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Indonesian girl found safe ten years after Boxing Day tsunami
Rescued by a fisherman after being swept out to sea by huge waves in 2004, she has now been reunited with her family
A young Indonesian girl has been reunited with her family a decade after she was presumed dead, killed by the Boxing Day tsunami.
Raudhatul Jannah, then four-years old, was swept away with her seven-year old brother when large waves struck their home in West Aceh on the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra on the 26 December 2004.
The global disaster, triggered by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Sumatra killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.
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A month after the disaster, her family gave up hope of finding the young children alive and stopped searching. But in June this year, one of Raudhatul's surviving brothers spotted a girl who bore a strong resemblance to his long-lost sister.
Raudhatul's mother Jamaliah Jannah said after making inquiries, it emerged that the young girl had been swept out to sea by the tsunami and rescued by a fisherman. He had taken her to his elderly mother to look after, where she had been living for the past ten years.
Jamaliah said as soon as she saw the young girl, she knew it was Raudhatul. "God has given us a miracle", Jamaliah told News Corp Australia.
"My husband and I are very happy," she said. "I am so grateful to God for reuniting us with our child after ten years of being separated."
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She said the family now had hope that their son could also be alive and vowed to continue searching for him.
