People attend a commemoration event held in Galle, Sri Lanka, Dec. 26, 2023. In Sri Lanka, Dec. 26 has been designated as the National Safety Day in remembrance of the deadly 2004 tsunami. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua)
COLOMBO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Monday observed a 2-minute silence to remember the victims of the deadly 2004 tsunami.
Traffics across most parts of the island country came to a standstill while employees at public and private institutions stood in silence to commemorate the victims.
The two-minute silence was observed from 9:25 a.m. to 9:27 a.m. local time, the time when massive tsunami waves crashed into Sri Lanka killing over 30,000 people in 2004.
The tsunami was triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, with tsunami waves slamming into several countries in the region.
The huge waves mostly hit the northern, southern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, while some areas in the west suffered minor damages.
In Sri Lanka, Dec. 26 has been designated as the National Safety Day in remembrance of the tsunami and the government organizes programs across the country on the day, especially in the areas worst hit by the disaster.
Since the 2004 disaster the South Asian country has installed tsunami warning towers and carried out evacuation drills in order to be better prepared for similar devastating tsunami. ■
People attend a commemoration event held in Galle, Sri Lanka, Dec. 26, 2023. In Sri Lanka, Dec. 26 has been designated as the National Safety Day in remembrance of the deadly 2004 tsunami. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua)