Jakarta, Dec 26 : Residents of Indonesia's Aceh province in the northern tip of Sumatra Island paid tribute on Thursday to relatives, family members, and friends who lost their lives during the tsunami on December 26, 2004.

The wailing of a siren in Takengon town marked the commemoration of the catastrophe. "Let us jointly pray, remembering our brothers and sisters who became victims of the tsunami 20 years ago," said Safrizal, acting Governor of Aceh.

He said that the Aceh tsunami siren, which sounds every December 26 during the commemoration, serves as a reminder to foster public awareness of disaster preparedness.

In the provincial capital Banda Aceh, residents gathered at mass graves, sowed flowers, and prayed for their loved ones killed by the giant waves when the tsunami struck the coastal areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I am certain that my family members who could not be found were buried here. Hopefully, they have been resting in peace," said Maya, one of the residents visiting the mass graves in Ulee Lheue village.

The 2004 disaster struck the province and 13 other nations along the Indian Ocean coast.

The 20th anniversary of the Aceh tsunami was commemorated under the title "Aceh Thanks the World" and carried the theme "Moving on from the Past, Towards the Future of Aceh with Sharia Law."

The tsunami caused one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history, killing an estimated 228,000 people across 15 countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Thailand sustaining massive damage. Indonesian officials estimated that the death toll there alone ultimately exceeded 200,000, particularly in northern Sumatra's Aceh province. Tens of thousands were reported dead or missing in Sri Lanka and India, a large number of them from the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory.

/IANS