Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster
- Ashley Marks
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Tsunami that hit 14 countries after the largest rupture in history in the Indian Ocean
This is the real story of the incredible loss of life that occurred on December 26, 2004 after a 9.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia causing a tsunami to hit coasts all across the Indian Ocean with zero warning.
Photo by David Rydevik
Sources for this series:
Photo by AFP/AFP/Getty Images - Tourists far out on beach from receding water just as first waves begin to approach Thailand shores
In our latest series of Smoke and Ash, we take you beyond the headlines and into one of the most devastating natural disasters of our lifetime: the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Through survivor accounts, expert insight, and immersive storytelling, we bring you into the moments when ordinary lives were shattered in an instant and entire coastlines were transformed forever.
What Happened That Morning?
On December 26, 2004, a massive rupture deep beneath the Indian Ocean triggered a powerful earthquake, one of the largest ever recorded. What followed was a series of towering tsunami waves that raced across fourteen countries with no warning. Families on holiday, children playing on the beach, fishermen heading out for the day and whole communities going about their morning were suddenly caught in an unimaginable catastrophe.
Photo by The Economist - the epicentre of the rupture and coastlines in the tsunami's path.
Throughout this series, we guide you through the crucial hours as the waves travel outward from Sumatra. From the first signs of trouble on Thailand’s beaches, to the destruction along the shores of Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia, we paint a vivid picture of what it was like to watch the ocean pull away and suddenly come roaring back with impossible force.
Photo by Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images - Mosque in Banda Aceh only surviving building
We follow the stories of those who lived it. Vacationers swept from hotels. Locals searching for missing loved ones. A train packed with families in Sri Lanka. A boy who survives alone for twenty one days. And everyday people who, in the middle of chaos and grief, risk everything to help one another.
Why You Should Listen
If you are drawn to true stories of resilience, community, and the power of human instinct in the face of disaster, this season is for you. Each episode shares firsthand accounts that pull you directly into the lived experience of that day.
Join us as we uncover how this disaster unfolded, how people fought to survive, and how the world came together in the aftermath.
Listen to the full series now on Smoke and Ash wherever you get your podcasts.
Remember to kiss, squeeze, hug your loved ones.
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