Claim: Photograph shows the tsunami that struck Indian Ocean shorelines in Asia in December 2004.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]
Be sure and open the picture for a shock of your life to see what the tsunami looked like just before hitting Puket, Thailand. This picture is not a fake. It appears to have been taken from a hi-rise building window in downtown Phuket Thailand. The power of nature is hard to comprehend, especially the destructiveness of water. We have all seen the pictures on TV but I don't think any of us really understand how big or how bad this wave was. This may be the most impressive picture I've seen. It gives me a better understanding of how 150,000 people perished in this disaster. If you look at this picture that was taken right before the wave hit, it will send a chill down your spine. Just look at the top of the wave compared to the top of the building it is about to hit.  (Click photo to enlarge) |
Variations: Various claims about this picture include:
- It was taken by an employee of Kellogg's.
- It came from a security camera in Aceh.
- It came from a security camera of the Sheraton Hotel, Indonesia.
- It was found on the Lions Clubs of Australia web site.
Origins: This is another photograph being circulated as a picture of the tsunami that struck Indian Ocean shorelines in Asia on
This looks to be another case of any image depicting large waves being grabbed and passed around as a "real photograph" of the
- It looks like something other than a photograph, such as a still frame from a movie or a composite image.
- The waves that struck the coast of Thailand after the
December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake were about4 meters in height, but the ones pictured here look several stories tall. - The skyline depicted doesn't appear resemble the city of Phuket.
- The traffic flow shown isn't right for Thailand, where motorists drive on the left-hand side of the road.
As the operator of the World City Photo Archive helpfully informed us, this image is actually a manipulated depiction of the skyline of Antofagasta, Chile:
Last updated: 14 January 2005