Two-minutes silence to remember 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami victims

COLOMBO (News 1st) - A two-minute silence will be observed across Sri Lanka on Monday (26) to remember the victims of the massive tsunami that struck the island nation in 2004.

The two-minute silence will be observed from 9.25 a.m. to 9.27 a.m., said the Government Information Department.

On Boxing Day 2004 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck in the deep seas off the coast of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra.

Moments later strong waves made their way towards the coast of the country and claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people within a matter of minutes.

What was termed as the world's worst train disaster, the wreckage was evident from among the debris caused by the massive waves.

1,270 people who aboard the train when the waves struck Peraliya died while another 141 remain unaccounted for.

Fourteen coastal districts of Sri Lanka were affected by the tsunami disaster and approximately 35,000 people died while about 5000 others disappeared. 

Every year since 2005, the 26th of December has been declared as "National Safety Day" and on the day, with the participation of the political leadership and public National Safety Day events are held as nationally in remembrance of all those who died in the country due to the Tsunami disaster and various other natural disasters.

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