The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. The earthquake generated tsunamis that were among the deadliest disasters in modern history. At a magnitude of 9.0, it was the largest earthquake since the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake off Alaska in 1964, and tied for fourth largest since 1900.

The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunamis devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and other countries with waves of up to 15 m (50 feet) high, even reaching the east coast of Africa, 4500 km (2,800 miles) west of the epicenter.

At least 159,700 people are known to have died as a result of the tsunamis and the count is still taking place. The true final toll may never be known due to bodies swept out to sea, but it is likely to be higher than the current estimate. Relief agencies warn of the possibility of more deaths to come as a result of epidemics caused by poor sanitation, but the threat of starvation seems now to have been largely averted. The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. The earthquake generated tsunamis that were among the deadliest disasters in modern history. At a magnitude of 9.0, it was the largest earthquake since the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake off Alaska in 1964, and tied for fourth largest since 1900.

The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunamis devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and other countries with waves of up to 15 m (50 feet) high, even reaching the east coast of Africa, 4500 km (2,800 miles) west of the epicenter.

At least 159,700 people are known to have died as a result of the tsunamis and the count is still taking place. The true final toll may never be known due to bodies swept out to sea, but it is likely to be higher than the current estimate. Relief agencies warn of the possibility of more deaths to come as a result of epidemics caused by poor sanitation, but the threat of starvation seems now to have been largely averted. The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response.

Quake characteristics
The earthquake was initially reported as 6.8 on the Richter scale. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center(PTWC) also estimated it at 8.5 shortly after the earthquake. On the moment magnitude scale, which is more accurate for quakes of this size , the earthquake's magnitude was first reported as 8.1 by the U.S. Geological Survey. After further analysis, this was increased to 8.5, 8.9, and finally to 9.0

Since 1900, the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9.5), the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Prince William Sound (9.2), and the March 9, 1957 earthquake in the Andreanof Islands (9.1). The only other recorded earthquake of magnitude 9.0 was in 1952 off the southeast coast of Kamchatka. Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis (in the Pacific Ocean), but the death toll from these was significantly lower—a few thousand for the worst one — probably because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas and the much greater distances to more populated coasts.

The hypocenter was at 3.316°N, 95.854°E, some 160 km (100 miles) west of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km (18.6 miles) below mean sea level (initially reported as 10 km). This is at the extreme western end of the Ring of Fire, an earthquake belt that accounts for 81 percent of the world's largest earthquakes. The earthquake itself (apart from the tsunamis) was felt as far away as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and the Maldives.

The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated 1200 km (750 miles) of faultline slipped about 15 m (45 ft) along the subduction zone where the India Plate dives under the Burma Plate. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over a period of several minutes. Seismographic data indicates that the first phase involved the formation of a rupture about 400 km long and 100 km wide, located 30km beneath the sea bed. The rupture proceeded at a speed of about 2 km/s, beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over about 100 seconds. A pause of about another 100 seconds took place before the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The India Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is drifting northeast at an average of 6 cm/year (2 inches/year). The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. At this point the India Plate subducts the Burma Plate which includes the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and northern Sumatra. The India Plate slips deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure turns the subducting edge of the India Plate into magma which eventually pushes the magma above it out through the volcanoes (see Volcanic arc). This process is interrupted by the locking of the plates for several centuries until the build up of stress causes their release resulting in a massive earthquake and tsunami. The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the Sunda Arc.

As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the sea bed is estimated to have risen by several meters, triggering devastating tsunami waves. The tsunamis did not originate from a point source, as mistakenly depicted in many illustrations of their spread, but radiated outwards along the entire 1200 km length of the rupture. This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as Mexico and Chile.

Aftershocks and other earthquakes
Numerous aftershocks were reported off the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, and the region of the original epicenter in the hours and days that followed. The largest aftershock was 7.1 off the Nicobar Islands. Other aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.6 continue to shake the region on a daily basis.

The earthquake came just three days after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in an uninhabited region west of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands, and north of Australia's Macquarie Island . This is unusual, since earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more occur only about once per year on average. Some seismologists have speculated about a connection between these two earthquakes, saying that the former one might have been a catalyst to the Indian Ocean earthquake, as the two quakes happened on opposite sides of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate. However the USGS sees no evidence of a causal relationship.

Coincidentally, the earthquake struck almost exactly one year (to the hour) after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed an estimated 30,000 people in the city of Bam in Iran.

As well as continuing aftershocks, the energy released by the original earthquake continued to make its presence felt well after the event. A week after the earthquake, its reverberations could still be measured, providing valuable scientific data about the Earth's interior.

Power of the earthquake
The total energy released by the earthquake in the Indian Ocean has been estimated as 2.0 exajoules (2.0×1018 joules). This is enough to boil 150 litres (40 US gallons) of water for every person on Earth. It is estimated to have resulted in an oscillation of the Earth's surface of about 20 to 30 cm, equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon. The shock waves of the earthquake were felt across the planet - as far away as Oklahoma, vertical movements of 0.12 in (3 mm) were recorded.

The shift of mass and the massive release of energy very slightly altered the Earth's rotation. The exact amount is yet undetermined, but theoretical models suggest the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2.68 microseconds (2.68 µs) (or about one billionth of the length of a day) due to a decrease in the oblateness of the Earth. It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 2.5 cm (1 inch) in the direction of 145° east longitude or perhaps by up to 5 or 6 cm. However, due to tidal effects of the Moon, the length of a day increases at an average of 15 µs per year, so any rotational speedup due to the earthquake will be quickly lost. Similarly, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth can be up to 15 m (50 ft).

More spectacularly, some of the smaller islands southwest of Sumatra may have moved southwest by up to 20 m (66 ft). The northern tip of Sumatra, which is on the Burma Plate (the southern regions are on the Sunda Plate), may also have moved up to 36 m (118 ft) southwest. Movement was likely both vertical as well as lateral; some coastal areas may now be below sea level, making their reoccupation very unlikely. Measurements using GPS and satellite imagery are being used to determine the extent and nature of actual geophysical change.

The shaking of the seabed by the earthquake displaced massive volumes of water, resulting in tsunamis that struck the coasts of the Indian Ocean; the deadliest tsunamis by far in all of recorded history.

These tsunamis, like all others, behaved very differently in deep water than in shallow water. In deep ocean water, tsunami waves form only a small hump, barely noticeable and harmless, which travels at very high speed (faster than a jet plane); in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to the speed of an automobile but forms large destructive waves.

Two radar satellites that happened to be overhead at the right moment recorded two wavefronts 500–850 km apart with a height of 50 cm. These are the first such observations ever made.

According to Tad Murty, vice-president of the Tsunami Society, the total energy of the tsunami waves was about five megatons of TNT (20 petajoules). This is more than twice the total explosive energy used during all of World War II (including the two atomic bombs), but still a couple of orders of magnitude less than the energy released in the earthquake itself.

Because the 1,200 km of faultline affected by the quake was in a nearly north-south orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an east-west direction. Bangladesh, which lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, had very few casualties despite being a low-lying country.

Coasts that have a land mass between them and the tsunamis' location of origin are usually safe; however, tsunami waves can sometimes diffract around such land masses. Thus, the Indian state of Kerala was hit by tsunamis despite being on the western coast of India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka also suffered substantial impacts. Also, distance alone is no guarantee of safety: Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being much farther away.

Due to the distances involved, the tsunamis took anywhere from fifteen minutes to seven hours (for Somalia) to reach the various coastlines. The northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra were hit very quickly, while Sri Lanka and the east coast of India were hit roughly two hours later. Thailand was also struck about two hours later, despite being closer to the epicenter, because the tsunami travelled more slowly in the shallow Andaman Sea off its western coast.

Signs and warnings
Malé, the capital island of Maldives was severely hit.Despite a lag of up to several hours between the earthquake and the impact of the tsunamis, nearly all of the victims were taken completely by surprise. This is because there is no tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean to detect tsunamis, and equally importantly, warn the general populace living around the ocean quickly. Tsunami detection is not easy because while a tsunami is in deep water it has a very low height and a network of sensors is needed to detect it. Setting up the communications infrastructure to issue timely warnings is an even bigger problem.

Scientists were also hampered by the fact that the initial estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1. The determination that the earthquake had actually been much stronger (and the resulting tsunami much larger) was not made until after the tsunamis had already struck.

Tsunamis usually occur in the Pacific Ocean due to earthquakes in the "Ring of Fire", and an effective tsunami warning system has long been in place there. Although the extreme western edge of the "Ring of Fire" extends into the Indian Ocean (the point where this earthquake struck), no warning system exists in that ocean due to the rarity of tsunamis there — the last major one was caused by the Krakatoa eruption of 1883.

In the aftermath of the disaster there is a new awareness of the need for a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean. The UN aims to have a working East Asia and Southeast Asia early warning system within a year. Some have even proposed creating a unified global tsunami warning system, to include the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean.

See also the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami timeline, a minute to minute account by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Unfamiliarity with warning signs
The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself; however tsunamis can strike thousands of miles away, where the earthquake is only felt weakly or not at all. Also, in the minutes preceding a tsunami strike the sea often recedes temporarily from the coast. People in Pacific regions are more familiar with tsunamis and often recognize this phenomenon as a sign to head for higher ground. However, around the Indian Ocean, this rare sight reportedly induced people, especially children, to visit the coast to investigate and collect stranded fish on as much as 2.5 km of exposed beach, with fatal results.

One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, very close to the epicentre. Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in 1907 and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking — before the tsunami struck. On Maikhao beach in northern Phuket, Thailand, a 10 year old British girl named Tilly Smith had studied tsunamis in geography class at school and recognized the warning sign of the receding ocean. She and her parents warned others on the beach, which was evacuated safely.

Damage and casualties
The death toll from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the resultant floods totals to over 150,000 people with tens of thousands reported missing, and over a million left homeless. Early news reports after the earthquake spoke of a toll only in the "hundreds", but the numbers rose steadily over the following week.

Relief agencies report that one-third of the dead appear to be children. This is a result of the high proportion of children in the populations of many of the affected regions and the fact that children were the least able to resist being overcome by the surging waters.

In addition to the large number of local residents, up to 9,000 foreign tourists (mostly Europeans) enjoying the peak holiday travel season were among the dead, especially Scandinavians. The European nation hardest hit may have been Sweden .

States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Maldives. The United Nations has declared that the current relief operation will be the costliest ever. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated that reconstruction would probably take between five and ten years. Governments and NGOs fear the final death toll may double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response.

Measured in lives lost, this is one of the ten worst earthquakes in history. It is also the single worst tsunami in history; the previous record was the 1703 tsunami at Awa, Japan that killed over 100,000 people.

Countries affected
The earthquakes and resulting tsunamis affected a large number of countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia and others. Many other countries, especially in Europe, had large numbers of citizens travelling in the region on holiday.

Casualties in historical context
A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruin.The earthquake was the fourth most powerful recorded since 1900, and the confirmed death toll so far is 150,000, in large part due to the ensuing tsunami. The deadliest earthquakes since 1900 were the Tangshan, China earthquake of 1976, in which at least 255,000 were killed, the earthquake of 1927 in Xining, Qinghai, China (200,000), the Great Kanto earthquake which struck Tokyo in 1923 (143,000), and the Gansu, China earthquake of 1920 (200,000). The deadliest known earthquake in history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, with an estimated death toll of 830,000, though figures from this time period may not be reliable.

This 2004 tsunami is the deadliest in recorded history. Prior to 2004, the deadliest recorded tsunami was the result of an earthquake near Awa, Japan in 1703 that killed 100,000. Forty-thousand people were killed in 1782 by a tsunami in the South China Sea, and the tsunami created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is thought to have resulted in 36,000 deaths. The most deadly tsunami between 1900 and 2004 occurred in Messina, Italy on the Mediterranean Sea where the earthquake and tsunami killed 70,000 in 1908. The most deadly tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean resulted from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake that, combined with the toll from the actual earthquake and resulting fires, killed over 100,000.

The 2004 earthquake and tsunamis seems to be the worst natural disaster since the 1970 Bhola cyclone (Bangladesh), estimated to have killed 500,000.

Human component in magnitude of damage
An article in the Wall Street Journal on December 31, 2004 commented that human destruction of coral reefs that had formerly protected some coastal areas was a significant factor in the loss of life and damage in the area. The article pointed to the Surin Island chain off Thailand's coast as an example of protection afforded by the still intact reefs of the area. Fewer people perished in the protected areas. Many reefs areas around the Indian Ocean have been dynamited because they are considered impediments to shipping, an important part of the South Asian economy. Other factors have been the removal of coastal dunes and mangrove forests.

Post-tsunami humanitarian situation
A great deal of humanitarian aid is needed due to widespread damage of the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. The United Nations suggests that a further 150,000 at extreme risk of disease. Epidemics are of special concern, as they are likely due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. The overwhelming concern of humanitarian and government agencies is to provide sanitation facilities and fresh drinking water to contain the spread of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery and typhoid.

Nations all over the world have so far provided over USD3 billion in aid for damaged regions, with the Australian federal government pledging $US 810 million (including a USD 754 million aid package for Indonesia, the German government offering USD 660 million, the Japanese government offering USD 500 million, the Canadian government offering CAD 425 million, the United States government offering USD 350 million, and the World Bank offering USD 250 million. Officials estimate that billions of dollars will be needed.

On 9 January 2005 a cricket match was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, between an "Asian XI" and a "Rest of the World XI", which raised AUD 14.5 million for disaster relief.

Coastal fishing communities and their fisherfolk, some of the poorest people in the region, have been the most devastated with high loss of life as well as boats and fishing gear.

Some economists believe that damage to the affected countries' economies will be minor because losses in the tourism and fishing industries are a relatively small percentage of the GDP. However, others caution that damage to infrastructure is an overriding factor. In some areas, drinking water supplies and farm fields may have been contaminated for years by salt water from the ocean.

In the days after the event, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly; this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. See Dead bodies and health risks.

The World Food Programme is feeding 2 million people affected by the tsunamis.

In mid-January, Indonesian officials annouced that all foriegn aid troops inside their borders are to be withdrawn by mid-March of 2005.

Environmental impact of the tsunami
Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake has caused an enormous environmental impact which will affect the region for many years to come. It has been reported that severe damage has been inflicted on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands, vegetation, sand dunes and rock formations, animal and plant biodiversity and groundwater. In addition, the spread of solid and liquid waste and industrial chemicals, water pollution and the destruction of sewage collectors and treatment plants threaten the environment even further, in untold ways.

According to specialists, the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the fresh water supplies and the soil by salt water infiltration and deposit of a salt layer over arable land. It has been reported that in the Maldives, 16 to 17 coral reef atolls that were overcome by sea waves are totally without fresh water and could be rendered unhabitable for decades. Uncountable wells that served communities were invaded by sea, sand and earth; and aquifers were invaded through porous rock. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is working with governments of the region in order to determine the severity of the ecological impact and how to address them. UNEP has decided also to earmark a US$ 1,000,000 emergency fund and to establish a Task Force with this aim.

Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India
In India, 10,136 people, according to official estimates, were killed and hundreds of thousands were rendered homeless when a tsunami triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake near the Indonesian island of Sumatra hit the southern peninsular coast on 26 December 2004. The earthquake registered 9.0 in moment magnitude and was the biggest in four decades. This was followed by strong aftershocks, including a 6.5 magnitude quake in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 2:50:01 PM Indian Standard time.

Andaman and Nicobar
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise 572 islands (all land masses in both low and high tides) out of which 38 are inhabited, both by people from the mainland and indigenous tribes. The islands lie just north of the earthquake epicentre, and the tsunami reached a height of 15 m in the southern Nicobar Islands. The official death toll is 812, and about 7,000 are still missing. The unofficial death toll (including those missing and presumed dead) is estimated to be about 7,000.

The Great Nicobar and Car Nicobar islands were the worst hit among all the islands because of their proximity to the quake and relative flatness. Aftershocks continue to rock the area. One fifth of the population of the Nicobar Islands is said to be dead, injured or missing. Chowra Island has lost two thirds of its population of 1,500. Entire islands have been washed away, and the island of Trinket has been split in two. Communications have not been restored with the Nancowry group of islands, some of which have been completely submerged, with the total number of the population still out of contact exceeding 7,000.

Among the casualties in Car Nicobar, 100 Indian Air Force personnel and their family members were washed away when the wave hit their air base, which was reported to have been severely damaged. The St. Thomas Cathedral (also known as the John Richardson church after John Richardson, a missionary and member of parliament) was washed away. The church, established in 1930 was one of the oldest and prominent churches in the region. A cricket stadium named after John Richardson and a statue dedicated to him were also washed away.

The majority of the population of Andaman Islands is made up of people from the mainland, mostly from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The natives of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are endangered tribal groups, such as such as the Jarawa, the Sentinelese, the Shompen, the Onge and the Andamanese. They are regarded as anthropologically significant as they are some of the world's most primitive tribes and considered the world's only link to ancient civilisation. Most of these tribes have maintained their aboriginal lifestyle for centuries, and government policy has been to not interfere with them unless absolutely essential.

It is reported that most of the native islanders survived the tsunami because they live on higher ground or far from the coast. The Onge (with a 2001 census population of 96), Jarawa (240), Sentinelese (39) and Andamanese (43) have been reached by survey teams and are confirmed to be safe although the number of dead is unknown. The Sentinelese live on a reserved island and are hostile to outsiders which is making it difficult for Indian officials to visit the island. They have shot arrows at helicopters sent to check on them. In the Nicobar Islands, the Nicobarese, a Mongoloid tribe (2001 population of 28,653), have lost about 656 lives with 3,000 still missing. Surveys are being conducted on the Shompen (2001 census count of 398) located on Great Nicobar island.

India's only active volcano, Barren 1, located at Barren Island 135 kilometres (80 miles) northeast of the capital Port Blair, erupted because of increased seismic activity on 30 December 2004. People have been evacuated since then and there have been no reports of any casualties.

Andhra Pradesh
The current official toll is 105. The affected districts are Krishna (35 dead), Prakasam (35 dead), Nellore (20 dead), Guntur (4 dead), West Godavari (8 dead) and East Godavari (3 dead).

Kerala
The current official toll is 168. The affected districts are Kollam (131 dead), Alappuzha (32 dead), Ernakulam (5 dead).

Pondicherry
An estimated 30,000 people are homeless in the Union territory of Pondicherry. The current official toll is 560. The affected districts are Pondicherry (107 dead), Karaikal (453 dead).

Tamil Nadu
The state of Tamil Nadu has been the worst affected on the mainland, with a death toll of 7,793. Nagapattinam district has had 5,525 casualties, with entire villages having been destroyed. Kanyakumari district has had 808 deaths, Cuddalore district 599, the state capital Chennai 206 and Kancheepuram district 124. The death tolls in other districts were Pudukkottai (15), Ramanathapuram (6), Tirunelveli (4), Thoothukudi (3), Tiruvallur (28), Thanjavur (22), Tiruvarur (10) and Viluppuram (47).

Those killed in Kanyakumari include pilgrims taking a holy dip in the sea. Of about 700 people trapped at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial off Kanyakumari, 650 were rescued. In Chennai, people playing on the Marina beach and those who taking a Sunday morning stroll were washed away, in addition to the fisherfolk who lived along the shore and those out at sea. The death toll at Velankanni in Nagapattinam district is currently 1,500. Most of these people were visiting the Basilica of the Virgin Mary for Christmas, while others were residents of the town. The nuclear power station at Kalpakkam was shut down after sea water rushed into a pump station. No radiation leak or damage to the reactor was reported. About 100 casualties were reported from Kalpakkam, all power plant personnel and their families.

Government ex gratia
Ex Gratia

1 Government of India
The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1,00,000
(one lakh rupees) to the next of kin of each deceased.
The ex-gratia payment will be made from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

2 State Government of Tamil Nadu
The Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1,00,000 (one lakh) to the families of each of the victims.

3 State Government of Kerala
Ex gratia of Rs. 50,000 to the next kin of those killed.
Assistance of Rs. 10,000 for the families of the deceased, to meet the funeral expenses.

4 Union Territory of Pondicherry
The Chief Minister N Rangasamy has announced an ex gratia of Rs 1,00,000 (one lakh) to the next of kin of the dead.
The administration would also pay an ex gratia of Rs 5000 towards funeral expenditure.
For those injured in the disaster, the administration would provide Rs 5000.
A sum of Rs 10,000 to enable the homeless to reconstruct houses.

Tsunami related pages & official sites of affected regions
Andaman & Nicobar: Tsunami coverage   Govt. Website
Tamil Nadu: Tsunami coverage   Govt. Website
Pondicherry: Tsunami coverage   Govt. Website
Kerala: Tsunami coverage   Govt. Website

Indian media coverage
Rediff.com
The Indian Express
Press Trust of India
Times of India
The Hindu

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS & RED CRESENT SOCIETIES

Tsunami Information Taken from From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (wikipedia.org).