Banda Aceh, Aceh Darussalam (Antara Bali) - Vice President M Jusuf Kalla led a function to commemorate the 10th anniversary of deadly tsunami that devastated Aceh, and Nias Island, North Sumatra, on Dec. 26, 2014.
The commemoration was held in Blang Padang square, here, Friday, and was participated in by some 1,000 people, including a number of minister, Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah, and foreign ambassadors.
Before the ceremony, the vice president paid a homage to Siron mass grave where thousands of tsunami victims were buried.
The deadly tsunami was triggered by a powerful earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter Scale that caused faults as long as 1,200 kilometers from Aceh to Andaman Islands, India.
According to data from the Aceh provincial administration, the tsunami killed 126,741 people, rendered 93,285 people missing, 500,000 homeless, and nearly 750,000 people unemployed.
The 10th Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster Commemoration themed "Let's Build a Better Aceh with Heart" focuses on reflection, appreciation, and awakening.
The tsunami, which is the most devastating one in living memory, affected 18 countries in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, killed more than 250 thousand people in a single day, and left more than 1.7 million people homeless.
Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, and Tanzania were among the 18 countries affected by the tsunami. (WDY)
