Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

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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.

1 Countries suffering major casualties and damage
2 Countries suffering some casualties and damage
3 Countries suffering damage only
4 Countries that lost citizens while abroad
5 Detection of the tsunami outside the Indian Ocean region
6 External links
- 6.1 Links to search for missing people
- 6.2 Links to Forums & Discussions

[edit] Countries suffering major casualties and damage

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Events Timeline Countries affected: Indonesia Sri Lanka India more... Response Humanitarian See also Warning System Library damage 2005 Sumatra earthquake

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Effect on India: According to the table of casualties on the Home Ministry website 10,749 casualties have been confirmed on the 18th January 2005, most of them in the state of Tamil Nadu. There were 5,640 people missing, nearly all of them on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In the meantime the death toll has been slashed down by 1,458, and the number of missing by 2,927 on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands [1].

Effect on Indonesia: Indonesia's Ministry of Health confirmed 131,028 deaths on June 18th 2005, mainly in the northern province Aceh of the island Sumatra. The number of people missing are some 37,000.

Effect 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 69 with 5 people missing.
Effect on the Maldives: In the Maldives, 82 were killed and 26 reported missing and presumed dead.

Effect on Myanmar: Independent media reports 90 people killed in Myanmar due to the tsunami. The official death toll is 61. Witnesses in Myanmar estimate up to 600 deaths.

Effect 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. 176 people were confirmed dead, 136 were missing and more than 50,000 have been displaced.

Effect on Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan authorities report 31,229 confirmed deaths, and 4,093 people missing. Other authorities are speaking from 38,940 combined dead and missing people. The south and east coasts were worst hit. Nearly 2,000 of the dead were suffered on the Queen of the Sea holiday train which was destroyed by the tsumani. One and a half million people have been displaced from their homes, and many have been orphaned or separated from their families.

Effect on Thailand: The Thai government reports 5,395 confirmed deaths, 8,457 injuries and 2,817 missing on the 20th June 2005 [2]. 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.

[edit] Countries suffering some casualties 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 ([3]).
Seychelles	Three killed, seven people missing. Major bridge in Victoria destroyed.
South Africa	Casualties: Two reported dead: One boy dead after swimming in the Quinera River at Gonubie, close to East London; an adult dead at Blue Horizon Bay near Port Elizabeth,[4] the furthest point from the epicentre of the earthquake where a tsunami-related death was reported. General observations: 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. Some steps were taken in South Africa to warn ports and disaster management centres, although full details are not public.[5] Damage: Large concrete blocks were uprooted in East London harbour, where boats also broke from their moorings [6]. Boats and cars were submerged at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club in Port Elizabeth harbour. [7] Durban harbour, Africa's busiest general cargo port and home to the largest and busiest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, [8] was closed for some time on 27 December because of unusually strong surges across the entrance channel [9].
Tanzania	Ten killed, an unknown number of people missing. Oil tanker temporarily ran aground in Dar es Salaam harbour, damaging an oil pipeline.
Yemen	One child killed, 40 fishing boats wrecked on Socotra Island.

[edit] 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, 230 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. [10]
Mauritius	Struck by wave, no reports on casualties, a village in the north of the island completely submerged. Police had issued warnings to bathers to keep out of the water although this reportedly had the opposite effect with crowds thronging the beaches to watch the phenomenon. Speculation is that coral reefs surrounding much of the island protected the coastline. [11]
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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] A - J

Argentina	Two People died according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Australia	26 Australians have been confirmed to have lost their lives. 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 said 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	86 Austrians confirmed dead. 85 died in Thailand and one in Sri Lanka [12].
Belgium	11 Belgian tourists were confirmed killed in Thailand.
Brazil	The Brazilian diplomat Lys Amayo de Benedek D'Avola and her 10-year old son died in Phi Phi, Thailand. At first, a list of about 300 people who were unaccounted for was put together. One by one, however, all the people were found, either in hospitals or already home or in other countries.
Canada	15 Canadians have been confirmed dead, including one in Sri Lanka and two in Phuket. Another dozen have been confirmed injured. Another five Canadians have been reported missing.
Chile	Two dead; the other of them had Swedish citizenship.
China	3 confirmed dead, 13 injured in Thailand and 7 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	Seven confirmed dead (six in Thailand, one in Sri Lanka) [13]; another Czech is missing and presumed dead (in Thailand). Five were confirmed injured in Thailand, including the supermodel Petra Nemcova.
Denmark	45 people dead and 1 listed as missing (as of July 18th, 2005). Of the dead, 43 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 [14].
Estonia	Three confirmed dead in Thailand.
Finland	179 dead, from which 170 people died in Khao Lak, eight in Phuket and one in Sri Lanka. Further information: Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Finland
France	95 killed and 189 injured.
Germany	537 are confirmed dead and 15 are still missing and presumed dead (as of December 7th, 2005) [15]. Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, on vacation in Sri Lanka, was rescued from the roof of his flooded hotel by military helicopter.
Greece	Three people still missing [16]. 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 (PRC)	38 residents were confirmed dead with 2 more missing in Thailand (CRHK) (as of December 30th, 2006). The Hong Kong SAR government has set up a web page containing information of some unlocated people on January 1 2005 (English: [17], Chinese: [18]). The website has not been updated since 6 September 2005, a sign to some that the two missing are presumed dead. Further information: Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Hong Kong
Ireland	Four persons confirmed dead.
Israel	Six Israelis were killed, one more still missing from the Thai resort of Phuket, and presumed dead.
Italy	40 Italian citizens were confirmed as dead. 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	37 confirmed deaths of Japanese and 7 or less missing (as of June 27th, 2005). Among the dead are Sadayuki Yoshino, the First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Bangkok, and his 8-year-old son who were vacationing together in Phuket [19], Thailand.

[edit] K - R

Luxembourg	A woman and her daughter have been confirmed dead. Approximately 400 people were in the affected region according to the government.
Mexico	2 deaths and 1 person missing.
Netherlands	There are currently 36 confirmed Dutch deaths. The last official victim was identified on August 3rd 2005. About 5 people remain unaccounted for in the sense that it is not clear if they were in the disaster area at the time of the tsunami. These are people who had not been in touch with family or friends in the Netherlands for some time before the tsunami, and have been filed as "regular missing persons".
New Zealand	The Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed 6 New Zealand deaths including an elderly New Zealand-born woman, who held Canadian citizenship.
Norway	84 people died. Further information: Effect 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 one Polish tourist died and 12 people were missing. Three people were hospitalised in Phuket and Krabi. The number of Polish tourists in the affected areas was 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, 4 are reported dead and 4 to be missing.
Republic of China	Three confirmed dead, and many injured. Thirty-five fishing boats from Taiwan in Phuket, Thailand, were beached and damaged; sailors suffered minor injuries.
Russia	At least 2 are dead at Phuket, Thailand, and 7 are 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.

[edit] S - Z

Singapore	The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported 9 dead people: 1 in Sri Lanka, 1 in India, 2 in Indonesia, 5 in Thailand.
South Africa	Casualties in South East Asia: 14 South Africans have been confirmed dead. All these 14 people have died in Phuket or on the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand. By 26 January 2005 the South African Department of Foreign Affairs had traced the whereabouts of all 2,896 South Africans who were known to have been in South East Asia at the time of the disaster. This includes those confirmed dead [20].
South Korea	The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported 17 dead and 3 missing.
Spain	According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 confirmed dead, both in Khao Lak beach, in Phuket, Thailand.
Sweden	According to the Swedish Police 543 persons have died. 528 persons have been identified until May 16th, 2006 [21].
Switzerland	Over 2,200 Swiss nationals are estimated to have been in the affected area at the time of disaster. 106 have been confirmed as deceased by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and many more injured; 6 persons are still missing (as of 20th November, 2005).
Turkey	According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, one Turk killed in Phuket, Thailand. 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 [22].
Ukraine	2 people listed as missing.
United Kingdom	On 26th December over 10,000 British holidaymakers were estimated to have been in the region. There are 149 Britons confirmed dead and 1 missing (as of December 9th, 2005) [23]. Richard Attenborough's 14-year-old granddaughter Lucy Holland is among the dead; her sister Alice (17) survived after being treated in a hospital; two other family members are missing. Fashion photographer Simon Atlee is dead; he was on holiday with his girlfriend Czech model Petra Nemcova, who survived. Charlie Dimmock lost her mother and step-father.
United States	The US State Department reports 18 dead (including a well-known fashion photographer, Fernando Bengoechea) and 15 missing, presumed dead; out of them, nine died in Sri Lanka and 24 in Thailand. The State Department was working through a list of 18 unaccounted for as of February 8. It is understood that the key US/UK military installation at the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia was unaffected by the disaster.[24]
Vietnam	One Vietnamese confirmed dead and three injured in Thailand. Dozens of Vietnamese shopkeepers in the area have been affected.

[edit] 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 73 cm 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)

Equipment at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have detected uncommon tidal patterns after the earthquake.