India erects tsunami memorial

India is building a tsunami memorial at the southern tip of its mainland, where three seas meet, as a tribute to human courage and resilience following the December 26, 2004, disaster.

A three-metre sculpture shows a hand stopping an oncoming wave and another holding a flame of hope.

It is being erected in southern Kanyakumari town, said local administrator Sunil Paliwal.

“It reflects our courage to face that kind of a disaster and still rebuild our lives,” Paliwal said.

The statue will be unveiled on the first anniversary of the disaster, which killed 10,749 people in India. Another 5,640 people are listed as missing but are presumed dead.