(26 Dec 2018) Survivors and families of victims who died in the December 2004 tsunami gathered at a mass grave site in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Wednesday to remember those who lost their lives.
The event marked the 14th anniversary of the massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island in western Indonesia which created gigantic waves that surged far inland swallowing everything in their path.
The wall of water killed some 230,000 people in a dozen countries, more than half in Indonesia's Aceh province.
The devastation was vast, and the disaster was among the worst witnessed in recent history.
Saturday's event, coupled with an earthquake and tsunami in September on Sulawesi that killed at least 2,100 people, triggered flashbacks for some who survived the 2004 tragedy.
Ikram Fuadi escaped from the waves the day after Christmas Day in 2004 to discover he had lost his entire immediate family.
His father, mother, brother and sister are all still missing and their bodies were never found.
Orphaned at the age of 13, Fuadi went to live with his aunt, Qurnaty, until he finished his schooling.
"I feel really sad every time the memories (of the tsunami) come to my mind because I've lost the whole family, including relatives from my father's side," Fuadi told The Associated Press.
"All of them are missing; there's nothing left."
Qurnaty, 54, who uses only one name, lost her home and several family members in Banda Aceh in the 2004 disaster.
She says when she sees others suffering after the tsunami in Sulawesi and Banten province, the same way she did, the memories of 14 years ago come flooding back to her.
"All we can do from here is pray for them and hope they all remain strong," Qurnaty said.
Though recovery was slow, some victims of the latest tsunami have said they remember the resilience of the Acehnese people, which gives them hope that they too can rebuild their homes and their lives.
The waves that hit communities along the Sunda Strait on Saturday night struck without warning, taking people by surprise even in a country familiar with seismic disaster.
No big earthquake shook the ground beforehand, and it hit at night on a holiday weekend while people were enjoying concerts and other beach and resort activities.
Officials say the death toll from Saturday's waves stands at 429, with more than 1,400 people injured and at least 128 missing.
More than 21,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
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