Thailand marks 15th anniversary of deadly tsunami

Thailand marks the 15th anniversary of the tsunami that claimed more than 8,000 lives of locals and tourists on the country’s scenic Andaman coast.

Commemoration ceremonies were held Thursday in several locations that suffered the deadly waves, including at Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Centre, a sleepy fishing community in Phang Nga province.

This coastal village was among hardest hit of all areas, losing more than half of its population of around 5,000 people.

Although years have passed since the devastating tsunami hit the area, a local mother who lost her two children in the monstrous waves said that it still hurts her to think that her children may have suffered for days before they died.

Some 230,000 people were killed in the Indian Ocean tsunami set off a magnitude of 9.1 earthquake on 26 December 2004.

A dozen countries were hit, from Indonesia, to India and Africa’s east coast.