Oregon man's warning prompts thousands to flee in India

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An Oregon man said Thursday that his firm warned the Indian government of an impending earthquake that could cause more destruction across Asia. An Indian government minister called the warning "hogwash," and blamed him for the scare that prompted tens of thousands of people to flee their homes for higher ground.

"It was a tough decision, but it was at least important to pass the information on," said Larry Park, who runs Terra Research and Consulting Services, from his home in Manning, Ore., near Portland. "I guess they held a press conference and revealed where their information came from."

"There is a good chance of a quake coming, yes, we've got a few days window," he said.

In New Delhi, Indian Science Minister Kapil Sibal said the warning was incorrect and dismissed fears of a new strike.

But by that time, tens of thousands of people had made a desperate run for higher ground in southern Tamil Nadu state, where more than half of India's 7,300 deaths occurred on Sunday. Hundreds of refugees fled relief camps set up near the coastline, jostling to get into trucks and other vehicles, one police constable said.

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