Today (26th of December ) marks the 21st anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, one of the deadliest and most destructive natural disasters in history, which affected more than 10 countries across the Indian Ocean region.
To commemorate the occasion, Sri Lanka will observe a two-minute silence island-wide today from 9.25 a.m. to 9.27 a.m. in observance of National Safety Day, in memory of those who lost their lives in the 2004 tsunami and other natural disasters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced.
The national-level memorial ceremony will be held this morning in front of the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial Statue in Galle.
According to the DMC, this year’s commemorations will honour not only the victims of the 2004 tsunami but also those who perished in other natural disasters across the country. A series of multi-religious programs have also been organised at district level.
On December 26, 2004, a powerful undersea megathrust earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Around 20 minutes later, massive waves—reaching heights of up to 100 feet—devastated Banda Aceh, the Indonesian city closest to the epicentre, killing more than 100,000 people.
The tsunami waves then swept across the Indian Ocean, severely impacting the coastal regions of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In total, the disaster claimed more than 230,000 lives within a matter of hours. Sri Lanka was among the worst-affected countries, with over 40,000 deaths and property damage running into several million rupees. Thousands were left homeless as waves pushed debris several kilometres inland, reducing buildings to rubble.
Since 2005, December 26 has been observed as National Safety Day in Sri Lanka, with annual commemoration events held nationwide, including the participation of political leaders, to remember all those who have lost their lives due to natural disasters, including the 2004 tsunami.
