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Survivors in Aceh, Indonesia Speak Out 20 Years After 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
TaiwanPlus News
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12/26/2024
Twenty years after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami left over 220,000 people dead, residents of Aceh, Indonesia, say the country's disaster preparedness has made strides, but still has a long way to go.
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00:00
Twenty years after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Marziani still wonders if she
00:08
could have done more to save her husband and two children.
00:30
On the morning of December 26, 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 underwater earthquake rattled
00:47
Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that spread outward across the Indian Ocean.
00:53
The UN estimates its waves killed over 220,000 people in 14 countries, including Thailand,
00:59
India, and Sri Lanka.
01:01
Indonesia in particular, the western province of Aceh, was by far the worst hit, with some
01:07
estimates saying 167,000 were killed and 650,000 were displaced.
01:17
The water swept thousands of bodies out to sea, and local and international agencies
01:21
Overwhelmed, we're forced to bury many people unidentified in mass graves.
01:45
Volunteers like Jarfudin found themselves covered in blood and mud, collecting bodies,
01:50
some missing limbs, and others crushed to death.
01:53
Twenty years later, he's still haunted by what he witnessed.
02:07
Indonesia, located on the Pacific Rim of fire and prone to seismic disasters, has faced
02:12
criticism for poor disaster preparedness.
02:17
In 2004, faulty sirens and inadequate evacuation routes led to tragic overcrowding in narrow
02:25
alleys where many people drowned.
02:28
Since then, the country's geophysics agency has made efforts to improve.
02:46
The agency's system alerts residents to earthquakes over magnitude 5, with sirens signaling tsunami
02:56
risks and regular emergency response training provided.
03:00
However, survivors of 2004 argue these measures fall short, citing congested escape routes,
03:06
poorly maintained roads, and rarely tested sirens, especially outside urban areas.
03:16
The mountains are not far away, so because of our lack of knowledge, there are many casualties.
03:28
There was a tsunami warning last year, but it's gone since then.
03:40
Twenty years on, the scars of the Indian Ocean tsunami remain, but so do the lessons.
03:45
Survivors hope that improved systems and awareness will save lives when the next disaster strikes.
03:51
Dolphin Chen and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.
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