On December 26, 2004, Thailand was hit by a devastating tsunami caused by a massive 9.1–9.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake triggered powerful waves that struck Thailand’s western coastline, including Phuket and Khao Lak. Thousands of lives were lost, and coastal communities were destroyed. Over 230,000 people across affected countries died, with Thailand suffering significant casualties and damage in one of the deadliest disasters ever recorded. | History In

In 2004, a large earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered the largest tsunami in recorded history. One of the countries hit by the tsunami was Sri Lanka, where the wave caused one of the worst train disasters in human history when it hit the Queen of the Sea passenger line, which was carrying 1,500 passengers along Sri Lanka's west coast. Watch Destruction Decoded on Wednesdays at 8pm on National Geographic UK. | National Geographic UK