GEORGE TOWN: Twenty years ago, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia, sending tremors as far as Penang, in Malaysia.
The disaster claimed the lives of dozens, many of whom were enjoying the beaches along the Pearl of the Orient, such as at Batu Ferringhi, Balik Pulau, and Kuala Muda when the tragedy struck.
Among the heartbreaking stories was a remarkable tale of survival involving a family at Pantai Miami, Tanjung Bungah. Their 22-day-old baby, S. Thulaashi, was swept away by the massive waves while sleeping on a mattress in her family’s beachside cafe.
On that day, the waves raced 600 kilometres from Sumatra to Penang at 800 kilometres per hour and carried Thulaashi out to sea. However, in an extraordinary twist of fate, the second wave seemed to “return” her safely to the shore.
Astonishingly, she had slept through the entire ordeal, a symbol of hope amidst the devastation.
Thulaashi’s miraculous survival captivated the world, earning her the nickname “Tsunami Miracle Baby.”
Recalling the moment, her mother, L. Annalmary, 62, said she was in confinement when the tsunami struck.
She said Thulaashi was sleeping in a room in the café she ran with her husband, A. Suppiah, 75.
“I was in an adjoining room. When the wave hit the building, I immediately searched for her. The incident happened so quickly. When the first wave struck, the water in Thulaashi’s room was up to my neck. Despite being in confinement, I desperately searched for her and prayed that she would be safe.
“My husband and I kept searching for our baby for about 40 minutes after the tsunami struck, but couldn’t find her. It was only when an Indonesian man, a construction worker from a nearby site, approached us that we learned our baby was safe. He told us Thulaashi was safe,” she said.
uppiah described the experience as a miracle he would never forget.
“The tsunami was a terrifying event. We almost lost two of our children, but by the grace of God, they were returned to us safely,” he said when met by Bernama at their café at Pantai Miami here.
The government retiree sioner said the incident happened in the blink of an eye and the situation was very noisy at that time with the family screaming and crying for the loss of their loved ones.
He recalled that the sea rose dramatically, sending everyone into a panic. and he also joined the rush to escape, intending to save his 12-year-old daughter, S. Kanchana, and baby Thulaashi.
However, he was unable to reach them in time as the powerful waves knocked him over, forcing him to cling to a pole to avoid being swept away.
“My wife and I were overcome with panic and despair when Thulaashi, who had been sleeping on a mattress in the room, suddenly disappeared. We searched desperately, checking every corner of the house and the surrounding area,” he said.
Their anxiety deepened when they heard that their baby had been swept out to sea. Miraculously, they later discovered that Kanchana had managed to hold onto a banana tree about 10 metres from their café, while Thulaashi was found safe on the beach, still on her mattress.
Suppiah shared that every year on December 26, he and his family hold a prayer ceremony in memory of the victims who lost their lives in the disaster and also to seek blessings and protection from harm.
Meanwhile, Thulaashi, now 20 years old, expressed her gratitude for surviving the tragedy.
“I am thankful to God for saving me during the disaster. To this day, I always pray for good health and God’s blessings in my life,” she said.
Now in her third semester at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), the Bachelor of Accounting student, said she first learned about the tsunami story from her father when she was about four or five years old.
“Since learning about my story of survival, I always thank God in my prayers and also pray for the souls of those who lost their lives,” she said, adding that the annual prayer ceremony has become a cherished family tradition, one she is committed to continuing for the rest of her life.
She also plans to keep helping at her family’s seaside café, a place filled with precious memories.
The devastating tsunami on Dec 26, 2004, was triggered by a massive earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale beneath the seabed west of Sumatra, Indonesia. It claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people across Indonesia, Thailand, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
In Malaysia, Penang was among the worst-hit states, recording 52 of the 68 deaths nationwide.
Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of this tragic event.
— BERNAMA
