CityNews Rewind: Dec 26, 2004 – The Killer Tsunami

So when an earthquake shook the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, everyone realized the possible danger. But no one really thought it would come to much.

There hadn’t been a truly significant event from the ocean in Southeast Asia since the volcano erupted in Krakatoa in 1883. So there were no official organizations set up to warn anyone of the danger.

And that’s why no one was ready for what followed.

Tourists lounged on sunny beaches. People went to work as they usually did. And fishermen set out in their boats just after 8:00 local time.

It was Boxing Day 2004 and this time, it would be different.

What happened just hours afterwards will be remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in modern times as well as one of the most astounding rescue and rehab efforts the world has ever seen.

The earthquake created a tsunami, a series of giant waves that headed straight for several countries in Southeast Asia. When the giant monsters hit many were swept to their deaths.

The walls of water, some measuring 30 feet or higher, took different times getting ashore in the affected countries.

It took just 15 minutes to hit Sumatra, which was closest to the epicentre of the 9.3 Richter scale quake. The seismic event was the second biggest ever recorded. 

It was only 90 minutes before the massive wave reached Thailand, where it swamped the resort area of Phuket.

Sri Lanka was next just two hours later.

Somalia, which was the furthest from the underground mover, was submerged seven hours after the quake.

And parts of Indonesia – the worst hit area –  were simply washed away, forever lost to the disaster.

At first the world was only vaguely aware of what had happened. Communications and roads were both wiped out over thousands of miles and there was no way to tell how bad things had been.

And then slowly, the survivors emerged, picking through the rubble of their ruined houses – if they were lucky enough to find anything left.

Anguished stories of men, women and children ripped from the arms of loved ones emerged, as they fruitlessly struggled to hold on to trees or objects in the tidal wave.

Stories surfaced of babies being torn from their frantic mothers, never to be seen again.

Many of those mothers were also washed out to sea, leaving unnamed orphans authorities couldn’t identify.

Some cities and towns were simply no longer there.

Satellite photos of before and after the cataclysmic waves told the tale. Where once there had been a thriving populous, now stood only barren or submerged land, filled with shards of unrecognizable rubble.

The death tolls were simply staggering, numbers so large most people simply couldn’t process them.

More than 130,000 people were killed in Indonesia and another 37,000 were never found. At least 500,000 survivors lost their homes.

Banda Ache was left crumpled by the waves that hit the region. A year later, many were still living in tents.

It’s believed 35,000 people or more were killed in Sri Lanka, with half a million left homeless.

In India, some 8,850 were confirmed dead and 5,000 hectares of needed farmland was washed away.

Thailand’s tourist industry was decimated and saw almost 6,000 confirmed deaths – including at least 2,400 foreigners from 36 countries. Nearly 3,000 people were never recovered or accounted for and are also presumed drowned.

Incredibly, in an astounding show of insensitivity, tourists began to reappear on the country’s beaches within days of the disaster, arguing they’d already bought their tickets and didn’t want to give up their vacations.

All tolled, it’s believed 200,000-275,000 or more were killed in the single event, making it among the worst natural disasters in history.

The world worked quickly to gather aid for the countries most affected by the tragedy.

The Red Cross and World Vision were both on the scene right away, and many countries – including Canada – sent in armies of experts to help in the hunt for survivors, to aid the homeless, to bring in much needed food and to try and prevent the spread of disease.

Fundraisers, including an all day event by ChumCity stations from coast to coast, brought in millions of dollars.

The Canadian government pledged some $245 million in aid through 2009.

Between December 26, 2005 and January 11, 2005, contributions made to various charities were matched by the feds, adding more help.

It’s estimated some $13.6 billion was raised worldwide. But questions persist about what happened to the money.

The Red Cross alone took in at least $370 million in relief. Two years later, there are complaints much of that cash hasn’t reached those it was meant to help. Only $103 million has been disbursed.

Where’s the rest of it gone?

“Once you go over the relief efforts, which are the immediate needs people have for food, for blankets, for their hygiene kits and so on, all the recovery efforts take time,” defends Jose Garcia-Lozano of the Canadian Red Cross.

His group has also been criticized for not being experienced enough in reconstruction. “We’re confident that we will be building the thousands of houses we’ve committed to build in the time that we have planned for,” he answers.

But it’s not just Canada or reputable agencies where eyebrows and questions have been raised.

In Sri Lanka, there were reports that rebel Tamil Tigers were keeping the funds from reaching those who needed it most.

In Thailand there are allegations about graft skimming away as much as $1.6 million.

And many victims complain their rebuilt homes are flimsy, insect infested, and that contractors ran off with the funds to properly reconstruct them. 

But at least some good came from the terror and the tears.

The disaster prompted the creation of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System, which officially went online in June 2006.

It uses 25 stations, 26 international centres and  three deep-ocean sensors to relay information that will alert people in all the affected countries to head for safety if another similar event occurs.

And in a strange footnote, it appears the animals knew much better than man. Dozens of species, including elephants, headed for higher ground before the wave struck. Many of them survived.

To see our original video on this tragedy, click the  links above.

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