Today (Dec. 26) marks the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami

A two-minute silence was observed across Sri Lanka today (December 26) from 9:25 a.m. to 9:27 a.m. to honor the memory of those who perished in the 2004 tsunami and other natural calamities, as announced by the Disaster Management Center (DMC).

The observance is part of the island-wide “National Safety Day” commemorations, with the central ceremony being held at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial Statue in Galle. This year marks two decades since the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, one of the deadliest and most catastrophic natural disasters in history, which affected over 10 nations bordering the Indian Ocean.

On the morning of December 26, 2004, a massive undersea megathrust earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale struck near Sumatra Island, Indonesia.

Approximately 20 minutes after the tremor, the city of Banda Aceh in Indonesia, situated closest to the epicenter, was overwhelmed by towering waves reaching heights of up to 100 feet, claiming more than 100,000 lives. Subsequently, a succession of destructive waves battered the coastlines of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In total, the disaster claimed over 230,000 lives within hours. Sri Lanka was among the most severely impacted countries, with more than 40,000 fatalities and extensive damage to property worth millions. Thousands were rendered homeless as waves swept inland, obliterating buildings and leaving widespread devastation.

Since 2005, December 26 has been designated as “National Safety Day,” with annual remembrance events held at the national level. These ceremonies, attended by political leaders, serve to honor the lives lost in the tsunami and other natural disasters that have afflicted the country.

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