Cemetery in Kanyakumari, where tsunami victims were buried. The Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami, which battered coastal parts of eastern and southern India as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, left 10,776 dead and 5,640 still missing. Not long after the tsunami struck, the Indian government came under fire for not only failing to act swiftly enough to assist tsunami victims, but for also initially shunning offers of foreign aid. It later agreed to international assistance. The aftermath showed the profound devastation a natural disaster can cause, but it also showed the dignity with which many survivors faced their blurry future. Many Indian fishing villages were severely damaged but residents managed to remain hopeful.