Tsunami 2004: Indian Ocean Disaster Description

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was created by an undersea earthquake. It was among the deadliest disasters in modern history.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. At a magnitude of 9.0, it was the largest earthquake since the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake off Alaska in 1964, and tied for fourth largest since 1900.

The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunami devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India, Thailand and other countries with waves of up to 15 m (50 feet) high. It caused serious damage and deaths as far as the east coast of Africa, with the furthest recorded death due to the tsunami occuring at Port Elizabeth in South Africa, 8 000km (5 000 miles) away from the epicentre.

Anywhere from 250,000 to 340,000 people are thought to have died as a result of the tsunami, and the count is not yet complete. The true final toll may never be known due to bodies having been swept out to sea, but current estimates use conservative methodologies.

Relief agencies warn of the possibility of more deaths to come as a result of epidemics caused by poor sanitation, but the threat of starvation seems now to have been largely averted.

The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response.