Sri Lanka will observe a National Safety Day tomorrow on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The Ministry of Disaster Management is making arrangements for the event at the Mahinda RajapaksaInternational Conference Hall and other places in collaboration with other ministries and departments.
A decade ago, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that swept away entire communities around the Indian Ocean.
About 228,000 people were killed as a result of the 9.1 magnitude quake and the giant waves that slammed into coastlines on 26 December 2004.
The violent upward thrust of the ocean floor at 07:58 local time (00:58 GMT) displaced billions of tonnes of seawater, which then raced towards shorelines at terrifying speeds.
The waves stripped vegetation from mountain sides hundreds of metres inland, capsized freighters and threw boats into trees. The estimated cost of the
damage was just under $10bn (£6.4bn).
Ten years on, many coastal towns and villages have rebuilt their communities and lives. The shores of Indonesia and Thailand, left ravaged by the tsunami, appear transformed.
