Survivors remember victims 20 years after Indian Ocean tsunami killed 230k

Parts of the world are marking the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 2004. — Image credit: AP Images

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Parts of the world are marking a grim milestone on Thursday, Dec. 26. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake led to a giant wall of water wiping out homes and villages across more than a dozen countries. Over one million people lost their homes from the natural disaster and another 230,000 were killed.

On Dec. 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake hit on the west coast of Sumatra, an island in Indonesia. Just 20 minutes later, the violent rumble brought tons of water along the Indian Ocean coastline.

The serene water of the Indian Ocean is a much different picture today than 20 years ago. Loved ones and survivors gathered Thursday to remember the 230,000 lives lost from India to Sri Lanka.

Indonesia was among the hardest hit by the tsunami. More than 170,000 people died in that country alone.

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Prayers, gifts and tears filled the air on Thursday, Dec. 26, as crowds formed in the newly rebuilt city of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Once flattened by a surge of rushing water, it now stands tall with new churches, schools and homes.

The region is marking one of history’s worst natural disasters as experts said the tragedy did provide a wake-up call to increase safety protocols around the world.

Experts around the world now monitor earthquakes every day of the year to prevent another deadly tragedy. More tracking stations within bodies of water give officials a quicker reaction time to issue a warning within five to seven minutes.

Many coastal areas now have warning systems in place to help residents evacuate before a tsunami hits.

Below the water’s surface, more devices push out warnings from the sea floor. Scientists installed these machines within the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian oceans to detect vibrations within the ground.

Experts have also worked to identify vulnerable areas. They said the Pacific Ocean sees about 70% of the world’s fatal tsunamis.

Kalé Carey (Reporter) and Jake Larsen (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Earthquakes, India, Indonesia, natural disaster, Pacific Ocean

[Lauren Taylor]

THE SERENE WATER OF THE INDIAN OCEAN IS MUCH DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO.

PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE MARKING A GRIM MILESTONE – IN 2004, A NINE POINT ONE MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE LED TO A GIANT WALL OF WATER WIPING OUT HOMES AND VILLAGES ACROSS A DOZEN COUNTRIES.

LOVED ONES GATHERED THURSDAY TO REMEMBER THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES LOST FROM INDIA TO SRI LANKA.

INDONESIA WAS AMONG THE HARDEST HIT BY THE TSUNAMI, LOSING MORE THAN 170 THOUSAND PEOPLE.

PRAYERS…GIFTS AND TEARS…FILLED THE AIR AS CROWDS FORMED IN THE NEWLY REBUILT CITY OF (bon-duh ah-chay) BANDA ACEH.

ONCE FLATTENED BY A SURGE OF WATER, IT NOW STANDS TALL WITH NEW CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND HOMES.

THE REGION IS MARKING ONE OF HISTORY’S WORST NATURAL DIASTERS AS EXPERTS SAY THE TRAGEDY DID PROVIDE A WAKE UP CALL TO INCREASE SAFETY PROTOCOLS AROUND THE WORLD.

MANY COASTAL AREAS NOW HAVE WARNING SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO HELP RESIDENTS EVACUATE BEFORE A TSUNAMI.

BELOW THE WATER’S SURFACE ARE MORE DEVICES THAT PUSH OUT WARNINGS FROM THE SEA FLOOR.

SCIENTISTS INSTALLING THESE MACHINES WITHIN THE PACIFIC, CARIBBEAN AND INDIAN OCEANS TO DETECT VIBRATIONS WITHIN THE GROUND.

EXPERTS HAVE ALSO WORKED TO IDENTIFY VULNERABLE AREAS …SEEING 70 PERCENT OF FATAL DISASTERS HAPPENING IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.