Sri Lanka will observe two minutes of silence today (26 December) from 9:25 a.m. to 9:27 a.m. in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and other natural disasters, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) announced.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the devastating 2004 tsunami, one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Over 230,000 lives were lost across 10 countries in the Indian Ocean, with Sri Lanka bearing a significant toll of more than 40,000 fatalities.
The primary commemoration event for this year’s National Safety Day will be held at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial Statue in Galle, with additional district-level events organized across the island.
On 26 December 2004, a massive undersea megathrust earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunami unleashed catastrophic waves that devastated coastal regions in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives, Myanmar, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In Sri Lanka, the waves caused widespread destruction, reducing buildings to rubble and displacing thousands as debris swept several kilometers inland.
Since 2005, the 26th of December has been designated as National Safety Day to honor the victims of the tsunami and other natural disasters. Each year, the day serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness and resilience.
