It Is The 17'Th Anniversary Of The Most Horrifying Event Of The 21'St Century

December 26, 2004: Indian Ocean tsunami strikes Asia, killing 230,000

When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck, it was one of the biggest natural disasters in recorded history.

By Chas Early

Last updated: 22 May 2017

On this day in 2004, an earthquake under the Indian Ocean caused a massive tsunami to strike southern Asia, eventually claiming the lives of over 230,000 people.

The earthquake, measuring at least 9.1 on the Richter scale, occurred at 7.58am local time off the west coast of Indonesia. It is now believed to have lifted the sea floor by as much as 10 metres, displacing hundreds of cubic kilometres of sea water away from its epicentre.

The resulting tsunami formed waves as high as 100ft, which travelled at speeds of up to 500 mph before slowing as they slammed into the surrounding land masses.

Whole towns and settlements were washed away by the force of the water. It led to the deaths of an estimated 230,000 people in 13 countries – and more than 128,000 in hardest-hit Indonesia, alone.

With tens of thousands more injured, and having caused the displacement of over two million people in the region from their homes, the tsunami is considered the most devastating ever recorded – while the earthquake which caused it was the third largest since measurements began.