Hundreds of survivors and families of victims of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred 20 years ago visited their mass graves on Thursday to mourn the loss of nearly 230,000 people that were killed across the region on December 26, 2004.
That tsunami was one of the deadliest natural catastrophes in recorded history. Triggered by a massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province, it created waves as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet). It struck the coastlines of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and nine other countries.
Indonesia accounted for more than half of the total death toll. Hundreds of survivors and family members of the victims visited a mass grave in the Ulee Lheue village in Aceh, Indonesia, scattering flower petals on the stones that mark the graves.
Footage from the memorial shows many people crying and hugging their family members, as many of them have never recovered the bodies of their loved ones.
Nurkhalis, 52, told Reuters he lost his wife, children, parents, and in-laws to the tsunami, and none of their bodies were recovered.
“Even though so much time has passed, the same feeling haunts us on this date, especially those of us who lost our family at that time,” he said at the mass grave.