Aceh - a tropical world at the center of the flood disaster

On 26th December 2004 while many people were still celebrating Christmas, all hell literally broke loose when a tidal wave hit South Asia. Around 3 am Central European Time, the ocean floor off the north west coast of Sumatra was shaken by a massive seaquake. A tsunami hit large parts of the coast, killing locals and tourists alike. The full extent of this dreadful natural disaster revealed itself only gradually; hundreds of thousands were homeless, and more than two hundred thousand people lost their lives. It soon became apparent that South Asia had been hit by one of the most devastating catastrophes of modern times.