Today marks 20 years since 2004 Tsunami Disaster

A two-minute silence will be observed across Sri Lanka today (December 26) from 9:25 AM to 9:27 AM as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the tsunami disaster that struck the coastal belt of Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, one of the world’s deadliest and most destructive natural disasters, which impacted over 14 countries in the Indian Ocean.

The tsunami resulted in the deaths of nearly 282,000 people across 14 countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, and India.

In Sri Lanka, the death toll was nearly 35,000, with 5,000 individuals still listed as missing.

The disaster not only claimed lives but also caused property damage amounting to billions of rupees.

According to Cabinet Paper No. 15/1975/715/001-1 of 2005, December 26 has been declared National Safety Day annually since 2005 to commemorate those who lost their lives in the tsunami.

The 2024 National Safety Day will be observed today at the district level, with the main event taking place at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial in Galle.

Around 2,000 people lost their lives in the Peraliya Thelwatta train accident, which remains the deadliest rail disaster in world history by death toll.

A total of 502,456 individuals from 235,145 families in 34 Divisional Secretariats were affected by the disaster.

The tragedy was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake recorded in the deep seas near the Sumatra Islands in Indonesia.