AP PHOTOS: The scars of a 9.1 earthquake and tsunami continue to haunt Indians for decades

NAGAPATTINAM, India (AP) — He was a young boy playing cricket with friends on a beach around 9:30 in the morning when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake violently shook the earth, and a tsunami struck from Indonesia to India two decades ago.

Life changed for Yusuf Ansari, now a 32-year-old motor rickshaw driver.

“Out of nowhere, we saw a boat tossed by the waves, followed by a massive rush of dark water and a big wave of water. It all happened so fast. Everyone around panicked. They didn’t even think about their boats or homes,” Ansari said, adding that everyone just ran to higher ground as quickly as possible.

The massive Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island. The giant wall of water killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries as far away as East Africa.

Next Thursday, organizations of fishermen plan to observe a minute's silence, pour milk in the sea and offer flowers and prayers at the graves of the dead and the worst-hit spots along the coast to commemorate the tsunami anniversary.

Jaya, 44, recalls how her life turned upside down for her family. Her husband, Varadarajan, was out fishing in the deep sea, leaving her at home with three children.

“The boys were playing near the shore, and I could see people gathering, staring at the waves. At first, no one understood what was happening. The water turned dark, and waves started rising higher and higher,” she said.

The southern Tamil Nadu state government undertook repair, restoration, and rehabilitation activities with help from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Newly constructed dwellings provide amenities such as street lights, electricity home connections, water supply, sanitation, and infrastructure facilities like roads and construction of buildings.

In Velankanni town of Nagapattinam district, a tsunami memorial tower was built to commemorate the dead. Nagapattinam is nearly 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

According to official estimates, 10,749 people in India were killed by the tsunami, and thousands of people became homeless. Of them, nearly 7,000 people were killed in Tamil Nadu state.

After the disaster struck, the Tamil Nadu state government built sand embankments with stones to protect the coastline. “The stones don’t hold up any more, and the sand keeps washing away,” said Kuppi Ratnam, a fisherman. “We’ve asked the government to fix it, but the problem remains.

"While many families were provided government-built houses, it wasn’t a solution for everyone. Some couldn’t afford to rebuild, while others couldn’t bear the thought of returning to the place that had taken so much from them," he said.

Two decades later, the scars of the tsunami and the devastation caused by the 9.1 magnitude earthquake continue to haunt Indians.

Yusuf Ansari, now a 32-year-old motor rickshaw driver narrates the incident standing on the same when the tsunami hits the shore in 2004, in Chennai,India, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. "Out of nowhere, we saw a boat tossed by the waves, followed by a massive rush of dark water and a big wave of water. It all happened so fast. Everyone around panicked. They didn't even think about their boats or homes," Ansari said, adding that everyone just ran to higher ground as quickly as possible. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Garlands are kept at the memorial for the victims of the 2004 tsunami, where around 2,000 bodies were buried in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A man walks past a memorial tower built for the victims of the 2004 tsunami, where around 2,000 bodies were buried in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Devotees perform rituals during their visit at Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health shrine where hundreds of devotees died during 2004 Tsunami in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

G. Ramesh shows the height of the water, while recalling his memories of 2004 Tsunami outside his home in Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Fishermen unloading their catch from their boats anchored at the harbor of Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Jaya, 44, right, dries fishes on the beach in Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024, recalls how her life turned upside down for her family. Her husband, Varadarajan, was out fishing in the deep sea, leaving her at home with three children when the Tsunami came in 2004. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A person walks on the damaged embankment of 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

An abandoned and damaged house of 2004 tsunami stands on the beach of Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A man sleeps on a beach in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A boy walks through an abandoned and damaged house during the 2004 tsunami, in Nagapattinam, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Boats of fishermen are anchored at a harbor in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A person walks near the damaged embankment of 2004 tsunami in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Monday, Dec.16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A woman carries a fish on her head after buying from the harbor in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Fishermen get ready to launch their boat for fishing in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A man collects plastic bottles left on the beach in Nagapattinam, one of the severely damaged town during 2004 tsunami, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

G. Ramesh prays to then photograph of his parents who died during 2004 Tsunami at his residence in Keechankuppam, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A.Subramaniyam, 57, shows the name of his daughter S. Vinitha, 9, who died during 2004 Tsunami in Seruthur, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

A. Subramaniyam, a fisherman, and his wife Gandhimathi holds a photograph of their children S. Sugan, 12, and S. Vinitha, 9, who perished in the tsunami 2004, at their home in Seruthur, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Devotees walk past a huge statue of Jesus Christ at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health shrine, where hundreds of visiting devotees died during 2004 Tsunami, in Velankanni, Nagapattinam, India, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Several Middle Eastern allies of the United States have urged the Trump administration to hold off on strikes against Iran for the government’s deadly crackdown on protesters, according to an Arab diplomat familiar with the matter.

Top officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have raised concerns in the last 48 hours that a U.S. military intervention would shake the global economy and destabilize an already volatile region, said the diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive conversations.

Oil prices fell Thursday as the markets appeared to take note of President Donald Trump’s shifting tone as a sign that he’s leaning away from attacking Iran after days of launching blistering threats at Tehran for its brutal crackdown.

Nevertheless, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday maintained that “all options remain on the table” for Trump as he deals with Iran.

Here's the latest:

The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are pressuring the operator of the mid-Atlantic power grid to take urgent steps to boost energy supply and curb price hikes, holding a Friday event aimed at addressing a rising concern among voters about the enormous amount of power used for artificial intelligence ahead of elections later this year.

The White House said its National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of several states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, want to try to compel PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants.

The Trump administration and governors will sign a statement of principles toward that end Friday.

▶ Read more about the administration and AI-driven power shortages

The Justice Department’s investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has brought heightened attention to a key drama that will play out at the central bank in the coming months: Will Powell leave the Fed when his term as chair ends, or will he take the unusual step of remaining a governor?

Powell’s term as Fed chair ends May 15, but because of the central bank’s complex structure, he has a separate term as one of seven members of its governing board that lasts until January 31, 2028. Historically, nearly all Fed chairs have stepped down from the board when they’re no longer chair. But Powell could be the first in nearly 50 years to stay on as a governor.

Many Fed-watchers believe the criminal investigation into Powell’s testimony about cost overruns for Fed building renovations was intended to intimidate him out of taking that step. If Powell stays on the board, it would deny the White House a chance to gain a majority, undercutting the Trump administration’s efforts to seize greater control over what has for decades been an institution largely insulated from day-to-day politics.

▶ Read more about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

Trump on Thursday announced the outlines of a health care plan he wants Congress to take up as Republicans have faced increasing pressure to address rising health costs after lawmakers let subsidies expire.

The cornerstone is his proposal to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can handle insurance and health costs as they see fit. Democrats have rejected the idea as a paltry substitute for the tax credits that had helped lower monthly premiums for many people.

Trump’s plan also focuses on lowering drug prices and requiring insurers to be more upfront with the public about costs, revenues, rejected claims and wait times for care.

Trump has long been dogged by his lack of a comprehensive health care plan as he and Republicans have sought to unwind former President Barack Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. Trump was thwarted during his first term in trying to repeal and replace the law.

▶ Read more about Trump’s health care plan

Most American presidents aspire to the kind of greatness that prompts future generations to name important things in their honor.

Donald Trump isn’t leaving it to future generations.

As the first year of his second term wraps up, his Republican administration and allies have put his name on the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts venue and a new class of battleships.

That’s on top of the “Trump Accounts” for tax-deferred investments, the TrumpRx government website soon to offer direct sales of prescription drugs, the “Trump Gold Card” visa that costs at least $1 million and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, a transit corridor included in a deal his administration brokered between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On Friday, he plans to attend a ceremony in Florida where local officials will dedicate a 4-mile (6-kilometer) stretch of road from the airport to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach as President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.

▶ Read more about Trump’s renaming efforts

Nearly a year into his second term, Trump’s work on the economy hasn’t lived up to the expectations of many people in his own party, according to a new AP-NORC survey.

The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds a significant gap between the economic leadership Americans remembered from Trump’s first term and what they’ve gotten so far as he creates a stunning level of turmoil at home and abroad.

Just 16% of Republicans say Trump has helped “a lot” in addressing the cost of living, down from 49% in April 2024, when an AP-NORC poll asked Americans the same question about his first term.

At the same time, Republicans are overwhelmingly supportive of the president’s leadership on immigration — even if some don’t like his tactics.

There is little sign overall, though, that the Republican base is abandoning Trump. The vast majority of Republicans, about 8 in 10, approve of his job performance, compared with 4 in 10 for adults overall.

▶ Read more about the poll’s findings

Several Middle Eastern allies of the United States have urged the Trump administration to hold off on strikes against Iran for the government’s deadly crackdown on protesters, according to an Arab diplomat familiar with the matter.

Top officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have raised concerns in the last 48 hours that a U.S. military intervention would shake the global economy and destabilize an already volatile region, said the diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive conversations.

Oil prices fell on Thursday as the markets appeared to take note of President Donald Trump’s shifting tone as a sign that he’s leaning away from attacking Iran after days of launching blistering threats at Tehran for its brutal crackdown.

Nevertheless, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday maintained that “all options remain on the table” for Trump as he deals with Iran.

▶ Read more about Trump and Iran

— Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani and Ben Finley

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to honor the 2025 Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)