What is a tsunami ? A tsunami (pronounced tsoo-nah-mee) is a wave train, or series of waves, generated in a body of water by an impulsive disturbance that vertically displaces the water column. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, and even the impact of cosmic bodies, such as meteorites, can generate tsunamis. Tsunamis can savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life.     What Happened ? On Sunday, 26th December morning, the tsunami waves triggered by the earthquake off the Sumatra coast in the northern tip of Indonesia, hit the shores of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and South India, killing over 9,000 people, with many more still missing. Many of those who have been killed/missing are children. Massive rescue operations have been launched across the region with medicines and relief material being distributed to the victims. The Christian Medical Association of India has been at the forefront of the response, with its member hospitals and individuals rushing to assist across the entire region, especially in areas not immediately covered by the government. For more details of these efforts, please read further …..