In Asia, on Thursday, harrowing stories were shared and candles were lit to remember the 220,000 people who lost their lives in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
A 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the western coast of Indonesia triggered a series of waves as high as 30 meters (98 feet), wreaking havoc on coastlines of 14 countries.
In Indonesia’s Aceh Province, where over 100,000 people perished, a siren sounded at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, marking the beginning of numerous commemorative events across the region, including Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand, which were struck hours later by the tsunami.
Survivors recounted harrowing tales of survival and loss as massive waves swept ashore without warning, carrying vehicles and collapsing buildings in their path.
“I thought it was doomsday,” said Hasnawati, a 54-year-old teacher, at the Indonesian mosque damaged by the tsunami. “On a Sunday morning, where our family was laughing together, suddenly a disaster struck and everything was gone. Words cannot describe it.”
At Aceh’s Siron mass grave, where approximately 46,000 victims are buried, emotional relatives recited Islamic prayers under the shade of growing trees.
Khyanisa, a 59-year-old Indonesian housewife, lost her mother and daughter and searched relentlessly for them until the bitter realization of their absence set in. “My chest felt like it was in pain. I screamed,” she said.
In Thailand, where over 5,000 lives were lost, grieving relatives laid flowers and tributes at a memorial wall shaped like a wave in Ban Nam Khem, the hardest-hit village. A candlelight vigil at Khao Lak, organized by the Swedish embassy, drew around 100 participants, the majority being Swedish nationals. Sweden was among the hardest-hit countries relative to its population.
According to the latest figures, a total of 226,408 people lost their lives as a result of the tsunami.
However, today, with advanced monitoring systems, warnings are issued much more swiftly.
In Sri Lanka, where more than 35,000 lives were lost, survivors and relatives gathered to remember the nearly 1,000 individuals who perished when a passenger train was derailed by the waves.
