The Indonesian province of Aceh may have been most devastated. Some 10,000 people died in the town of Meulaboh alone.

One British tourist, Al Howard, who was staying on an island near Aceh saw the city of Banda Aceh shortly after the tsunami hit. He said “Everything was flattened. It was like a nuclear bomb had hit the place. I’ve seen bodies before but nothing like this. We lost count. The destruction was of Biblical proportions.” He added “There was nothing we could do … no-one alive to help.”