Indian Ocean Tsunami: Tsunami In India 2004: On December 26, 2004, a 9.3-magnitude massive undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It triggered one of the biggest Tsunamis ever witnessed, also known as Boxing Day Tsunami. Today marks the 18th anniversary of the devastating event.

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The earthquake was caused by a rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate. It reached a Mercalli intensity of up to IX in some areas.

The massive tsunami with waves up to 30 m high devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries

Over 10,000 people were killed in India in the disaster.  Mainly poor infrastructure, warning systems and the large population living in coastal areas were the reasons attributed for the extent of damage it caused.

Ministry of Home Affairs in 2005 released a ‘Tsunami impact report’ which said, “The Tsunamis have caused extensive damage in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and UT of Pondicherry. 119 aftershocks have been reported so far (110 between >5.0-6.0< and 12 are > 6.0 on Richter scale) and there is no earthquake of > 6.0 in the region after 4th January, 2005 . The death toll is at 10,022.”

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The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 caused destruction and loss of life across and remains one of the most devastating natural disasters to have occurred in recorded history.

The day serves as a reminder of the power of nature and highlights the importance of being prepared for natural disasters. Since 2004, India and other countries along the Indian Ocean belt have advanced respective security systems to respond quickly to such warnings in the future.

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