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'Unseen footage' of deadly tsunami that killed 220,000 shows moment of impact before huge devastation

Home> News> World News

Published 16:32 2 Aug 2025 GMT+1

'Unseen footage' of deadly tsunami that killed 220,000 shows moment of impact before huge devastation

Back in 2004, the coast of South and Southeast Asia experienced a deadly tsunami, resulting in the deaths of over 220,000 people

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

'Unseen footage' of the deadly tsunami that killed over 220,000 people in 2004 has been shared online.

On Boxing Day 2004, tourists and locals on the coast of South and Southeast Asia experienced a deadly earthquake and tsunami.

They had no warning it was coming, and no time to prepare for the freak event, which took the lives of over 220,000 people, while injuring thousands more.

On top of the devastating death toll, 139,000 homes were destroyed, as well as 74,000 hectares of agricultural land, thousands of schools and hundreds of health facilities.

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The earthquake occurred when the Indian and Burma plates subducted below the ocean.

An 800-mile rupture was created, which caused a huge earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1.

This resulted in the ocean rising by 40 metres, triggering a tsunami that would go on to be one of the worst in history.

Following the earthquake, the sea receded and revealed the seabed, with a giant wall of water heading for the ocean's surrounding nations.

The tsunami was one of the worst in history (AFP via Getty Images)
The tsunami was one of the worst in history (AFP via Getty Images)

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At the time of the disaster, tourists spending their Christmas at some of the most beautiful locations on Earth began filming what was happening.

In some 'unseen footage' shared on YouTube, one clip shows the impact of the tsunami after tourists began filming from their hotels.

In one video, a British woman can be seen watching the tsunami fill the hotel grounds, as she screamed for people to get inside.

She then retreats from the balcony after wondering how high it could continue to rise, explaining to the camera that they 'need to get out of here'.

Another clip shows a man, from the US, in a similar situation, watching the ocean water flooding the pool.

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"Look at the waves coming, clear out people!" he screams.

"Clear out! I hope no one was out there.

It was a wake up call around the globe (SENA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty Images)
It was a wake up call around the globe (SENA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty Images)

"Get in the room, get in the room."

The man tells his family 'it's okay' as he adds: "Thank goodness we're on the third floor."

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He then shows television sets and mattresses floating on the ground below as the waves crash against the hotel building.

The 2004 tsunami was a wake up call around the globe, and as a result, a new and improved tsunami warning system was introduced, such as DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis) which is a network of equipment that detects, records and reports tsunamis.

At the time of the Boxing Day tsunami, no such system existed in the Indian Ocean.

Featured Image Credit: Youtube/Pickled Minds

Topics: World News, Environment, Weather, YouTube

Lucy Devine
Lucy Devine

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