(AGI) Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Dec 26 - Tens of thousands ofpeople attended commemoration ceremonies from Indonesia to SriLanka, from Thailand to Somalia, in 14 countries struck by theIndian Ocean tsunami on Dec. 26 10 years ago, which killed morethan 230,000 people. Thousands of tourists were killed,including 54 Italians, caught in the disaster in the beachresorts of Asia. In Banda Aceh, the main city of the provinceworst hit by the 9 Richter scale earthquake which set off thetsunami, a choir opened the largest commemoration by singingthe national anthem. Thousands of Muslim clerics, relatives ofvictims, survivors and rescuers, prayed for those affected bythe tragedy. A tsunami up to 14 metres high devastated coastalregions in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Burma,Bangladesh and the Maldives. It also hit the coasts of Somaliaand Kenya, more than 4,500 kilometres from the quake'sepicentre, west of the island of Sumatra. Safety measures haveimproved in the 10 years since, and entire villages have beenrebuilt with the help of money from one of the biggestfundraising campaigns in history. It raised 13.5 billiondollars, 40 percent from private donations, foundations andbusinesses. The estimate of those who died is certainly lowerthan the real figure. It is closer to 300,000 when the numberof those missing is added. (AGI) . .