Tales Of Children’s Miraculous Survival In 2004 Asian Tsunami Disaster

On Sunday morning, December 26, 2004, a massive underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, triggered the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, often known as the Christmas or Boxing Day tsunami. The 9.1 magnitude quake shattered a 900-mile length of fault line where the Indian and Australian tectonic plates collide. It was a massive megathrust quake that occurred as a heavy ocean plate slid beneath a lighter continental plate.

Within 20 minutes of the earthquake, the first of many 100-foot waves slammed onto Banda Aceh's beachfront, killing over 100,000 people and smashing the city into ruins. Then, in quick succession, tsunami waves crashed across Thailand's, India's, and Sri Lanka's coasts, killing tens of thousands more. The tsunami claimed its final victims on the South African shore eight hours later, 5,000 kilometers from its Asian epicenter. Nearly 230,000 people were murdered in all, making it one of the worst natural catastrophes in contemporary history.

One-third of those killed in the Asian tsunami tragedy were kids, according to estimates.

Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

One-third of those killed in the Asian tsunami tragedy were kids, according to estimates. However, there have been accounts of children's miraculous survival. Here are few stories of survival during the disaster.

Hannes Bergstroem, a 2-year-old boy, has been reunited with members of his family. Among them were his grandmother and uncle, who reportedly saw him on the internet and flew to Phuket to claim him. His father is seriously injured and his mother remains missing. This small child may not be old enough to explain the tragedy he has witnessed, but his mosquito-bitten face gives us a glimpse of his tale.

Sophia Michl, ten years old, was alone in a Phuket hospital. Her parents are also gone, while she nurses her scrapes and bruises. Then there's Karl Nilsson, a 7-year-old Swedish child who was discovered alone in a Phuket temple. He had last seen his family in their hotel room, just before the water came smashing through. When he was discovered, he informed his rescuers,' Somehow, I was able to breathe underwater.'

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A German father described how his daughters were nearly stolen away by the monstrous waves. 'My wife said, 'You come out of the water,' and she heard, 'Momma, Momma!'

These are only a handful of the kids that made it; many more perished. Carol Bellamy of UNICEF explains why. "They are weaker, they are closer to the ground, and while they can run, they can't go very fast. They can't hold on to things for as long as grownups can. They are witnessing family members being torn away from them." Bellamy points out that both countries are impoverished. The impact has been significant in some areas where half of the population is under the age of 18. "Children who have lost their parents, children who have watched communities vanish, schools vanish, and teachers go. The long-term impact on children is undeniably significant "Ms. Bellamy stated. (VOA/JC)

(This article is a rehash from Voice Of America)