At one particularly large site in Thailand's southern fishing town of Ban Nam Khem, a large illuminated sign read '20 Tsunami' was surrounded by flames after huge numbers of people flocked to pay homage

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 across a dozen countries

For ten straight minutes, the entire planet shook violently, sending seismic waves across itself that changed the world for the worse.

December 26, 2004, constantly replays in Khairani's head. It was the last day she saw her mother alive after the deadly tsunami hit Banda Aceh and took thousands of lives.

On December 26, 2004, a massive tsunami killed more than 220,000 people in 14 countries in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history

A rise in the number of remarriages and a baby boom in the years since 2004 gave hope to survivors and helped them cope with the tragedyIt was Mahyuddin’s mother who had pestered him to go out on Sunday morning, 20 years ago. Dozens of relatives were visiting their small coastal village in Indonesia for a wedding party, but a powerful earthquake had struck just before 8am. Buildings in some areas had collapsed. He should go and check on his employer’s office to see if they needed help, his mother said.As he drove into town, he found chaos and panic. The road was heavy with traffic: cars, motorbikes, trucks, all rushing in the same direction. People were running, shouting that water was coming. Continue reading...

People have started gathering in prayer and are visiting mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province to mark 20 years since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history’s worst natural disasters