This Christmas, many Norwegians returned to South East Asia to join in the memorial ceremony of the Tsunami disaster. Altogether 84 Norwegians died in the floodwaters which hit the beaches of Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka on Boxing Day one year ago.
In Thailand, there was a Norwegian memorial service at Khao Lak on Monday 26 attending by more than 100 Norwegian next-of-kins who had lost their loved ones by that vital wave.
The service was conducted by pastor Rune Birkeland of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church at the ruins of hotel “Blue Village” in Khao Lak, where 32 Norwegian tourists died in the floodwaters.
In Oslo, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon were present during a torchlight procession on Monday afternoon in memory of the Tsunami victims. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere also represented the Government at the ceremony. There were about 300 participants in this torchlight procession in memory of the floodwater victims.
