2004 Andamans Tsunami: My boat was a few meters from shore when the waves hit

Boxing Day, 2004.

I was on a ferry bound for Havelock Island in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago when the earthquake hit at 06:30 AM (01:00 GMT).

Radhanagar Beach, known for its silver sand and clear blue waters, was recently named “Asia’s Best Beach” by Time magazine.

My best friend from college and her family had lived in Port Blair, the archipelago’s capital, for a decade and a half, but this was my first visit to the islands, arriving on Christmas Eve.

We had planned to spend three days in Havelock and in the morning we packed snacks and sandwiches, collected the excited children and set off to catch the ferry from Phoenix Bay in Port Blair.

Not wanting to miss anything, I was standing on the front deck looking around when disaster struck.

As soon as we left the harbor, the boat rocked and suddenly the pier next to where we boarded was crushed and fell into the sea. It was followed by a watchtower and a power pole.

It was an unusual sight. Dozens of people standing next to me stared open-mouthed.

Thankfully, there were no casualties as the bridge was empty at the time. The ship was supposed to leave in half an hour, but the travelers had not yet arrived.