The undersea earthquake in the Sumatra-Andaman Sea, the 9^th deadliest natural disaster in our modern history, occurred exactly on this same day & month in 2004. The quake’s magnitude was recorded to be between 9.1 & 9.3, the longest faulting duration & the 2^nd largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. Its epicenter was off the west coast of Sumatra-Indonesia & triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts bordering the Indian Ocean killing large numbers of people & inundating coastal communities across South & Southeast Asia. Buildings, houses, automobiles, boats, roads, etc., had been horribly wrecked by the giant waves. Initial reports estimated the worldwide death toll to be over 275,000 with thousands of others missing but more recent analysis compiled by UN lists a total of 229,866 people lost including 186,983 dead & 42,883 missing.

How really furious the giant wave was that it took thousands of lives & severely damaged communities in the region! We’re just very lucky people to have been spared from that regional devastation & I pity all those who perished on that day. The resulting tsunami not only devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar, & other countries causing serious damages to as far as the east coast of Africa but also caused deaths, shattered peoples’ lives & displaced thousands of families.