the Human Resource Department of Tourism, was dispatched to Maldives Thursday December 30 by the Ministry of Tourism to give parents the extra re-assurance that their children are indeed fine.

"I'm happy to report that all the students I've met are doing very well and have not been affected in any way, either physically or mentally, by the recent events," Miss Latulippe said, adding that none had expressed the desire to come home.

"On the contrary they all see this trip to Maldives as a good opportunity and all want to see their training through," she added.

She said the students told her that at first they panicked because it was the first time they witnessed such an occurrence, but they managed to pull themselves together and coped very well with the situation.

However, two out of the original batch of 25 students who left Seychelles in mid-December to pursue a three-month training in Maldivian resorts, returned home last week. This, according to the Ministry of Tourism, was upon the insistence of their parents.

The 23 students are spread out on four islands, namely Kurumba, Laguna, Kuredu and Meeru. Most of them, 13 altogether, are being trained in a Champa and Crown-owned resort on Meeru, one of the islands to have been worst hit by the tidal surges.

Despite the flooding on these islands, the students, Miss Latulippe said, had not reported major losses of property, except that some of their personal belongings got wet.

Miss Latulippe said they have in fact been commended for their bravery by the owners of the resorts and had assisted wherever possible to help get things back to normal in their respective resorts.

Life in Maldives, Miss Latulippe assured, is in truth back to normal, so much so that from what she had seen there was very little proof left that the islands had been inundated by over a metre high tidal waves. 

The SHTTC students, aged from 17 to 19 years, are due to return to Seychelles in mid-April.