2004 ended with one of history’s deadliest natural disasters - the Boxing Day Tsunami - where an estimated 225 thousand people were killed. The 9-magnitude earthquake struck 160 kilometres off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia.
More than 11 thousand people are now thought to have been killed in Southern Asia after an undersea earthquake sent enormous waves rolling across the Indian Ocean.
Striking at shallow water depth and with enormous energy, the quake was felt across the world.
Tsunamis rose from the earthquake's epicentre with waves up to 30 metres high, causing death and destruction in 12 Indian Ocean countries.
More than a million people were displaced, and 5 million left without basic services.
26 Australians were also killed, mainly in Thailand, while holidaying at beach resorts.
Since the disaster, evacuation centres and tsunami warning systems were developed with Australia playing a large role in their future detection.
Discover more at sbs.com.au/sbs50
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