Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi pays tribute to victims of 2004 tsunami

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday paid floral tribute to the victims of the 2004 tsunami, on the 20th anniversary of the catastrophe.

Fishermen and locals in Chennai, Thoothukudi, and other districts of Tamil Nadu also paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the 2004 tsunami.

On this 20th anniversary, a Tsunami Memorial Day will be observed today in Chennai. A memorial service was held at Thrace Puram Beach in Thoothukudi. Sangukuli Fishermen’s Association Isakimuthu presided over the programme.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Tsunami 2004, people paid tributes to the victims, in Thoothukudi pic.twitter.com/8cpnkyp4pd

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2024

The fishermen paid their respects with candles in their hands and by sprinkling flowers and pouring milk into the sea. A significant number of fishermen participated in the event.

On December 26, 2004, an earthquake occurred on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, resulting in a tsunami that devastated the coastal areas. Around 2.3 lakh people who lived along the coast in various countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India, were killed.

Tamil Nadu was also ravaged by the tsunami. In Tamil Nadu, the eastern coastal areas from Chennai to Kanyakumari were mostly affected by the tsunami. The flood from the tsunami affected several regions such as Singarathoppu Devanambattinam, Dalanguda, Sonanguppam, Sothikuppam, Akkaraikkori, and MGR.

As many as 610 people were killed and various fishing villages, including Thithu and Billumedu, were swept away by the tsunami waves. (ANI)