A catastrophic Tsunami triggered by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean has devestated coastal regions of southern Asia

A catastrophic Tsunami triggered by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean has devestated coastal regions of southern Asia. India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have all been affected by the disaster. The earthquake that caused the tsunami was the most powerful in 40 years and measured a staggering 8.9 on the Richter Scale. The epicentre for the quake was just off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra The waves it unleashed are reported to have reached ten metres in places. The total death toll from the disaster is now approaching 10,000.