The day when tsunami hit India, brought devastation in 4 states, killing tens of thousands

A series of massive and very high waves hit the coasts of  Kanniyakumari, Nagapattinam, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India on December 26, 2004, in the morning. It was soon known that the massive waves were triggered by an undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It was one of the strongest earthquakes and measured 9.1 on the Richter Scale. It was a tsunami; many in India had not heard the term before. The tsunami hit the eastern coast of India and caused devastation in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Tsunami devastates India

The devastation was more massive in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where entire villages were submerged, and thousands were listed as missing. The trouble was compounded by the remote geography, which made it challenging for the authorities to reach there in time and carry out relief operations. Tens of thousands of people were reported dead or missing in Sri Lanka and India, a large number of them from the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory.

2004 Tsunami devastated 15 countries

India was not the only country to be hit hard by the tsunami. The tsunami caused one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history and killed about 228,000 people across 15 countries. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and Thailand suffered most. Indonesian officials estimated the death toll to cross 200,000, and northern Sumatra’s Aceh province suffered the most casualties. Situated in the Indian Ocean, the low-lying island country of Maldives reported more than a hundred deaths. Besides, thousands of non-Asian tourists vacationing in the region were also reported dead or missing.

Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System

Consequent to the tsunami, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO established the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) in 2005. It was a part of the international initiative to improve tsunami preparedness among member states through comprehensive risk assessment, early warning capabilities, and community awareness programmes. The IOC launched the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme in 2008 to promote community preparedness through education and drills.