Print

Mail

wiki links

Tsunami anniversary: Indians remember those lost with prayers and vigils

Across India's southern coast and its Andaman and Nicobar islands, survivors of last year's tsunami remembered their dead yesterday with prayers, candlelight vigils and unveiling of memorials.

The devastating tsunami hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands early in the morning and then traveled to the southern mainland coast devastating coastal villages. More than 12,405 died. Some 5,640 are still missing.

A poignant remembrance ceremony was held at a beach in Tamil Nadu's state's Nagapattinam district, one of the worst affected by the tsunami.

More than a 1,000 schoolchildren gathered near the beach to observe two minutes silence at exactly the moment the tsunami struck. They stood near the place where 300 child victims of the wave were buried.

A memorial nearby was to be unveiled in a ceremony attended by locals, leaders and officials.

Similar memorials were unveiled in the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands. The chiefs of the Indian army, navy and air force gathered at the air force base on Car Nicobar island to dedicate a memorial to the dead and missing, PTI news agency reported

The air base on the island suffered major losses in the tsunami. The dead included officers, their family members, including children and teachers at the base school. The base has now been made a no-family station.

Bereaved families and schoolchildren on several islands held early morning vigils meandering from village to village with a silent prayer on their lips. Nicobarese tribals lighted candles in their homes to remember the dead.

Shops and institutions remained closed for the first half of the day in a mark of respect.

In Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai, no boat went out to sea yesterday to fish, NDTV said. Fishermen stood silently along the shore, each carrying a black flag.
This story has been viewed 1615 times.