Indonesia marked the 10^th anniversary of a devastating tsunami with a ceremony attended by representatives from many countries and international organisations on December 26 in Aceh province.

ndonesian people pray at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh city, Aceh province, on the occasion of the tsunami's 10th anniversary

Addressing the event, Indonesian President Joko Widodo recalled the horrible moments when a 9.3-magnitude earthquake on December 26, 2004, triggered a massive tsunami that hit 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean, claiming more than 230,000 lives and making hundreds of thousands of others missing.

Indonesia’s Aceh was worst hit with 126,741 deaths, 93,285 missing, and property damage up to 4.5 billion USD.

President Widodo highlighted the vigorous recovery of Aceh in particular and Indonesian people in general as well as the international community’s enormous assistance at some 8 billion USD.

Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah said the Indian Ocean tsunami sent out a message that every one needs to act more responsibly to protect the environment and their own existence amid more regular and greater disasters caused by climate change. Meanwhile, domestic and international cooperation in coping with global challenges is also a major experience from this incident.

(Source: VNA)