<Tr> <Th> Tsunami </Th> <Td> 15 to 30 metres (50 to 100 ft) with maximum runup of 51 m (167.3 ft) at Lhoknga . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Casualties </Th> <Td> 227,898 dead and missing </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake occurred at 00: 58: 53 UTC on 26 December, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, a moment magnitude of 9.1--9.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). It was an undersea megathrust earthquake caused by rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the subducting Indian Plate . The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunamis up to 30 metres (100 ft) high, inundating coastal communities along the coasts of the Indian Ocean and killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries . The earthquake was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, the deadliest of the 21st century so far . Indonesia was the hardest - hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand . </P> <P> 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake is the third - largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph and had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes . It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 centimetre (0.4 inches), and it triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska . Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Sumatra . The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response . In all, the worldwide community donated more than US $14 billion (2004) in humanitarian aid . The event is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra--Andaman earthquake . </P>

Where did the big tsunami hit in 2004