Indian Ocean tsunami (2004)

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was a massive natural disaster caused by a powerful undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1–9.3, displaced a huge volume of water, generating a series of huge ocean waves known as tsunamis. These waves traveled across the Indian Ocean at high speeds, hitting countries like Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The tsunamis caused widespread destruction, loss of life, and displacement of millions, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.