Sri Lanka remembers victims of devastating 2004 tsunami

Colombo: Sri Lanka on Monday observed a two-minute silence to remember the victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami.
Traffic movement across most parts of the island nation came to a standstill while employees at public and private institutions stood in silence to commemorate the victims, reports Xinhua news agency.
The two-minute silence was observed from 9.25 a.m. to 9.27 a.m. local time, the time when massive tsunami waves crashed into Sri Lanka killing over 35,000 people in 2004.
The tsunami was triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia on December 26, 2004, with tsunami waves slamming into several countries in the region.
The huge waves mostly hit the northern, southern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, while some areas in the west suffered minor damages.
Also Read Indian student wins top UK univ scholarship worth 5,000 pounds In Sri Lanka, December 26 has been designated as the National Safety Day in remembrance of the tsunami and the government organises programs across the country on the day, especially in the areas worst hit by the disaster.