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 that lost citizens who were travelling abroad, are listed further on in the article.
Contents |
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: Ten boys 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, 8500 km 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 | 10 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. |
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. |
Name of country | Deaths (Missing) |
Deaths and Missing combined |
Deaths per million inhabitants |
---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 2 | 2 | 0.05 |
Australia | 26 | 26 | 1.17 |
Austria | 86 | 86 | 10.30 |
Belgium | 11 | 11 | 1.02 |
Brazil | 2 | 2 | 0.01 |
Canada | 15 (5) | 20 | 0.59 |
Chile | 2 | 2 | 0.12 |
China | 3 (7) | 10 | 0.01 |
Colombia | 1 | 1 | 0.02 |
Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0.23 |
Czech Republic | 8 | 8 | 0.76 |
Denmark | 45 (1) | 46 | 8.32 |
Estonia | 3 | 3 | 2.24 |
Finland | 179 | 179 | 33.40 |
France | 95 | 95 | 1.45 |
Gabon | 1 | 1 | 0.22 |
Germany | 539 (13) | 552 | 6.75 |
Greece | 0 (3) | 3 | 0.27 |
Hong Kong | 38 (2) | 40 | 5.69 |
Ireland | 4 | 4 | 0.89 |
Israel | 6 (1) | 7 | 0.93 |
Italy | 40 | 40 | 0.66 |
Japan | 37 (7) | 44 | 0.35 |
Luxembourg | 2 | 2 | 4.00 |
Malaysia | 9 (15) | 24 | 0.96 |
Malta | 1 | 1 | 2.38 |
Mexico | 2 (1) | 3 | 0.03 |
Netherlands | 36 | 36 | 2.22 |
New Zealand | 7 | 7 | 1.61 |
Norway | 84 | 84 | 17.30 |
Philippines | 8 | 8 | 0.09 |
Poland | 1 (12) | 13 | 0.34 |
Portugal | 4 | 4 | 0.38 |
Russia | 9 (35) | 44 | 0.31 |
Singapore | 9 | 9 | 1.80 |
South Africa | 17 (3) | 20 | 0.41 |
South Korea | 17 (3) | 20 | 0.40 |
Spain | 2 | 2 | 0.04 |
Sweden | 526 (17) | 543 | 58.10 |
Switzerland | 106 (6) | 112 | 14.40 |
Taiwan | 2 | 2 | 0.09 |
Turkey | 1 | 1 | 0.01 |
United Kingdom | 143 (6) | 149 | 2.40 |
Ukraine | 0 (2) | 2 | 0.04 |
United States | 33 (18) | 51 | 0.17 |
Vietnam | 1 | 1 | 0.01 |
Total | 2,154 (153) |
2,307 |
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. Australian Rules football player Troy Broadbridge was confirmed as one of the dead. The Australian Government designated Sunday 16 January as a national day of mourning in Australia for tsunami victims. Australians were 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. Michel Daerden' daughter, Aurore, notorious parisian DJ, stylist and jetsetter, was seriously injured [13]. |
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 were confirmed dead, including one in Sri Lanka and two in Phuket. Another dozen were 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 were 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) [14]; 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 18, 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 [15]. |
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 | 539 are confirmed dead and 13 are still missing and presumed dead (as of December 26, 2009) [16]. 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 [17]. 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 30, 2006). The Hong Kong SAR government has set up a web page containing information of some unlocated people on January 1, 2005 (English: [18], Chinese: [19]). The website has not been updated since 6 September 2005, a sign to some that the two missing are presumed dead. |
Hungary | Eight persons injured. |
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 27, 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 [20], Thailand. |
Luxembourg | A woman and her daughter have been confirmed dead. Approximately 400 people were in the affected region according to the government. |
Malaysia | Apart from the casualties on the Malaysian soil, there are further 6 Malaysian vacationers confirmed dead and 5 were missing in Phuket, Thailand, 1 was confirmed dead in Sri Lanka, 2 Malaysian students reported dead in Banda Acheh, Indonesia and 10 Malaysians were missing in Chennai, India.[2] While 3 Malaysian who are on holiday in Mauritius who were initially reported missing, are found save.[3] |
Malta | One woman died. |
Mexico | 2 deaths and 1 person missing. |
Netherlands | There are currently 36 confirmed Dutch deaths. The last official victim was identified on August 3, 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, among them jazz musician Sigurd Køhn.
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 | Four reported dead and 4 still missing, from a total of 230 Portuguese thought to be in the region at the time, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
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. |
Romania | It was initially reported the deaths of two Romanian tourists in Phuket, Thailand, but were later found safe. Is estimated at more than 20 the number of tourists from this country in the affected region, but according Gaginschi Cristian, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is no evidence that any Romanian citizen has been affected by the earthquake. |
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. |
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 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 [21]. |
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 authorities, some 20,000-30,000 citizens were in the tsunami-affected areas at the time, making Sweden probably the most affected country not physically affected. 543 persons are stated as deceased, mainly in Thailand, and there were over 1500 injured in need of emergency medical help and transportation home, which the Swedish authorities provided at the scenes. 528 bodies have been identified as of May 16, 2006 [22]. |
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 20 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 [23]. |
Ukraine | 2 people listed as missing. |
United Kingdom | On 26 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 9, 2005) [24]. 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 stepfather. |
United States | The US State Department reports 18 dead and 15 missing, presumed dead (including a well-known photographer, Fernando Bengoechea); 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 U.S./UK military installation at the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia was unaffected by the disaster.[25] |
Vietnam | One Vietnamese confirmed dead and three injured in Thailand. Dozens of Vietnamese shopkeepers in the area have been affected. |
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), 8,900 km (5,500 mi) from the epicentre. |
Brazil | Although it is on the coast of the Atlantic ocean the city of Rio de Janeiro detected strange tides fluctuations that changed up and down 30 cm 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 60 cm entering in 50 fisherman houses. No significant 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 89 cm 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. |
Indonesia
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Hong Kong