Troy Broadbridge, 24, Australian Football League player (Melbourne). Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 24m (80ft) when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 30m (100ft) in some areas when travelling inland. The earliest, lower amplitude signal is that of the compressional (P) wave, which takes about 22 minutes to reach the other side of the planet (the antipode; in this case near Ecuador). These problems also made the delivery of relief aid more challenging. The tsunami was the most lethal ever to have occurred, with a death toll that reached a staggering figure of over 230,000, affecting people in 14 countries with Indonesia hit worst, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. [134], The impact on coastal fishing communities and the people living there, some of the poorest in the region, has been devastating with high losses of income earners as well as boats and fishing gear. Despite its proximity to the incident, Malaysia escaped the kind of damage that struck countries thousands of miles further away (most of its western coast is shielded by Sumatra). It was the result of an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra that took around 230,000 lives across fourteen countries. [18] A 2006 study estimated a magnitude of Mw 9.19.3; Hiroo Kanamori of the California Institute of Technology estimates that Mw9.2 is representative of the earthquake's size. The waves receded before the first tsunami with the highest fatality reported from the densely populated Alappad panchayat (including the villages of Cheriya Azhikkal and Azhikkal) at Kollam district, caused by a 4m (13ft) tsunami. Areas with dense coconut groves or mangroves had much smaller inundation distances, and those with river mouths or backwaters saw larger inundation distances. Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean. [142], The last major tsunami in the Indian Ocean was about A.D. [23] This quake, together with the Great Alaskan earthquake (1964) and the Great Chilean earthquake (1960), account for almost half of the total moment. I did this many times but my husband had never seen the underwater world. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [157] The announcement was a false alarm, and the Home Affairs minister withdrew their announcement. [86], The worst affected island in the Andaman & Nicobar chain is Katchall Island, with 303 people confirmed dead and 4,354 missing out of a total population of 5,312. The southwestern shores are a hotspot for tourists and fishing. By the middle of the second day, I saw a mountain of dead bodies piling up and it was very sad to see. A second team found similar evidence of previous tsunamis in Aceh, a province at the northern tip of Sumatra; radiocarbon dating of bark fragments in the soil below the second sand layer led the scientists to estimate that the most recent predecessor to the 2004 tsunami probably occurred between A.D. 1300 and 1450. Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958 Although the extreme western edge of the Ring of Fire extends into the Indian Ocean (the point where the earthquake struck), no warning system exists in that ocean. A rise in sea level was observed before the first wave came within 5 minutes of the earthquake. Fellow Indonesian Rahmat Saiful Bahri, also survived the 2004 tsunami and the one hitting the Sulawesi Island on September 28, 2018, after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Raw power of the earth is scary. the earthquake and subsequent tsunami had killed more than 220,000 people . [31], The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake is thought to have triggered activity in both Leuser Mountain[32] and Mount Talang,[33] volcanoes in Aceh along the same range of peaks, while the 2005 NiasSimeulue earthquake had sparked activity in Lake Toba, an ancient crater in Sumatra. [83] The shrine's compound, nearby villages, hundreds of shops, homes and pilgrims were washed away into the sea. . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What was the death toll in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004? Primpraow Jitpentom - nurse, and Somchai's wife, I held my sons tight in my arms and told them 'Mummy and Daddy love you very much. Local eyewitnesses described three large waves, with the first wave rising gently to the foundation of the buildings, followed minutes later by a sudden withdrawal of the sea near the port of Ulee Lheue. This is unusual since earthquakes of magnitude eight or more occur only about once per year on average. There were two to five tsunamis that coincided with the local high tide in some areas. The maximum runup height of almost 9m (30ft) was recorded in Bandarbeyla. [64][65] Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 24 m (80 ft) when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 30 m (100 ft) in some areas when travelling inland. Major locations damaged included the western shores of Phuket island, the resort town of Khao Lak in Phang Nga Province, the coastal provinces of Krabi, Satun, Ranong and Trang and small offshore islands like Ko Racha Yai, the Phi Phi islands, the Surin Islands and the Similan archipelago. Administration Epidemics were of particular concern due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. In the Krishna district, the tsunami created havoc in Manginapudi and on Machalipattanam Beach. Traduzioni in contesto per "alla catastrofe dello tsunami" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: La TEC rappresenta uno sforzo di collaborazione tra le organizzazioni che si occupano degli aiuti al fine di trarre insegnamenti dalla risposta fornita alla catastrofe dello tsunami. [140], Both the earthquake and the tsunami may have affected shipping in the Malacca Straits, which separate Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, by changing the depth of the seabed and by disturbing navigational buoys and old shipwrecks. Distance alone was no guarantee of safety, as Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being much farther away. how many people survived the 2004 tsunami. The tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004 obliterated vast areas of Aceh province. [82] A video recorded by locals showed the tsunami flooding the beach and villages, causing despair amongst the villagers. [67] The second wave was the largest; it came from the west-southwest within five minutes of the first wave. Located about 500km (310mi) from the epicentre, at the time, the region was popular with tourists because of Christmas. Eyewitnesses described the tsunami as a "black giant", "mountain" and a "wall of water". What is the deadliest tsunami in history? Helicopter surveys showed entire settlements virtually destroyed with destruction within miles inland, and only some mosques left standing. [citation needed], The hardest-hit area, Aceh, is a religiously conservative Islamic society and has had no tourism nor any Western presence in recent years due to the insurgency between the Indonesian military and Free Aceh Movement (GAM). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. A person will be just swept up in it and carried along as debris; theres no swimming out of a tsunami, Garrison-Laney says. 26, 2004, when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the Indonesian coast sent tidal wave speeding toward Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. It inundated five square miles of land and cleared hundreds of thousands of trees. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. [155], The tsunami left both the people and government of India in a state of heightened alert. [164], In the days following the tsunami, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly due to fear of disease spreading. According to eyewitness accounts, the tsunami came from the north and south. Because of its enormous energy release and shallow rupture depth, the earthquake generated remarkable seismic ground motions around the globe, particularly due to huge Rayleigh (surface) elastic waves that exceeded 10mm (0.4in) in vertical amplitude everywhere on Earth. 12/22/14 AT 2:45 PM GMT. Close in, tsunami waves reached about 100 m in height. Another video from Kamala Beach showed the tsunami flooding the ground floor of a restaurant sweeping away an elderly couple. Documentation of the impact of tsunami on people has not been properly carried out in many places. [103], Relief agencies reported that one third of the dead appeared to be children. 1.4. Significant earthquakes around the Pacific rim have generated tsunamis that struck Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. west coast. Officials estimated that billions of dollars would be needed. [79][80][81][82], The tsunami runup height measured in mainland India by Ministry of Home Affairs includes:[82]. Geological Survey of India Special Publication no. Find a sturdy building and head for the roof. Did anyone famous died in the 2004 tsunami? However, when the seawalls were made of loose stones, the stones were displaced and carried a few metres inland.[79][81][85]. T. Ghosh, P. Jana, T.S. Is there a better way? The earthquake was the third-largest ever recorded based upon seismographic measurements, the largest in the 21st century and had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between eight and ten minutes. When we arrived, it wasn't something I expected. [162], The changes in the distribution of masses inside the Earth due to the earthquake had several consequences. As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake resulted in a rise of the seafloor by several metres, displacing an estimated 30km3 (7.2cumi) of water and triggering devastating tsunami waves. The province of Phang Nga was the most affected area in Thailand. The tsunami moved counter-clockwise around Phuket Island, as was the case at Okushiri Island in the 1993 Hokkaido earthquake. There was 10m (33ft) movement laterally and 45m (1316ft) vertically along the fault line. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. [143][144] In 2008, a team of scientists working on Phra Thong, a barrier island along the hard-hit west coast of Thailand, reported evidence of at least three previous major tsunamis in the preceding 2,800 years, the most recent from about 700 years ago. Petra Nemcova, supermodel who survived 2004 Indonesia tsunami, helps rebuild school hit by Hurricane Harvey. Many people were seen being swept out . My son's three friends told me he was missing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Approximately 8,000 people were killed. What is the deadliest tsunami ever recorded? 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake and megatsunamiTsunami / Biggest Giritharan, S. Bardhan, S.R. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. This quickly elevated the height and increased the speed of waves, destroying the nearby Indonesian town of Lhoknga. The rupture proceeded at about 2.8km/s (1.74mi/s; 10,100km/h; 6,260mph), beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over about 100 seconds. Then dead bodies started to come in. At the same time, it arrived in the state of Kerala, on the southwestern coast. 5 Reasons to Update Your Business Operations, Get the Best Sleep Ever in 5 Simple Steps, How to Pack for Your Next Trip Somewhere Cold, Manage Your Money More Efficiently in 5 Steps, Ranking the 5 Most Spectacular NFL Stadiums in 2023. The surface waves can be clearly seen to reinforce near the antipode (with the closest seismic stations in Ecuador), and to subsequently encircle the planet to return to the epicentral region after about 200 minutes. [82] The worst affected area in Tamil Nadu was Nagapattinam district, with 6,051 fatalities caused by a 5m (16ft) tsunami, followed by Cuddalore district, with many villages destroyed. According to official estimates in India, 10,749 people were killed, 5,640 people were missing and thousands of people became homeless when a tsunami triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake near the Indonesian island of Sumatra struck the southern coast on 26 December 2004. Besides that, a 10m (33ft) black muddy tsunami ravaged the city of Karaikal, where 492 people died. The day that changed tsunami science. Flooding occurred at the coast and low-lying areas inland, which were connected to open sea through creeks. [52], Some of the tsunami's energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, where it produced small but measurable tsunamis along the western coasts of North and South America, typically around 200 to 400mm (7.9 to 15.7in). 1,720 foot Some of them were still alive but many of them were dead. Funding came from other international agencies and from countries including Finland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The highest tsunami wave measured was 4m (13ft) at Vilufushi Island. She and her boyfriend were both. I didn't know about the tsunami until then. After a pause of about another 100 seconds, the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The tsunami waves wreaked havoc in the densely populated Jogindar Nagar area, situated 13km (8.1mi) south of Campbell Bay. Thailand was struck about two hours later despite being closer to the epicentre because the tsunami travelled more slowly in the shallow Andaman Sea off its western coast. The third wave was the strongest, with a maximum tsunami wave height of 11m (36ft). Similarly, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth, which in some cases can be up to 15m (50ft), will eventually offset the minor wobble produced by the earthquake. [26] Some examples of significant historical megathrust earthquakes are the 1868 Arica earthquake in Peru and the 1700 Cascadia earthquake in western North America. Several thousand non-Asian tourists vacationing in the region also were reported dead or missing. All of them were speeding through and honking and they passed by the area. It also benefited from the fact that the earthquake proceeded more slowly in the northern rupture zone, greatly reducing the energy of the water displacements in that region. It is thought that approximately 10,000 British nationals were in the affected region when the tsunami struck. [79][81][85] The tsunami varied in height from 2m (6.6ft) to 10m (33ft) based on survivors' accounts. Tens of thousands were reported dead or missing in Sri Lanka and India, a large number of them from the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. Scientists had developed significant ecological expertise from work with the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia's northeastern waters. We had a plan to handle a disaster of a massive scale. The sea was observed to rise suddenly before the onset of the first wave. A scene of devastation is seen in the 2004 tsunami hit Indonesian City of Banda Aceh Getty. [95], Bangladesh escaped major damage and deaths because the water displaced by the strike-slip fault was relatively little on the northern section of the rupture zone, which ruptured slowly. In their report, the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition stated, "It should be remembered that all such data are subject to error, as data on missing persons especially are not always as good as one might wish". Also, in the minutes preceding a tsunami strike, the sea sometimes recedes temporarily from the coast, which was observed on the eastern earthquake rupture zone such as the coastlines of Aceh, Phuket island, and Khao Lak area in Thailand, Penang island of Malaysia, and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The second and third waves were 1530m (4998ft) high at the coast and appeared like gigantic surfing waves but "taller than the coconut trees and was like a mountain". For example, in the United Kingdom, the public donated roughly 330 million sterling (nearly US$600 million). The direct results caused major disruptions to living conditions and commerce in coastal provinces of surrounded countries, including Aceh (Indonesia), Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu (India) and Khao Lak (Thailand). The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over several minutes: Tsunamis. Along the coast of Tamil Nadu, the 13km (8.1mi) Marina Beach in Chennai was battered by the tsunami which swept across the beach taking morning walkers unaware. I was about to go out looking for him but then the hospital contacted me. The tsunami and its aftermath were responsible for immense destruction and loss on the rim of the Indian Ocean. Each of these megathrust earthquakes . [124], The main effect was caused by poisoning of the freshwater supplies and of the soil by saltwater infiltration and a deposit of a salt layer over arable land. Shortly before 08:00 on 26 December 2004, a magnitude-9.1 earthquake struck under the sea in northern Indonesia. This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as Mexico, Chile, and the Arctic. [141] Due to multiple factors, there was a 71.6% drop in the number of piracy incidents between 2004 and 2005, from 60 to 17 incidents. [14] Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Sumatra. At Phuket Province, the island province's western beaches were struck by the tsunami. [55] Tsunami detection is not easy because while a tsunami is in deep water, it has little height and a network of sensors is needed to detect it. One of the survivors, a man named Cornelius . 250,000 people survived the 2004 Sumatra Tsunami. One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, close to the epicentre. They all said 'Let's go catch fish.' 1,500-metre-high (5,000ft) thrust ridges created by previous geologic activity along the fault had collapsed, generating landslides several kilometres wide. 2004 Description: Area detail before tsunami Source: DigitalGlobe Kalutara Water Detail Imagery collected December 26, 2004 Description: Receding waters from . Footage showed evidence of back-flowing of the Aceh River, carrying debris and people from destroyed villages at the coast and transporting them up to 40km (25mi) inland. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was unusually large in geographical and geological extent. As I sat there, I felt the earthquake at around 08:00. The lack of food, clean water, and medical treatmentcombined with the enormous task faced by relief workers trying to get supplies into some remote areas where roads had been destroyed or where civil war ragedextended the list of casualties. 1400. Deadly tsunami 1 26 December 2004 2 Triggered by 8.9 magnitude earthquake near Aceh, north Indonesia, at 07:59 local time (00:59 GMT) 3 Affected 14 countries 4 Nearly quarter of a million people died 5 Two million left homeless.