COLOMBO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A two-minute silence was observed across Sri Lanka on Tuesday to remember thousands of people killed in a massive tsunami that struck the island country in 2004, the Disaster Management Center said.

The two-minute silence was held from 9:25 a.m. to 9:27 a.m. local time.

All state and private institutions were informed of observing the silence as well as the public.

The main commemoration ceremony was held at Peraliya in Hikkaduwa in southern Sri Lanka, where one of the largest single rail disasters took place as a result of the tsunami.

Commemoration events were also held in all 25 districts with the support of the Divisional Secretariats and the Divisional Disaster Management Centres.

According to reports, the total dead and missing for all those countries damaged by the tsunami stood at about 280,000.

In Sri Lanka, it was estimated that over 36,000 people were killed and some 5,000 went missing in the catastrophe.