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Asia marks 10 years since Indian Ocean tsunami

Tourists enjoy a quiet afternoon reading on the beach Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014 in Khao Lak, Thailand, which was not spared from massive destruction from the Asian tsunami 10 years ago. Dec. 26 marks the 10th anniversary of one of the deadliest natural disasters in world history: a tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake off the Indonesian coast, that left more than 230,000 people dead in 14 countries and caused about $10 billion in damage (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) Tourists enjoy a quiet afternoon reading on the beach Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014 in Khao Lak, Thailand, which was not spared from massive destruction from the Asian tsunami 10 years ago. Dec. 26 marks the 10th anniversary of one of the deadliest natural disasters in world history: a tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake off the Indonesian coast, that left more than 230,000 people dead in 14 countries and caused about $10 billion in damage (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

By Associated Press December 25, 2014 1 min read

KHAO LAK, Thailand (AP) – Beachside memorials and religious services were planned across Asia to mark 10 years since the Indian Ocean tsunami slammed into a dozen nations and killed nearly a quarter million people.

Survivors, government officials, diplomats and family members of victims will attend ceremonies Friday in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and elsewhere as part of the day’s solemn commemorations.

On Dec. 26, 2004, the region’s most powerful earthquake in 40 years tore open the sea bed off of Indonesia’s Sumatran coast, displacing billions of tons of water and sending waves roaring across the Indian Ocean at jetliner speeds as far away as East Africa.

About 230,000 people were killed by the disaster. Many victims were never found or never identified.