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Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

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File:Sumatra devastation1.jpg
A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins

This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order – for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. Countries with a smaller number of casualties, as well as those which have lost citizens who were travelling abroad, are listed further on in the article. For a table showing figures on people dead, missing and displaced, click here.

Countries suffering major casualties and damage

Impact on India
The tsunami toll has risen to 15,493 dead or feared dead, according to the table of casualties on the Home Ministry website. 9,575 casualties have been confirmed so far, most of them in the state of Tamil Nadu. There are still 5,918 people missing, nearly all of them in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The estimated number of casualties in India is 16,000, split roughly equally between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Indian mainland.
Impact on Indonesia
Indonesia's Ministry of Health confirmed about 104,000 dead, mainly in the northern province Aceh of the island Sumatra, and have not finished counting. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that up to 100,000 are missing. In addition, the Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia said that up to 400,000 may be dead in villages that "show no signs of life", though the accuracy of this claim is unknown [1] [2].
Impact on Malaysia
Despite its proximity to the incident, Malaysia escaped the kind of damage that struck countries thousands of miles further away. The number of deaths currently stands at 68 with 52 in Penang, 12 in Kedah, 3 in Perak and 1 in Selangor.
Impact on the Maldives
In the Maldives, 82 were killed and 26 reported missing and presumed dead.[3] Data updated / checked: 21 January 2005.
Impact on Myanmar
Independent media reports 90 people killed in Myanmar due to the tsunami; witnesses in Myanmar estimate up to 600 deaths.
Impact on Somalia
Villages and coastal communities in Somalia, as far as 4,500 km (2,800 mi) from the epicentre of the earthquake, were swept away and destroyed by the huge waves. One hundred seventy-six people were confirmed dead and more than 50,000 have been displaced.
Impact on Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan authorities and the Tamil Tigers together report 48,677 confirmed deaths, mostly children and the elderly [4]. The south and east coasts were worst hit. One and a half million people have been displaced from their homes.
Impact on Thailand
The Thai government reports 5,246 confirmed deaths, 8,457 injuries and 4,499 missing [5]. Damage was confined to the six southern provinces facing the Andaman Sea. The Thai government is keen to point out that the rest of the country is operating normally, and that even some resorts in the south have now re-opened.

Countries suffering some casualities and damage

Bangladesh Two children killed after a tourist boat capsized in surging waves.
Kenya Waves struck Kenya causing some minor damage. One person reported drowned at Watamu, near Mombasa ([6]).
Seychelles Three killed, seven people missing. Major bridge in Port Victoria destroyed.
South Africa Two reported dead. Ocean level variance two to three meters outside normal reported in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, and a surge of 1.5m was observed as far as Struisbaai in the Western Cape, 8500km from the epicentre of the earthquake. One dead at Blue Horizon Bay near Port Elizabeth. One boy dead after swimming in the Quinera River at Gonubie. [7] Large concrete blocks were uprooted in East London harbour, where boats also broke from their moorings [8] [9]. Boats and cars were submerged at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club in Port Elizabeth harbour. [10] Durban harbour, Africa's busiest general cargo port and home to the largest and busiest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, [11] was closed for some time on 27 December because of unusually strong surges across the entrance channel [12]. Some steps were taken in South Africa to warn ports and disaster management centres, although full details are not in the public domein.[13] Other sources: [14][15][16][17][18][19][20].
Tanzania Ten killed, unknown number of people missing. Oil tanker temporarily run aground in Dar es Salaam harbour, damaging oil pipeline.
Yemen One child killed, 40 fishing boats wrecked, on Socotra Island.

Countries suffering damage only

Australia Tremors felt along the north-western coast, some minor flooding. Seas off Western Australia reportedly surged between Geraldton, 425 km north of Perth, where several boats were ripped from their moorings, and Busselton, 325 km south of Perth, where a father and son in a boat were washed out to sea, but were later rescued. No direct casualties have been reported within Australia. Despite early worries about Cocos (Keeling) Islands, no casualties were reported. People swimming at Christmas Island were sucked 150m out to sea, but were safely carried back to shore after a pause.
Madagascar Flooding in low-lying coastal districts. No reported casualties. Waves reported variously as being between 1.6 and 10 metres in height swept through southeastern coastal areas near the towns of Manakara, Sambava and Vohemar — over 1,000 reported homeless. Problems were exacerbated by the approach of Cyclone Chambo. [21]
Mauritius Struck by wave, no reports on casualties, a village in the north of the island completely submerged.
Oman Waves hit coastline but no casualties.
Réunion (French DOM) Over 200 boats sunk; damage to port infrastructure estimated at over €500,000, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
Singapore Tremors felt by residents in high-rise apartment blocks in the south of the city-state.

Countries that lost citizens while abroad

Below is a list of countries, mostly from outside the Indian Ocean region, who have reported dead or missing nationals as result of the disaster. Those trying to find family members or friends can use websites set up for this purpose, many of which are listed at the bottom of this page.

A - J

Argentina Eleven missing in Thailand, five in Indonesia, and two in India, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Australia On 14 January the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs said: "Twelve Australian citizens and 5 permanent residents have been confirmed to have lost their lives. We have grave concerns for 16 and concerns about a further group of 30." Earlier fears that several hundred Australians may have died have been revised: Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty put the likely death toll at between 30 and 100, and other sources say the final number will be about 50. The Australian Government designated Sunday 16 January as a national day of mourning in Australia for tsunami victims. Australians will be asked to observe a minute's silence at 11.59am.
Austria Thirteen Austrians confirmed killed in Thailand and Sri Lanka (as of Jan 17th, 2005). Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik has warned that the death toll may rise to over 150 casualties. Most injured Austrian tourists have already been transferred back to Austria (about 1,500), 133 Austrians have been reported still missing in the region (as of Jan 17th, 2005).
Belgium Three Belgian tourists were confirmed killed in Phuket, and three in Khao Lak (both in Thailand). 50 other Belgians in the area have not been localized yet, 12 of them are presumed dead.
Brazil The Brazilian diplomat Lys Amayo de Benedek D'Avola and her 10-year old son died in Phi Phi, Thailand. 26 others are still missing.
Canada Five Canadians have been confirmed dead, including one in Sri Lanka and two in Phuket. Another dozen have been confirmed injured. Another two Canadians have been reported missing in Phuket. In Maldives there are 11 Canadians that could not be contacted; also in the Maldives, 45 Canadian pilots are safe and sound.
Chile Two dead. One of them turned to Swedish citizenship.
China Three confirmed dead, eight injured in Thailand and 40 missing. Action movie star Jet Li, on holiday with his family in the Maldives, suffered a minor foot injury while guiding his daughter to safety.
Colombia An eighteen month-old baby was reported dead in Thailand; her two parents and brother have been confirmed injured, according to the Consul of Colombia in Jakarta.
Croatia A 3-year old girl from Croatia died in Thailand.
Czech Republic One confirmed death (young woman in Thailand); it is believed that 6 Czechs may have died. Five were confirmed injured in Thailand, including the supermodel Petra Nemcova; another 33 of over 1,000 Czechs in the region remain out of reach. Nemcova's British boyfriend is also missing.
Denmark 8 dead and 41 have been listed as missing (19 January). Of the dead, six died in Thailand. A young female tourist and a Danish resident of Sri Lanka died there.

The list of missing persons can be viewed here [22].

Estonia 3 missing in Thailand.
Finland Finnish government has confirmed 5 deaths, but according to other sources there are at least 16 casualties. 177 are still missing. Survivors include the former finance minister Sauli Niinistö, while musician Aki Sirkesalo with his family are missing. There were around 3,000 Finns travelling on the affected areas.
France At least 22 killed and 189 injured. At least 90 French nationals are missing.
Germany Approximately 10,000 German tourists were in the region. 60 are confirmed dead and up to 1,000 are still missing. Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, on vacation in Sri Lanka, was rescued from the roof of his flooded hotel by military helicopter.
Greece One person lightly injured in Phuket, Thailand, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Approximately 300 Greek tourists are estimated to be in Phuket.
Hong Kong (China) Two residents were confirmed dead with six more believed to be dead in Thailand (CRHK). Officials said 70 locatable Hong Kong residents with detailed information are missing with 33 reportedly in Thailand, 2 reportedly in Malaysia, 10 reportedly in Sri Lanka, 0 reportedly in Maldives, 2 reportedly in Indonesia and 25 in other locations. The Immigration Department is still processing 549 remaining reports of missing citizens with incomplete information. According to major local media RTHK, TVB, SCMP, some 400 are still missing.

The Hong Kong SAR government has set up a web page containing information of some unlocated people on January 1 2005 (English: [23], Chinese: [24]).

For more information about Hong Kong relief efforts and personal stories, see Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Hong Kong.

Hungary Eight Hungarians were injured in Phuket, Thailand, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ireland One person confirmed dead and twenty Irish people are still missing. (Irish Independent 5/1/05)
Israel Five Israelis were killed, two more still missing from the Thai resort of Phuket, and are presumed dead [25].
Italy Up to January 10, 20 Italian citizens were reported as dead. 268 people are still missing, 246 in Thailand, 22 in Sri Lanka. ([26]). About 10,000/12,000 Italian citizens were in the region (either tourists or resident abroad), according to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan At least 24 confirmed bodies of Japanese and up to 700 missing. Amongst the missing are Sadayuki Yoshino, the First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Bangkok, and his son who were vacationing together at Phuket, Thailand.

K - R

Luxembourg There are 2 people reported missing at Phuket by the Luxembourg government. Approximately 400 people were in the affected region according to the official government website.
Macau (China) Two deaths and three missing news.tom.com.
Malaysia Six deaths in southern Thailand.
Netherlands According to the Dutch goverment there are seven confirmed dead, six in Thailand and one in Sri Lanka. Thirty people are certainly missing, mostly from Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands. The status of about 40 people is still unknown. Source: nu.nl (in Dutch).
New Zealand The Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed three New Zealand deaths: a woman in Phuket, Thailand, a middle-aged man in Krabi, Thailand and an elderly New Zealand-born woman in Sri Lanka, who held Canadian citizenship. Another four New Zealanders are presumed dead, three of them near Khao Lak in Thailand. Eight New Zealanders are reported to still be in hospital in Thailand, and one in Chennai, India. Of those known to have been in affected areas, eight are still missing, and inquiries continue as to the fate of 502 who may have been in affected areas. [27].
Norway 13 people have been formally identified and confirmed as dead, three in Sri Lanka and ten in Thailand. 73 are still missing [28]. Among those in the missing category are some whose bodies have been been recognised by family or friends but not yet identified by authorities. For more information about Norwegian relief efforts and personal stories, see Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Norway.
Philippines Eight people reported dead, several injured, in Phuket, Thailand.
Poland According to Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs four Polish tourists are believed dead and at least 43 people are missing (28 in Thailand, 15 in Sri Lanka). Three people are hospitalised in Phuket and Krabi. The number of Polish tourists in the affected areas is estimated to be around 2,000.
Portugal According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a total of 230 Portuguese were thought to be in the region. From those, 8 are reported to be missing. 1 national still remains hospitalized in Thailand. The other 2 that were initially hospitalized were released and returned to Paris, where they live.
Romania Two Romanian tourists were earlier reported missing in Phuket, Thailand, but they have been found safe. Over 20 Romanian tourists are estimated to be in the affected region, but according to Cristian Gaginschi, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are no indications that any Romanian has been affected by the earthquake.
Russia At least 10 are dead at Phuket, Thailand, and as many as 36 may be missing, according to the Russian Embassy. About 800 Russian tourists were at Phuket alone. Around 250 Russian tourists were in Sri Lanka, all of whom are safe.

S - Z

Singapore The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported at least 9 are dead: 1 in Sri Lanka, 1 in India, 2 in Indonesia, 5 in Thailand. 13 others are still missing in Thailand. 81 remain uncontactable [29].
South Africa The Department of Foreign Affairs reported that 11 South Africans have been confirmed dead,[30] most of whom died in Thailand.[31] Four South Africans are on the official missing list, feared dead. 2,900 South Africans were in South East Asia at the time of the disaster.[32] Countries other than Thailand where more than 30 South African were travelling at the time are India, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.[33]Data updated / checked: 21 January 2005.
South Korea The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported twelve dead and eight missing. Six of the missing were thought to have been in Thailand and two in Indonesia. 276 others who were reported to have been in the disaster-hit areas remain unaccounted for.
Spain According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of December 30, 11 tourists are missing, in the island of Javelock, Andaman Islands and in Phuket resort. No deaths reported to the moment.
Sweden According to the Ministry of foreign affairs there are 52 confirmed deaths so far, all in Thailand, except one in Sri Lanka. As of 4 January, 1,903 nationals are still missing in the region. 702 of these are confirmed, regarding the rest of the missing there is a lack of information This will probably turn out to be the greatest national tragedy in Swedish history, with the final casualty figure likely exceeding 1,000 and thus eclipsing the Estonia disaster of 1994. Additionally Kristian Walker, a 12-year-old survivor, is now reported missing, possibly snatched by child traffickers.
Switzerland Over 2,200 Swiss nationals are estimated to have been in the affected area at the time of disaster. 23 whose bodies could be identified have been confirmed as deceased by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and many more injured. Of the 240 still missing, 90 are presumed dead.
Taiwan Three confirmed dead, several missing and many injured. Thirty-five fishing boats from Taiwan in Phuket, Thailand, were beached and damaged; sailors suffered minor injuries.
Turkey According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, one Turk killed in Phuket, Thailand and nine Turks are missing; 5 in Thailand, 1 in Sri Lanka. A plane, which was sent to Maldives by Turkish government to gather all the Turks in the region, returned with only 13 survivors and AKUT, a well-known Turkish search and rescue organisation that was taken there by the plane. Turkish GSM operator Turkcell announced that signals from 2,500 of its subscribers were received in the area, meaning at least 2,500 Turks were present when the disaster occurred [34].
United Kingdom Over 10,000 British holidaymakers are estimated to have been in the region. 51 have been confirmed as dead by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office [35] - of them, 36 were in Thailand, 10 in Sri Lanka and 3 in the Maldives; another 359 remain unaccounted for [36] and are presumed dead. There are 871 people who remain unaccounted for, although they are not thought "highly likely" to have been victims. Richard Attenborough's 14-year-old granddaughter Lucy Holland is among the dead; her sister Alice (17) is being treated in a hospital; two other family members are missing. Fashion photographer Simon Atlee is missing; he was on holiday with his girlfriend Czech model Petra Nemcova, who survived. The Observer reports that there are still 2,000 Britons unaccounted for [37].
United States The US State Department reports 18 dead (including a well-known fashion photographer, Fernando Bengoechea) and 17 missing, presumed dead; out of them, eight died in Sri Lanka and 28 in Thailand. The State Department was working through a list of 755 unaccounted for as of January 12. It is understood that the key US/UK military installation at the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia was unaffected by the disaster.[38]

Detection of the tsunami outside the Indian Ocean region

American Samoa Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 13 cm from crest to trough at Pago Pago.
Antarctica Wave fluctuations of 73cm due to the tsunami were detected at Showa Station (Shōwa Kichi), 8900 km (5500 miles) from the epicentre.
Brazil Although it is in the coast of the Atlantic ocean the city of Rio de Janeiro detected strange tides fluctuations that changed up and down 30cm each half hour (normally it should vary up to 1.3 m in four hours. In the close city of Niterói, the sea level went up to 60cm entering in 50 fisherman houses. No significative loss was detected.
Chile Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 19 cm from crest to trough at Iquique.
Fiji Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 11 cm at Suva.
Russia Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 29 cm at Pacific Ocean coast of Russia Far East.
Mexico Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 2.6m at Manzanillo, Colima, due to focusing of tsunami energy from the Pacific plate rise and local terrain.
New Zealand Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 65 cm at Jackson Bay and 50 cm at Waitangi on Chatham Island.
Peru Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 50 cm from crest to trough at Callao.
United States Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 22 cm at San Diego, California, and 6 cm at Hilo, Hawaii.
Vanuatu Tsunami energy that passed into the Pacific Ocean caused wave fluctuations of 18 cm at Port Vila.

It is reported that in Maoming, Guangdong, China, underground waterways and wells were filled with lots of unusually big catfish (塘虱) on 28 December. Half an hour after the earthquake, waves as high as 20cm occurred at fish ponds and wells in Maoming and Meizhou when there was no wind. (HKET, Maoming Daily)

Equipments at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has detected uncommon tidal pattern after the earthquake.

Indonesia


Sri Lanka

Thailand

Hong Kong

  • Thailand People Match matches uploaded photos of missing persons against a photo database of victims in Phuket
  • AsianTsunami.org A forum dedicated to the support of the on-going disaster relief work.
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