Today, Thursday, December 26, people began to gather in the province of Aceh, Indonesiato pray and pay tribute at the common graves, solemnly remembering the 20 years of the devastating tsunami of the Indian Ocean, one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in modern history.
Many cried as they placed flowers at the mass grave in the town of Ulee Lheue, where more than 14,000 unidentified and unclaimed tsunami victims are buried. It is one of several mass graves in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s northernmost province. It was one of the areas most affected by the earthquake and tsunami, along with the Aceh Besar district.
“We miss them and we still don’t know where they are. “All we know is that every year we visit the mass grave in Ulee Lhue and Siron,” said Muhamad Amirudin, 54, who lost two of his children 20 years ago and has never found their bodies.
“This life is temporary, so we do everything we can to be useful to others,” added Amirudin, who visited the grave with his wife.
A powerful 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries. reaching as far as East Africa. Around 17 million people were displaced, mainly in the four most affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
More than 170 thousand people died in Indonesia alone.
Although 20 years have passedsurvivors still mourn the loved ones they lost in the giant wave that leveled buildings all the way to the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.
Thousands of people gathered to pray at the Baiturrahman mosque in the center of the city. Sirens sounded in Banda Aceh for three minutes to mark the moment of earthquake that triggered the tsunami.
The infrastructure in Aceh has been rebuilt and is now more resilient than it was before the tsunami hit. Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of possible tsunamis, providing crucial time to seek safety.
Reconstruction efforts were made possible thanks to the support of donors and international organizations, who contributed significant funds to help the region recover. Schools, hospitals and essential infrastructure that were destroyed by the disaster have been rebuilt with greater strength and durability, ensuring better preparation for future challenges.
In Thailandpeople took part in a memorial ceremony in Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village in Phang Nga province that bore the brunt of the devastating waves.
The tsunami also claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people in the country, including many who remain missing, leaving a deep scar on the nation’s history. Almost 400 bodies remain unidentified and unclaimed.
Mourners shed tears and consoled each other as they laid flowers at the tsunami memorial in the town. About 300 people participated in a modest event with Muslim, Christian and Buddhist prayers.
Urai Sirisuk said he avoids the seaside memorial park the rest of the year because the loss of his 4-year-old daughter still hurts him deeply every time he remembers it.
“I have this feeling that the sea took my daughter. I am very angry with him. I can’t even put my foot in the water,” she said. But “I still hear her voice in my ears, calling me. I can’t abandon her. So I have to be here, for my daughter.”
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