On 26 December 2004 the Indian Ocean Tsunami killed 230,000 people in fourteen countries, and swamped coastal communities with waves up to 30 metres in height. Following this tragic event, the UN set up the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System, and although not directly affected by the 2004 disaster, the Philippines have since set up a similar early warning arrangement. Areas on the west coast of the islands, which face the Manila Trench located between The Philippines and Vietnam, are at particular risk and the project is being progressively rolled out from the densely populated coastal towns and cities to the rest of the region, it has been reported.