Tsunami devastates Indian Ocean coasts

A massive earthquake under the Indian Ocean has triggered tsunamis that have killed tens of thousands of people in countries from Indonesia to Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Somalia.

The earthquake struck off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra early on 26 December. With a magnitude of about 9, it is the most powerful earthquake in the world for 40 years.

Walls of water

The earthquake sent huge waves racing across the ocean. They struck the coast of Sumatra within minutes, and reached Thailand, Sri Lanka and India within two hours. Some waves were more than 10 metres high.

There was no warning system in the Indian Ocean, and many people had no idea of the danger. Some walked out onto the beach as the sea drew back, only to be swept away when the waves arrived.

Devastation

The Indonesian province of Aceh, closest to the earthquake, has been devastated, with whole towns destroyed. In Sri Lanka, thousands died along the southern and eastern coasts, and a train carrying hundreds of passengers was swept off its tracks.

In Thailand, holiday resorts including Phuket and Khao Lak were hit, killing many foreign tourists. In India, villages along the coast of Tamil Nadu were destroyed.

The death toll is rising rapidly as rescuers reach remote areas, and aid agencies fear it could exceed 100,000.

British victims

Many British families were spending Christmas in the region, particularly in Thailand and Sri Lanka. The Foreign Office has set up an emergency helpline, and says a number of British people have died and many more are missing.

Aid effort

Governments and aid agencies have launched a major relief operation. The immediate needs are clean water, food, shelter and medical care, and there are fears that disease could spread in the aftermath.

The British government has pledged millions of pounds in aid, and the Disasters Emergency Committee is launching an appeal. People across Britain, including many in Birmingham with family links to Sri Lanka and India, are desperately trying to contact relatives.

Calls for a warning system

Scientists say many lives could have been saved with a warning system, like the one that exists in the Pacific Ocean. There are calls for such a system to be set up in the Indian Ocean.

The disaster is one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history.