Which one among the following countries was least affected by the tsunami that hit the Indonesian Ocean on 26th December, 2004?

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by a massive 9.1–9.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history [2]. Indonesia was the most severely affected, with fatalities estimated between 167,000 and 220,000, particularly in Aceh province [4]. Sri Lanka and India also suffered catastrophic losses, with India reporting over 10,000 deaths, primarily in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and along the southeastern coast [6]. In contrast, Malaysia, while affected, experienced significantly lower casualties and damage compared to the other three nations. This was largely due to its geographical position; the landmass of Sumatra acted as a physical buffer, shielding much of the Malaysian coast from the direct impact of the most powerful westward-propagating waves [5]. Consequently, Malaysia was the least affected among the listed countries.

Sources

1. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Oceans and Continents > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 34
2. [4] https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/2004tsu_max
3. [3] https://www.ga.gov.au/news/ten-years-on-2004-indian-ocean-tsunami/10-years-after-the-indian-ocean-tsunami-what-have-we-learned
4. [6] https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158556
5. [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_the_2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_on_India