Only larger and sturdier buildings, like this mosque, survived.
Slide 1 of 8: Indonesia’s Aceh province, which was closest to the earthquake, was the first to be hit by the tsunami shortly after the magnitude 9 quake struck on December 26, 2004. The northwest coast of Sumatra saw waves as high as 30 meters (100 feet) move up to 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) inland. More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone.
Indonesia hit first and hardest
Indonesia’s Aceh province, which was closest to the earthquake, was the first to be hit by the tsunami shortly after the magnitude 9 quake struck on December 26, 2004. The northwest coast of Sumatra saw waves as high as 30 meters (100 feet) move up to 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) inland. More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone. Only larger and sturdier buildings, like this mosque, survived.