Jakarta –
The world’s deadliest tsunami hit nations around the Indian Ocean two decades ago before social media platforms flourished, but they have since transformed how we understand and respond to disasters — from finding the missing to swift crowdfunding.
When a magnitude 9.1 quake caused a tsunami that smashed into coastal areas on Dec. 26, 2004, killing more than 220,000 people, broadcasters, newspapers and wire agencies were the main media bringing news of the calamity to the world.
Yet in some places, the sheer scale took days to emerge.