Sri Lanka Marks 21st Anniversary of 2004 Tsunami with Island-Wide Commemorations

Sri Lanka will mark the 21st anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami today (December 26) with an island-wide two-minute silence from 9.25 a.m. to 9.27 a.m., in observance of National Safety Day, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced.

The national-level commemoration ceremony will be held in front of the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial Statue in Galle, while a series of multi-religious remembrance programmes will take place across districts island-wide.

According to the DMC, this year’s observances will honour not only those who perished in the 2004 tsunami, but also victims of other natural disasters that have affected Sri Lanka over the years.

On December 26, 2004, a powerful undersea megathrust earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Within minutes, massive waves—some reaching heights of nearly 100 feet—devastated coastal regions across the Indian Ocean.

The tsunami claimed more than 230,000 lives across over 10 countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia’s Banda Aceh, closest to the epicentre, suffered the heaviest toll, with over 100,000 fatalities.

Sri Lanka was among the worst-affected nations, with more than 40,000 people killed and widespread destruction along its coastline. Thousands were left homeless as waves pushed debris several kilometres inland, reducing homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods to rubble.

Since 2005, December 26 has been designated as National Safety Day in Sri Lanka, with annual commemorations held to remember those lost to the tsunami and other natural disasters, while reinforcing awareness on disaster preparedness and resilience.

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