30 minutes of terror

In a horrifying home video shot by one family trapped in the direct path of Sunday's disaster, the 30 minutes which led to the destruction of an entire coastline were captured as the camera kept rolling throughout their ordeal.

The family of Sayed Husainy, a government spokesman in Aceh province on Sumatra island, had been videoing each other for a family celebration.

Their smiles turned to confusion as the garden and houses around them began shaking uncontrollably -- then came the water.

The family retreated into their lavish home as the first waves came racing in shore. Within seconds they dashed to the first storey to avoid the rapids that smashed through doors and windows and rose treacherously behind them.

From the balcony, their video captures the smashed remains of more fragile houses borne by the foaming ocean, while only the red-tiled roofs of low-rise building poke above the water line.

In the background, women from Husainy's family who were earlier pictured in traditional Islamic headscarves can be heard weeping and praying over and over again for God's mercy.

Up to 10 minutes after the first tsunami, the camera showed huge tidal waves continuing to crash into the palm trees which once marked the shoreline.

As the video reaches its end, almost half an hour after the chaos began, the sun continues to shine in a blue sky.