Which earthquake caused the deadliest tsunami in recorded history?

The magnitude 9.1–9.3 earthquake off Sumatra on 26 December 2004 ruptured the Sunda megathrust and displaced huge volumes of seawater. The resulting tsunami struck coastal communities around the Indian Ocean within hours. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and several other countries suffered catastrophic losses, with total deaths commonly estimated between 230,000 and 280,000. The disaster exposed the need for better tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean, which were expanded afterward. It remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times.