People began gathering for prayers and visiting mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday to mark the 20th anniversary of the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters in modern history.
Many wept openly at the mass grave in Ule Lheu village, where more than 14,000 unidentified and unclaimed tsunami victims are buried. It is one of several mass graves in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s northern province. It was one of the areas most affected by the earthquake and tsunami, along with Aceh Besar district.
On December 26, 2004, a powerful 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that reached as far as East Africa, killing about 230,000 people in dozens of countries. About 1.7 million people were displaced, mostly in the four worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone.
Even after 20 years, the grief remains and survivors still remember their loved ones, lost in the huge waves that flattened buildings in most of Aceh’s coastal areas – all the way to the city of Banda Aceh.
Ministry of Forestry elephants remove debris in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (AP Photo)
The infrastructure in Aceh has been rebuilt and is now more resilient than before the tsunami. Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of potential tsunamis, providing significant time to seek safety.
Reconstruction efforts were made possible with the help of international donors and organizations, who contributed significant funds to help the region recover. Schools, hospitals and essential infrastructure destroyed by the disaster have been rebuilt with strength and durability, ensuring better preparedness for future challenges.
A man survives the rubble in the commercial area of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province in northwestern Indonesia. (AP Photo)
Tsunami It also claimed more than 8,000 lives in Thailand, including many missing, leaving a deep scar on the nation’s history. About 400 bodies are unidentified and unwanted.
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