Asia is remembering the tsunamis that struck five years ago today.

In the early hours of 26 December 2004, a powerful undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra caused a series of tsunamis (tidal waves) that claimed victims as far away as the eastern shores of the Indian Ocean. Altogether, 230,000 people died, most of them in Asia and Thailand.

The Indonesian region of Aceh was the hardest hit, with more than 170,000 fatalities. Indonesian Vice President Boediono attended a ceremony in Ulee Lheu, a port about five kilometres from Banda Aceh that was hardest hit by the tsunami.

The city, which was devastated by the 2004 tsunami, has largely been rebuilt. However, elsewhere in the province, many people still have no proper housing.

The tsunamis also claimed the lives of 36 Dutch people, many of them tourists celebrating the Christmas holidays in Thailand.

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