Mourners leave tributes on 20th anniversary of the world’s deadliest tsunami
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Survivors and relatives of victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami held memorials in Thailand to mark the disaster’s 20th anniversary today. Families laid flowers and lit candles in Phuket and Phang Nga provinces on the east coast of the country, where at least 5,046 people died.
![[Mourners place candles on the beach for the memorial ceremony at Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park on December 26, 2024 in Phang Nga, Thailand]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234280818-b218.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The tsunami was caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and killed at least 228,000 people across six countries on December 26, 2004. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand had the highest fatalities. It displaced millions, caused widespread destruction, and led to international humanitarian efforts.
![[Residents swift through the trail of destruction along the coastal railway line in the southern Sri Lankan town of Lunawa 26 December 2004 after tsunami tidal waves lashed more than half of Sri Lanka's coastline]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234294489-d977.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Sharon Howard lost her fiancee, David Page, 44, and sons Mason, eight, and Taylor, six, in the disaster. The family had been holidaying in the beach resort of Khao Lak when the deadly waves crashed onshore. Sharon, 57, laid flowers at the hotel they stayed at today to commemorate the tragedy.
![[An Indian woman wails as she with others offer tributes in remembrance of victims of the 2004 tsunami on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, at Marina Beach in Chennai, India, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234255443-e42d.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘I was dreading going back to Thailand, absolutely dreading it, but it’s something I had to do for myself,’ she told the Sun. ‘My family don’t understand but we all grieve differently and they prefer to leave it in the past and remember them as they were.
‘But I knew I would regret it if I didn’t go.’. Local official Siwat Rawangkun chaired religious ceremonies for Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims before placing flowers at the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park in Phang Nga. Many locals and foreign tourists also brought offerings and flowers to mourn their loved ones.
