Lhoknga is a town located within the district of the same name in Aceh Besar Regency, situated in the Aceh Special Region of Indonesia. It is positioned on the western side of the island of Sumatra, approximately 13 km southwest of the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.
The town was significantly impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in its complete destruction and a drastic population decline from 7,500 to 400 residents. Eyewitness accounts recorded tsunami runups reaching heights of 35 meters. These high-speed waves were attributed to splay faults—secondary faults caused by the cracking of the sea floor that allowed the water to jut upwards rapidly.