i would like to wish the best for dr agneswaran. i hope she can recover some of the work. there is probably technology to clean the tapes. like how even damaged dvds and cd s work. thanks to the four strangers who brought her to safety she can do the work she cannot recover. about god being cruel : maybe but i want to thank him/her for making food the last of concern for talented dr agneshwaran. so she can concentrate her mind on research much better. all have suffered, lost precious days, some suffered anxiety about near ones where abouts, some have lost minor property and revenue, some major, some have lost houses which can be re-constrcted, some have lost the very earth where their house stood so it cannot be re-built, some have suffered minor injuries, some major, some worse. however all losses are important. i agree. on positive side : we ran into some good people. let us find and identify them. let us also put in effort to reduce suffering next time. maybe a budding scientist thus affected will come up with an idea for a non clogging drainage, better cell phone, warning system if a hill is about to topple, yes technology to clean the tapes, better swimming lessons.