2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9.1 to 9.3 earthquake, killed 227,898 people in 14 countries and displaced 1.7 million, making it the deadliest tsunami ever recorded, surpassing the 1883 Krakatoa tsunami by 40%. Tsunami waves reached up to 30 metres in height, devastating Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. This disaster was among the first extensively captured on video, transforming global understanding of tsunami risk and driving investment in early warning systems, resulting in a 90% reduction in tsunami-related deaths in the region since 2004.