Dec 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka government today urged the people of the country to hold a two minute silence on next Friday, 26th of December to respect the victims of 2004 Tsunami tragedy.

Acting Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights Rohana Dissanayake said that the two minute silence should commence at 9:25 a.m., the exact time at which the first wave hit Sri Lanka.

Additionally the government has decided to hold a commemoration ceremony in front of the Tsunami statue at Pareliya in Hikkaduwa, Southern Sri Lanka. More commemoration ceremonies are to be held island wide on the 26th to respect the Tsunami victims.

Nearly 40,000 Sri Lankan people died and another one million were affected by the killer tsunami waves that hit South East Asia on 26th December 2004 following a 9.3 undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.