"Let the tsunami tragedy be the start of a new beginning to rebuild our nation," After one of the greatest displays of nature's wrath in modern history, the death toll continues to climb, surpassing 200,000. The tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004, triggered by an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia, sent giant killer waves from Sumatra to Somalia that wiped out whole communities and flattened beachside hotels. The sea that for millennia has sustained numerous fishing peoples -- most of them poor, vulnerable and in remote places -- showed its cruel side, bringing unspeakable tragedy to millions. In the words of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, this is an ''unprecedented global catastrophe'' that requires an ''unprecedented global response''. And this is a colossal challenge to the international community to respond in the name of humanity like never before Countless Souls Cry Out to God
Caught up in the disaster, they had no time for religious ceremonies of any kind. In Sri Lanka, as in coastal southern India and along the beaches of Indonesia, there was only time to dig huge holes in the ground and shovel in the dead. Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists have lived together peacefully for centuries. "Let the dead be buried together. They died together in the sea. Let their souls get peace together.
Galle is now a city of death and tears
Galle, a tourist city some 100 km south of Colombo, is one of the places hit most by the tsunami. Over 800 people died and more than 500 injured in the tsunamis here, according to local police officials. Around 2,500 people are still missing in Galle district. "My wife and my sons were whirled away by the floods," said D.G. Lal crying loudly. He added many vehicles near the sea were washed away "like leaves," and one of them "with 17 people on it disappeared in no time." A 24-year-old man working for a local hotel pointed to a seaside marsh and said some bodies were still buried inside the marsh. He said it's too dangerous to go inside to recover the bodies.
Lanka launches US$3.5 billion recovery drive
The most powerful earthquake in 40 years erupted under the Indian Ocean near Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004. It caused giant, deadly waves to crash ashore in nearly a dozen countries, killing tens of thousands. A long stretch of Sri Lanka's coast was devastated by these killer waves, with more than 40,000 dead and staggering 2.5 million people displaced. Although 1,600km from the epicentre, the waves struck with huge force and swept inland as far as 5 kilometers. Waves as high as six meters had crashed into coastal villages, sweeping away people, cars and even a train with 1700 passengers. It was the worm human disaster in Sri Lanka history.
