When we go on vacation, there aren't many things that we think can go wrong other than flight times or forgetting to pack our bathing suits - but sometimes, nature has terrible plans in store.
There have been few recorded natural disasters that have exceeded the expected threshold of destruction, and the Boxing Day Disaster is a prime example of this.
On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck 14 different countries with waves as big as 100ft after a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1-9.3 ruptured between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate underwater.
The disaster went on to claim the lives of an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries and created immense economic damage.
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As one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, it was known as the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Asia, and even the most powerful earthquake in the 21st century.
The areas the giant waves hit included Aceh in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu in India and Khao Lak in Thailand, as well as Banda Aceh which reported the largest number of deaths.
But for the tourists in Thailand, they were completely caught off guard when the tsunami travelled towards them.
With no prior warning to what was to come, there was no way to prepare an escape.
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It was only after a video taken by a German tourist surfaced that we can see the beginning of the disaster.
The clip was taken by Stefan Kuhn, who was on vacation at the time and was enjoying a local beach in Khao Lak with his wife and daughter, filming families watching as the shore began to suddenly retreat.
In the video, you can see the tsunami appearing as a white line in the distance, gradually becoming bigger before engulfing a jet skier and lifting two police boats.
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It would only take a few moments after the video ended that the tsunami would arrive as a wall of water that slams into the coast, causing unimaginable destruction.
Kuhn had unknowingly captured the beginning of one of the worst natural disasters in history.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kuhn recalled calling to his family once they realised that something wasn’t right with the water, telling them: “We need to get away, fast. Head inland. Please hurry, love, keep going!”
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The heartbreaking moment was when his little girl wailed: "I want to go home" in his arms.
The tsunami tore apart families, friends, livelihoods all within minutes. Families desperately tried to find missing relatives under the rubble left behind, but it was a tragic ending for many people.
In the years after the disaster, health professionals and aid workers have reported psychological trauma associated with the tsunami, with researchers finding HPA axis dysregulation and ‘burnout’ in survivors.
The impact this terrible event has left in its wake is a terrible reminder that this Earth is unpredictable and oftentimes cruel.
Topics: News, World News, Travel
Britt Jones