Survivors prayed at mass graves and mosques yesterday on the third anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Sirens sent hundreds fleeing beaches during a drill to test an alert network system set up since one of the worst natural disasters in history struck.
The waves on December 26, 2004, spawned by the mightiest earthquake in 40 years, killed about 230,000 people in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean. Just under half of the victims were in the Indonesian province of Aceh in Sumatra.
Coastal communities in Sri Lanka and India lost about 45,000 people between them. The waves crashed into tourist resorts in southern Thailand, too, killing about 5,000, half of them foreign vacationers.
The disaster overwhelmed authorities in Aceh, where bodies littered devastated neighborhoods for weeks. Most victims were never formally identified and tens of thousands were buried in mass graves.
Nur Aini lost her husband and one of her two children to the waves. "We are praying for them today, even though I don't know where they are buried," she said. "My surviving child still calls out for his father."
The disaster prompted a global outpouring of sympathy, with governments, individuals, and corporations pledging more than $13 billion in aid.
In Aceh, more than 100,000 houses, scores of schools and hospitals, and kilometers of roads have been rebuilt. Most people involved in the reconstruction process say it has gone well.
Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf said "I hope we can turn a new page now and leave sadness, cries and tears behind us." He spoke to hundreds of people who had gathered for a prayer in the hard-hit town of Calang. "I hope one day we can pay our debt to the world by becoming a donor to other countries hit by disasters."
Thailand held ceremonies throughout the day along its white-sand southern beaches. Survivors and victims' families were invited to Phuket's Patong Beach, a popular strip of hotels and restaurants, to lay flowers on the sand. Chanting Buddhist monks lighted incense and led an ecumenical prayer service.
The tsunami drill in Indonesia took place on the western tip of Java island - close to the capital, Jakarta, and was attended by the Indonesian President and other top government officials. Participants ran or walked about 2 km inland after the siren sounded.
Foreign governments are helping Indonesia build a nationwide network of buoys and hi-tech communications equipment that would warn coastal communities of an impending tsunami. The network is up and running in several regions of the country, but 20 more buoys are due to be launched in 2008.
Questions:
1.When did the tsunami strike?
2.How many countries were struck by the tsunami?
3. How many houses have been built in reconstruction in Aceh province?
4.How much aid has been given by governments, individuals, and corporations?
Answers:
1.December 26, 2004
2.12.
3.Over 100,000
4.$13 billion.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Jonathan Stewart is a media and journalism expert from the United States with four years of experience as a writer and instructor. He accepted a foreign expert position with chinadaily.com.cn in June 2007 following the completion of his Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
