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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Krishan Francis

20 years after the Indian Ocean tsunami, a boy found in the mud embraces being known as 'Baby 81'

Sri Lanka Tsunami Baby 81 - (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Pulled from the mud as an infant after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and reunited with his parents following an emotional court battle, the boy once known as “Baby 81” is now a 20-year-old dreaming of higher education.

Jayarasa Abilash's story symbolized the families torn apart by one of the worst natural calamities in modern history, but it also offered hope. More than 35,000 people in Sri Lanka were killed, with others missing.

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