Maldives observed a moment of silence on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The moment of silence was observed at 9:23 a.m., the exact time when waves struck the island nation, claiming 82 lives and leaving 26 missing. Led by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, government officials across Malé joined the remembrance ceremony, commemorating a disaster that affected all but nine inhabited islands and displaced 15,000 people. The date is now observed annually as National Unity Day.