A powerful earthquake of 8.9 magnitude had taken place off the west coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean, triggering a Tsunami that would eventually lead to a devastating impact on Kota Kuala Muda. The first wave hit the shores of Kota Kuala Muda at 1.15 pm. It was about 2.5 metres high. Just moments ago, attendees at a local gathering saw a strange sight of the sea water receding almost 1 kilometer away. Curious and shocked, some of them left to get a closer look. They saw, on the horizon, the formation of a thick, white line. They did not know how deadly it would be until they heard the roars of the powerful approaching waves.
The force of a tsunami is often underestimated as a single wave. It is not. Tsunamis consist of multiple waves known as a ‘wave train.’ Thirty minutes later, the second wave hit. This time, it grew to 8 meters in height.
The deadly tsunami eventually caused 11 deaths in the state of Kedah. It also destroyed 113 houses and caused damages to 398 houses. Families from 477 houses were left with no choice but to evacuate their homes. Unfortunately for the locals, Kota Kuala Muda had experienced the worst of the tsunami’s brunt with 10 villages destroyed.
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| Attractions at Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial in Kedah, Malaysia |
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| Kota Kuala Muda is a small sleepy town in Kedah. |
Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial
Managed by the Sungai Petani Municipal Council, the Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial was built to remember the lives of those who perished in this tragic event. There is a Tsunami monument erected within the memorial park which is a striking sight. Standing 6-meter tall, this monument is made up of 26 brightly coloured fishing boats, stacked one on top of the other. These are the very boats that were damaged during the tragedy. The number 26 is also very significant as it is the date of the tragedy, which occured on 26 December 2004.
The memorial site is formed by a cluster of barren houses that were destroyed by the tsunami. The cracked, broken structures are a testimony of the devastating impact. One cannot help but wonder what it must have felt like to witness the powerful waves blast through the concrete walls, leaving only ruins behind.
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| Tugu Peringatan Tsunami Kuala Kedah - the impressive Tsunami monument at the memorial park. |
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| Attractions at Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial, Kedah |
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| Destroyed houses at Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial, Kedah |
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| Damaged structures still preserved at Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial, Kedah |
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| What to see at Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial, Kedah |
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| There is no ticket required and admission to the Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial is free! |
Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Gallery
The Tsunami Gallery located next door provides information and history of the tsunami as well as a list of other countries that were impacted by this tragedy. Please note that certain photographs displayed here might be too graphic for some as they contain images of corpses. Statistically, the earthquake was the third largest on record. The tsunami took close to 230,000 lives in over 14 countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. Till this very day, it still remains as one of the deadliest natural disasters in the world.
The fishing village of Kota Kuala Muda is now better prepared should there be another tsunami. A tsunami alert system has since been installed in both the sea and the coast that would give residents plenty of time for evacuation.
Visitors would certainly be left with a sense of sadness after learning about all that has taken place here. One can only imagine the pain and loss felt by the families and friends of those whose lives were lost. Today, the brightly coloured boats at the monument which is a stark contrast to the solemn surrounding serves as a reminder to all of us that hope can always be found - even in the darkest of places.
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| Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. – Desmond Tutu. |
Contact Information
Address: Kampung Kepala Jalan, 08500 Kota Kuala Muda, Kedah Darul Aman
Ticket price: Free entry
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 6.00pm daily
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Ehhh ada tempat peringatan Tsunami ni rupanya. Ingat lagi ketika berita Tsunami masa tahun tu. Sedih sangat. Masa tu mak akak ke Langkawi. Aduii risau betul. Cuaca pada hari tu panas lain macam. Saya pergi kerja naik lrt pun rasa panas walau ada aircond. Nanti nak visit la tempat ni. Thank you share!
ReplyDeleteokay first time tengok! used to visit Acheh few years back. dia punya aura tu terasa sayu and takut! rasa insaf jap
ReplyDeleteBila tengok gambar sampan tu menarik sangat, ianya jadi satu simbolik tetapi sedih bila teringat peristiwa bersejarah tu.
ReplyDeleteI was in Medan when tsunami hit. We were among the Malaysians flown back to Malaysia and then I went on a humanitarian mission with fellow colleagues to assist the people of Kuala Muda. Am happy to see that all is well again
ReplyDeletedah lama tak pergi kedah. taktau pulak ada tsunami memorial park. but its good, boleh kita memperingati peristiwa yang berlaku
ReplyDeletethank share ya! memang sedih bila ingat balik kejadian tsunami tu. belum sempat lagi nak melawat tempat ni. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously never heard of this memorial before. Would love to go and visit once cmco is over.
ReplyDeleteBgusnya ade memorial mcm ni. Boleh ingat selalu.. Ingt waktu tu terukla bila jadi tsunami.. Takut sangat bila tengok.
ReplyDeleteTak sangka ada memorial tsunami kat kuala muda. Perga kedah kena singgah ni. Mengingati peristiwa hitam tu utk kebangkitan masa depan.
ReplyDeletePernah pergi sini. Tak sempat nak buat entri pasal ni lagi. Haritu pergi pon saje jalan2, tak tau pon kewujudan tempat ni
ReplyDeleteBaru tau ada memorial tsunami kat Kedah. I belum pernah sampai kat area Kuala Muda ni
ReplyDeleteOoo memang jadi memorial ekk.. hasil kesan Tsunaminya pun masih nampak..aduh sedih bila kenangkannya kan.. kalau yang tak tau, ingat hanya sebab kesan bangunan atau kesan tinggalan ajee tu..good write up...
ReplyDeleteTugu peringatan nampak unik. Tq for sharing this. Just know that one of the cause bcoz of the tsunami
ReplyDeleteBesar kesan tsunami kepada keadaan setempat. Menjadi sejarah yang boleh kita ambil iktibar.
ReplyDeleteAM baru tahu ada tugu peringatan tsunami.. xpernah sampai lagi.. insyaAllah kalu ke kedah nnti nak jengah gak la..
ReplyDeleteBerbaloi untuk visit tempat ni bila ada kat area situ.. Tinggalan tsunami masa tu memang kekal sampai skrg kan.. pergingatan buat semua yang masih ada lagi.. Macam Aceh, Padang.. masa buat program kemasyarakatan kat situ, boleh nampak lagi kesan2..
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about this. I never knew there was a memorial here in Malaysia. These kinds of sharings are really good for those who don't go around much like myself.
ReplyDeleteIngat lagi tragedy ni. Memang menakutkan. Tengok gambar ni tak boleh bayangkan keluarga yg nampak berlaku depan mata.
ReplyDeleteHampir lupa kisah tragedi tsunami di Kedah, ialah sapa sangka bala nak datang, peringatan utk kita semoga bersyukur apa yg ada
ReplyDelete