Ceremonies held across multiple countries to mark 20-year anniversary of devastating tsunami

by Mick the Ram

On Boxing Day 2004 a 9.1-magnitude earthquake occurred under the ocean close to Indonesia’s Sumatra island and Aceh province, triggering enormous waves towering in places up to 20 metres in height, which proceeded to slam into coastal communities across the Indian ocean.

In total 227,899 people were killed across a more than a dozen countries, with Thailand, Sri Lanka and India also very badly hit.

One of the consequences of the unstoppable force of the waves was the world’s worst rail accident, when well over 1,000 people died as a passenger train was torn from its tracks by the sheer volume of water.  

When the tsunami struck, there was no advanced early warning system in place in the Indian Ocean and those who were lucky enough to escape with their lives on that day have since described how they had no idea what was happening, as they saw water withdraw from beaches and retreat into the ocean only to return shortly afterwards at terrifying speed.

Many bodies were never identified, and had to be buried in mass graves, while many others were never ever found, swallowed up and taken back to the ocean.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the deadliest tsunami ever recorded, ceremonies have been all over Asia as those who perished are remembered by survivors, relatives or just those wanting to pay their respects.

Indonesia worst hit

The tsunami killed more than 160,000 people in Indonesia – well over half of the overall death toll alone – with the scale so large it meant many families have never been able to identify their loved-one’s remains.

Early on Boxing Day, 20 years on from the disaster, the worst hit province of Aceh marked the anniversary with the sound of a siren ringing out for three minutes at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, after which Islamic prayers were held.

Silent remembrance

In Sri Lanka, where more than 35,322 people were killed, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim ceremonies are being held across the country, with a two-minute silence being observed at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial Statue in the town of Galle.

Survivors and relatives also gathered to remember victims of the Ocean Queen Express train disaster, which saw the carriages tossed from the rail track by the speed and force of the in-coming sea. Only a few dozen of what was thought to be approaching 2,000 passengers aboard, survived the impact.

Tourist swallowed up in disaster

In Thailand, unofficial vigils were being held alongside a government memorial ceremony.

The tsunami devastated areas of southern Thailand, including its most popular tourist hotspots, with around half of the more than 5,000 dead being foreign tourists.

15 countries affected

According to Unesco data, which includes those listed as both dead and missing, fatalities were recorded across 15 countries.

These were broken down as follows: Indonesia (167,540), Sri Lanka (35,322), India (16,269), Thailand (8, 212), Somalia (289), Maldives (108), Malaysia (75), Myanmar (61), Yemen (2), Bangladesh (2) and even as far as Seychelles (2), Tanzania (13), Kenya (1), Madagascar (1) and South Africa (2).

Systems in place now to hopefully avoid any repeat

Efforts have been made by governments and international bodies, including Unesco, to create better early warning systems.

There are now three early-warning systems covering the Indian Ocean, including one in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, one based across Melbourne and Canberra, Australia, and one in Hyderabad, India.