A highly intense earthquake was recorded under the Indian Ocean and generated a devastating tsunami that hit 14 countries in Southeast Asia, on December 26, 2004. The summary, in seven minutes, of an event considered by the UN to be the worst natural tragedy ever recorded .
Much of the world had just celebrated Christmas when news arrived of a . On the morning of December 26, 2004, an earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale in the Indian Ocean generated a devastating tsunami that caused more than 227,000 deaths in 14 countries in Southeast Asia.
The displacement of tectonic plates under the Indian Ocean in Indonesian territory, two decades ago, marked the beginning of the greatest natural disaster on record, according to (HER).
The earth shook 20 meters deep, 160 kilometers west of the island of Sumatra. An extension of 1,200 kilometers of The Indo-Australian tectonic plate advanced beneath the Eurasian plate and caused the sea floor to rise by about 20 meters.
This displacement generated the 9.1 earthquake that caused a violent movement of the ocean and triggered a series of waves on the surfacewhich reached 30 meters in height.
The strong wave of the tsunami traveled across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet plane. Fourteen countries were affected. The lack of warning systems worsened the impact of the phenomenon.
O tsunami devastated coastal areas and entire cities. Local people and tourists were completely taken by surprise.
When the tsunami hit the island of Sumatra, less than 30 minutes after the earthquake, many people were relaxing on the beach. Aceh province was severely punished. The waves destroyed houses, buildings, boats, hotels, vegetation, everything was devastated in the region. More than 170,000 people died this Sunday morning, in North Sumatra alone.
Thailand was hit an hour after Sumatra. Phuket, Phi Phi and other beaches famous as tourist destinations were completely destroyed. Resorts with many foreigners who spent the end of the year in these places were devastated. More than 5 thousand deaths and almost 3 thousand missing were confirmed in the country.
The tragedy was even greater because thousands of people were never located. A large number of tourists of different nationalities died, many were never found. In Europe alone, almost 30 countries lost citizens in the Southeast Asian tsunami
Sri Lanka was the second country with the highest number of fatalities. India was also hit hard. The tsunami was felt in several countries bathed by the Indian Ocean, including Myanmar, Maldives and Malaysia, where the waves had already reached less intensity.
Portuguese victims and the story of Martunis
Of the 210 citizens with Portuguese nationality who were in the region, nine did not survive the tsunami. Several Portuguese families were also forever marked by the tsunami.
Portugal was also associated with the tsunami due to the rescue of a 7-year-old boy who was rescued 19 days after the tragedy. When he was found, he was wearing a national team shirt, which is why he received greater attention from the Portuguese and was helped by the .
was not indifferent to the story of the boy, a fan of the national team, and . The famous Portuguese player He promised Martunis to pay for his studies and became the boy’s “mentor” and friend.
Environmental impact and installation of warning systems in the region
According to the UN, the Southeast Asian tsunami was also the third largest earthquake on the planet since 1900.
In addition to the enormous human and material damage, the environmental impact of the tsunami was high. There were serious losses in biodiversity and freshwater sources were compromised. Salt water infiltration has had a serious impact on agriculture
a The UN ensured that the entire region had warning systems. Several structures were installed in Southeast Asia so that a catastrophe of this magnitude would never occur.
