Chennai, December 26: People in Chennai and Puducherry on Thursday remembered and paid tributes to the victims of the 2004 Tsunami, that struck the Tamil Nadu coast. A slew of memorial events marking the 15th anniversary of the natural disaster were held across the state of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. State Minister D Jayakumar also offered tributes on the 15th anniversary of the tsunami. World Tsunami Awareness Day 2019: From Sumatra Tsunami in Indonesia to Messina in Italy, Here’s a Look at the Deadliest Tsunamis in History.

On December 26, 2004, a masssive tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake in Indonesia struck the south Indian coast on a Sunday morning. Giant waves swallowed many, with Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt, even as nearly 7,000 people were killed in Tamil Nadu. World Tsunami Awareness Day 2019: History, Significance of the Day to Create Awareness About the Devastating Natural Calamity.

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On Thursday, people of over 64 fishing hamlets in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts observed the anniversary by taking out candle processions and paying floral tributes at memorials.

Nagapattinam Collector Praveen Nayar and district police chief Selvanagarethinam led the special events. When the clock struck 9:17 am, people observed a minute’s silence to pay homage to the 6,065 people who lost their lives in the tsunami. In an event organised at Nagapattinam Collectorate complex, floral tributes were paid at the tsunami memorial park. At Nagore, tributes were paid to those who were buried in the land owned by the Dargah, reported PTI.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 26, 2019 10:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).