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 BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Within minutes of the earthquake, the word went out: Radio and television stations repeated government warnings, workers at beachfront hotels pounded on doors to awaken guests, and police used loudspeakers to urge residents away from the sea.
This time, there was no tsunami. But after Monday's quake, it was clear most people — and governments — learned from the Dec. 26 tsunami that left more than 280,000 dead or missing, a toll that reflected the near-total lack of warning systems.
The United Nations said a fledgling Indian Ocean tsunami warning system helped spread the alarm. John Harding of the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction said many governments had provided contact information, making it possible to quickly relay news about the quake and later sound the all clear.
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