Thousands Mark 20 Years since Indian Ocean Tsunami

Triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's Aceh province on Dec. 26, 2004, the tsunami sent waves as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet) crashing into coastlines of 14 countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India.

In Indonesia, which bore more than half the total death toll, hundreds visited a mass grave in Ulee Lheue village to pay their respects. Flower petals were scattered over stones marking the graves, while tears and embraces underscored the shared grief.

Some visitors expressed uncertainty about whether their loved ones rested there, as many victims were buried unidentified.

"Even though so much time has passed, the same feelings haunt us on this date, especially for those of us who lost our family," said Nurkhalis, 52, who lost his wife, children, parents, and in-laws to the tsunami. None of their bodies were ever found.

A separate memorial was held at Aceh's Grand Baiturrahman Mosque, where hundreds observed three minutes of silence before joining in prayer.

In Sri Lanka, a moment of silence was observed at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial Statue in Galle, the country’s disaster management center reported.

In Tamil Nadu, the worst-affected state in India, residents lit candles and prayed for the lives lost two decades ago.

In Thailand, religious ceremonies were held near Ban Nam Khem village in Phang Nga province, one of the country’s hardest-hit areas. Hundreds gathered at the Tsunami Wall memorial site to honor the dead.

For some, the sea remains a source of deep trauma. Urai Sirisuk, 62, who lost her 4-year-old daughter, recounted her enduring pain.

"I felt that the waves took my daughter away. I was so mad at it," she said. "I cannot bring myself near the sea, not even my feet in the sand. I wouldn’t come here unless necessary. The sea took my daughter from me."

Phang Nga province lost 5,400 people to the tsunami, including numerous foreign tourists, leaving scars that persist to this day.