NAGAPATTINAM, India (AP) — He was a young boy playing cricket with friends on a beach around 9:30 in the morning when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake violently shook the earth, and a tsunami struck from Indonesia to India two decades ago.
Life changed for Yusuf Ansari, now a 32-year-old motor rickshaw driver.
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Yusuf Ansari, now a 32-year-old motor rickshaw driver narrates the incident standing on the same when the tsunami hits the shore in 2004, in Chennai,India, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. "Out of nowhere, we saw a boat tossed by the waves, followed by a massive rush of dark water and a big wave of water. It all happened so fast. Everyone around panicked. They didn't even think about their boats or homes," Ansari said, adding that everyone just ran to higher ground as quickly as possible. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Garlands are kept at the memorial for the victims of the 2004 tsunami, where around 2,000 bodies were buried in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A man walks past a memorial tower built for the victims of the 2004 tsunami, where around 2,000 bodies were buried in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Devotees perform rituals during their visit at Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health shrine where hundreds of devotees died during 2004 Tsunami in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
G. Ramesh shows the height of the water, while recalling his memories of 2004 Tsunami outside his home in Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Fishermen unloading their catch from their boats anchored at the harbor of Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Jaya, 44, right, dries fishes on the beach in Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024, recalls how her life turned upside down for her family. Her husband, Varadarajan, was out fishing in the deep sea, leaving her at home with three children when the Tsunami came in 2004. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A person walks on the damaged embankment of 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
An abandoned and damaged house of 2004 tsunami stands on the beach of Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A man sleeps on a beach in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A boy walks through an abandoned and damaged house during the 2004 tsunami, in Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Boats of fishermen are anchored at a harbor in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A person walks near the damaged embankment of 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A woman carries a fish on her head after buying from the harbor in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Fishermen get ready to launch their boat for fishing in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A man collects plastic bottles left on the beach in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
G. Ramesh prays to then photograph of his parents who died during 2004 Tsunami at his residence in Keechankuppam, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A.Subramaniyam, 57, shows the name of his daughter S. Vinitha, 9, who died during 2004 Tsunami in Seruthur, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A. Subramaniyam, a fisherman, and his wife Gandhimathi holds a photograph of their children S. Sugan, 12, and S. Vinitha, 9, who perished in the tsunami 2004, at their home in Seruthur, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Devotees walk past a huge statue of Jesus Christ at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health shrine, where hundreds of visiting devotees died during 2004 Tsunami, in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
“Out of nowhere, we saw a boat tossed by the waves, followed by a massive rush of dark water and a big wave of water. It all happened so fast. Everyone around panicked. They didn’t even think about their boats or homes,” Ansari said, adding that everyone just ran to higher ground as quickly as possible.
The massive Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island. The giant wall of water killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries as far away as East Africa.
Next Thursday, organizations of fishermen plan to observe a minute's silence, pour milk in the sea and offer flowers and prayers at the graves of the dead and the worst-hit spots along the coast to commemorate the tsunami anniversary.
Jaya, 44, recalls how her life turned upside down for her family. Her husband, Varadarajan, was out fishing in the deep sea, leaving her at home with three children.
“The boys were playing near the shore, and I could see people gathering, staring at the waves. At first, no one understood what was happening. The water turned dark, and waves started rising higher and higher,” she said.
The southern Tamil Nadu state government undertook repair, restoration, and rehabilitation activities with help from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Newly constructed dwellings provide amenities such as street lights, electricity home connections, water supply, sanitation, and infrastructure facilities like roads and construction of buildings.
In Velankanni town of Nagapattinam district, a tsunami memorial tower was built to commemorate the dead. Nagapattinam is nearly 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state.
According to official estimates, 10,749 people in India were killed by the tsunami, and thousands of people became homeless. Of them, nearly 7,000 people were killed in Tamil Nadu state.
After the disaster struck, the Tamil Nadu state government built sand embankments with stones to protect the coastline. “The stones don’t hold up any more, and the sand keeps washing away,” said Kuppi Ratnam, a fisherman. “We’ve asked the government to fix it, but the problem remains.
"While many families were provided government-built houses, it wasn’t a solution for everyone. Some couldn’t afford to rebuild, while others couldn’t bear the thought of returning to the place that had taken so much from them," he said.
Two decades later, the scars of the tsunami and the devastation caused by the 9.1 magnitude earthquake continue to haunt Indians.
Yusuf Ansari, now a 32-year-old motor rickshaw driver narrates the incident standing on the same when the tsunami hits the shore in 2004, in Chennai,India, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. "Out of nowhere, we saw a boat tossed by the waves, followed by a massive rush of dark water and a big wave of water. It all happened so fast. Everyone around panicked. They didn't even think about their boats or homes," Ansari said, adding that everyone just ran to higher ground as quickly as possible. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Garlands are kept at the memorial for the victims of the 2004 tsunami, where around 2,000 bodies were buried in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A man walks past a memorial tower built for the victims of the 2004 tsunami, where around 2,000 bodies were buried in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Devotees perform rituals during their visit at Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health shrine where hundreds of devotees died during 2004 Tsunami in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
G. Ramesh shows the height of the water, while recalling his memories of 2004 Tsunami outside his home in Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Fishermen unloading their catch from their boats anchored at the harbor of Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Jaya, 44, right, dries fishes on the beach in Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024, recalls how her life turned upside down for her family. Her husband, Varadarajan, was out fishing in the deep sea, leaving her at home with three children when the Tsunami came in 2004. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A person walks on the damaged embankment of 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
An abandoned and damaged house of 2004 tsunami stands on the beach of Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A man sleeps on a beach in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A boy walks through an abandoned and damaged house during the 2004 tsunami, in Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Boats of fishermen are anchored at a harbor in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A person walks near the damaged embankment of 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A woman carries a fish on her head after buying from the harbor in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Fishermen get ready to launch their boat for fishing in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A man collects plastic bottles left on the beach in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
G. Ramesh prays to then photograph of his parents who died during 2004 Tsunami at his residence in Keechankuppam, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A.Subramaniyam, 57, shows the name of his daughter S. Vinitha, 9, who died during 2004 Tsunami in Seruthur, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
A. Subramaniyam, a fisherman, and his wife Gandhimathi holds a photograph of their children S. Sugan, 12, and S. Vinitha, 9, who perished in the tsunami 2004, at their home in Seruthur, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Devotees walk past a huge statue of Jesus Christ at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health shrine, where hundreds of visiting devotees died during 2004 Tsunami, in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
