WITNESSсвидетель

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Indian Ocean

W–066

On 26 December 2004, a wave entered Ao Nang bay in Thailand. People were near the shore as David Rydevik photographed the advancing water. An earthquake off Sumatra had sent waves across the Indian Ocean.

The disaster began with a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the west coast of northern Sumatra. It struck at 00:58 UTC, around eight in the morning locally. Seafloor displacement along the boundary between tectonic plates set a vast mass of water in motion. This was the Indian Ocean; some reposts incorrectly place the earthquake in the Pacific.

Waves reached Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and other countries. Their heights and arrival times depended on distance, seafloor topography and the shape of the coast. Some coasts had minutes before the impact, others hours. Waves arrived in succession, and the first was not necessarily the highest.

Indonesia’s Aceh province, close to the earthquake, suffered particularly severe losses. Water destroyed homes, roads and communications, swept people away and left coastal districts covered in debris. In Sri Lanka and Thailand, settlements, transport and tourist beaches were affected. NOAA records 227,899 people dead or missing. The widely cited figure of roughly 230,000 includes both categories.

In the first days, rescuers searched for survivors, delivered clean water and food, provided medical treatment and recovered the dead. Where roads had disappeared, helicopters carried supplies and patients. Photographs from Aceh in January 2005 show water distribution, supplies being unloaded and survivors being taken to medical tents.

The loss of a home did not end when the water receded. Temporary tent settlements remained for months while land was cleared and housing and livelihoods were rebuilt. In Aceh, international assistance included the construction of new homes. In Sri Lanka, graves and a memorial at Peraliya commemorate the dead; Adam Jones photographed them in 2014.

In 2004, the Indian Ocean had no shared tsunami-warning system. Following the disaster, regional countries began creating one in 2005 under UNESCO’s coordination. In 2013, regional centres in Australia, India and Indonesia took over warning responsibilities from the interim international service. Monitoring networks and notification procedures changed; coastal communities also developed evacuation routes and practised drills.

Photographs and documents

1. The wave at Ao Nang

The tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi province, Thailand. 26 December 2004.
The tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi province, Thailand. 26 December 2004.David Rydevik
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David RydevikFile on WITNESS · 1536 × 1114

2. A wave at Kata Noi

A wave at Kata Noi beach, Phuket. The photographer calls it the second wave. 26 December 2004.
A wave at Kata Noi beach, Phuket. The photographer calls it the second wave. 26 December 2004.Per Honor et Gloria / PHG
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The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

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Per Honor et Gloria / PHGFile on WITNESS · 800 × 600

3. Receding water

Receding water at Kata Noi. The photographer places this moment before the third wave. 26 December 2004.
Receding water at Kata Noi. The photographer places this moment before the third wave. 26 December 2004.PHG
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The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

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PHGFile on WITNESS · 800 × 600

4. Water level

Kata Noi: the photographer associates this view with the high water level of the third wave. 26 December 2004.
Kata Noi: the photographer associates this view with the high water level of the third wave. 26 December 2004.PHG
Sources and provenance for frame 4

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

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PHGFile on WITNESS · 909 × 706

5. Damaged rooms

Damaged rooms beside Kata Noi beach. The photographer identifies the aftermath of the third wave, 26 December 2004.
Damaged rooms beside Kata Noi beach. The photographer identifies the aftermath of the third wave, 26 December 2004.Per Honor et Gloria / PHG
Sources and provenance for frame 5

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

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Per Honor et Gloria / PHGFile on WITNESS · 1600 × 1200

6. Patong the next day

A street at Patong beach after the tsunami. Phuket, Thailand, 27 December 2004.
A street at Patong beach after the tsunami. Phuket, Thailand, 27 December 2004.Thorfinn Stainforth
Sources and provenance for frame 6

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source file unchanged; uncropped WebP preview.

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Thorfinn StainforthFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 960

7. Damage at Patong

Damaged buildings at Patong, Phuket, Thailand. December 2004; exact day not stated.
Damaged buildings at Patong, Phuket, Thailand. December 2004; exact day not stated.Milei.vencel
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The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

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Milei.vencelFile on WITNESS · 1014 × 693

8. The dead at Matara

People killed by the tsunami at Matara, Sri Lanka. File metadata gives 27 December 2004.
People killed by the tsunami at Matara, Sri Lanka. File metadata gives 27 December 2004.Sarvodaya Shramadana
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The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

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Sarvodaya ShramadanaFile on WITNESS · 640 × 480

9. The shore at Batticaloa

People and a boat on shore, with Kallady Bridge behind. Batticaloa, Sri Lanka; file metadata gives 28 December 2004.
People and a boat on shore, with Kallady Bridge behind. Batticaloa, Sri Lanka; file metadata gives 28 December 2004.Anton Croos
Sources and provenance for frame 9

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source file unchanged; uncropped WebP preview.

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Anton CroosFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 769

10. Aceh from the air

Devastation near Banda Aceh seen from a helicopter. Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 January 2005.
Devastation near Banda Aceh seen from a helicopter. Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 January 2005.Patrick M. Bonafede / U.S. Navy
Sources and provenance for frame 10

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 914 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Patrick M. Bonafede / U.S. NavyFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 914

11. Bodies among the debris

Covered bodies among debris in Aceh, Sumatra. 1 January 2005.
Covered bodies among debris in Aceh, Sumatra. 1 January 2005.Michael L. Bak / U.S. Department of Defense
Sources and provenance for frame 11

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 960 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Michael L. Bak / U.S. Department of DefenseFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 960

12. Food delivered by air

Two men reach for food delivered from a helicopter. Sumatra, 1 January 2005.
Two men reach for food delivered from a helicopter. Sumatra, 1 January 2005.Patrick M. Bonafede / U.S. Navy
Sources and provenance for frame 12

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 1792 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Patrick M. Bonafede / U.S. NavyFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 1792

13. Medical care

Medical personnel treat a tsunami survivor evacuated by helicopter. Aceh, 3 January 2005.
Medical personnel treat a tsunami survivor evacuated by helicopter. Aceh, 3 January 2005.Seth C. Peterson / U.S. Navy
Sources and provenance for frame 13

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 1792 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Seth C. Peterson / U.S. NavyFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 1792

14. Drinking-water supplies

Sailors prepare bottled water for distribution. Aceh, 3 January 2005.
Sailors prepare bottled water for distribution. Aceh, 3 January 2005.Seth C. Peterson / U.S. Navy
Sources and provenance for frame 14

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 914 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Seth C. Peterson / U.S. NavyFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 914

15. On a stretcher

A survivor is carried from a helicopter to a medical tent. Aceh, 3 January 2005.
A survivor is carried from a helicopter to a medical tent. Aceh, 3 January 2005.Seth C. Peterson / U.S. Navy
Sources and provenance for frame 15

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 914 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Seth C. Peterson / U.S. NavyFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 914

16. Bowls by a damaged home

A woman collects bowls beside her damaged home. Banda Aceh, 14 January 2005.
A woman collects bowls beside her damaged home. Banda Aceh, 14 January 2005.Tyler J. Clements / U.S. Navy
Sources and provenance for frame 16

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

File: 1280 × 1792 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Tyler J. Clements / U.S. NavyFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 1792

17. A mosque amid the ruins

A mosque surrounded by rubble in Banda Aceh. USGS photograph, 21 January 2005.
A mosque surrounded by rubble in Banda Aceh. USGS photograph, 21 January 2005.USGS
Sources and provenance for frame 17

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

The source identifies the historical image as public domain.

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USGSFile on WITNESS · 900 × 675

18. Temporary shelter

Tent shelters in Matara district, Sri Lanka. File metadata gives 13 May 2005.
Tent shelters in Matara district, Sri Lanka. File metadata gives 13 May 2005.Sarvodaya Shramadana
Sources and provenance for frame 18

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates.

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File: 640 × 480 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Sarvodaya ShramadanaFile on WITNESS · 640 × 480

19. Rebuilding housing

Work at a housing-reconstruction site in Aceh. Indonesia; file metadata gives 11 October 2005.
Work at a housing-reconstruction site in Aceh. Indonesia; file metadata gives 11 October 2005.AusAID / Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Sources and provenance for frame 19

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

Licence: CC BY 2.0. Source file unchanged; uncropped WebP preview.

File: 1280 × 1920 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

AusAID / Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 1920

20. The Peraliya memorial

Graves and a tsunami memorial at Peraliya, Sri Lanka. Later photograph, 30 April 2014.
Graves and a tsunami memorial at Peraliya, Sri Lanka. Later photograph, 30 April 2014.Adam Jones
Sources and provenance for frame 20

The date concerns the photograph, not its upload. Part of a documentary collection spanning photographers, places and dates. An available reduced Wikimedia delivery copy is used; the larger original was not obtained.

Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0. Source file unchanged; uncropped WebP preview.

File: 1280 × 960 px. Downloaded bytes preserved unchanged; separate uncropped WebP preview. Source file.

Adam JonesFile on WITNESS · 1280 × 960
All sources for this story
USGS: tsunami generation NOAA: 2004 Sumatra tsunami UNESCO-IOC: Indian Ocean warning system UNESCO: ten years after the tsunami UNESCO-IOC: transition to regional services, 2013 NOAA: Indian Ocean tsunami run-ups