Twenty years after the tsunami, pain lingers on India’s coast: Video

Two decades after the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004, Maragathavel Lakshmi still struggles with the trauma of losing her daughter and home on India’s southern coast.

The disaster, triggered by a massive undersea earthquake, sent waves up to 40 meters (130 feet) high crashing into villages, including Akkaraipettai in Tamil Nadu state, where Lakshmi lived. On that fateful morning, Lakshmi’s father had come to her home to look after her young daughter, Yashoda. Hours later, a deafening rumble announced the arrival of the colossal waves that swept through their village.

“She would have been 22 years old now,” Lakshmi said tearfully, holding a photograph of Yashoda, a poignant reminder of the tragedy that continues to haunt her and countless others affected by the tsunami.