TSUNAMI: 
THE DAY 
 THE WAVE HIT
At 7:58AM local time on the morning of 26 December 
2004, a powerful earthquake, measuring 9.3 in 
magnitude, strikes 100 miles off the coast of Indonesia. 
The violent movements of the earth’s crust unleash 
a wall of water up to 100ft high. In the hours and days 
that follow, an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries 
around the Indian Ocean are killed. So how exactly did 
the deadliest natural disaster of the 21st century claim 
so many lives and cause so much devastation? What 
were the unique circumstances of the quake and the 
resulting waves that had such unprecedented effects 
on so wide an area? Why did so many die – and how did 
those who survived the tsunami escape? 
Now, 20 years on, this documentary series reveals 
the answers. At its heart are the emotional and heroic 
human stories of those involved who now have the 
benefit of two decades to reflect on what happened 
to them and how the wave changed their lives, often in 
profound ways. The series includes both tourists and 
local people caught up in the disaster, with some telling 
their stories for the first time – and home video that has 
never been seen before. 
GENRE
Documentary
DURATION
2 x 60’
PRODUCER
BriteSpark Films
BROADCASTER
Channel 4
YEAR OF PRODUCTION
2024
VIEW MORE
68/69
PROGRAMMES 2026

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