More than 30,000 people in Sri Lanka died during last December's tsunami and tens of thousands more lost their homes and livelihoods.However, for some the tidal waves that destroyed so much of the island's south and east coasts are not a source of misery.
Instead, they have turned them to their commercial advantage and are doing bumper business hawking disaster souvenirs on the dusty streets of Colombo's markets.
In the bustling bazaar district of Pettah, shoppers keen to watch re-runs of the tsunami tragedy in the comfort of their homes are keeping trader Nizar Sariffodeen busy.
The 44-year-old is one of many people selling pirated DVDs of the latest Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters, including Oscar winners The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby.
But the attraction of these big-budget box office hits is nothing compared to the interest in Sariffodeen's tsunami DVDs that are sold alongside them.
The one focusing on Sri Lanka Tsunami 9.0 Live sells for 150 Sri Lankan Rupees (Dh5.5), while the two-and-a-half hour film that details how the tragedy unfolded across Asia costs Rs200 (Dh7.4).
On the covers are terrifying pictures of upturned cars, gigantic waves and, worst of all, bloated corpses lying in the sun. "Yes they are selling well very well. When [the tsunami] was happening in some of the houses people had video cameras that they used to take the pictures. They have been paid a little money and from this they have made these films," Sariffodeen said.
There are plenty of stalls in Pettah selling similar DVDs.
And a few streets away, a possibly even more tasteless tsunami souvenir is attracting customers.
While the videos are selling by the bucketload, the special tsunami T-shirts do not seem to be generating quite the same level of interest, although they are selling steadily.
"Tsunami 2004 let's re-build," they proclaim, trying in a slightly half-hearted way to be a call for action rather than just a ghoulish souvenir.
The T-shirts are available in several colours red, orange and purple among them each boasting the same design and selling for a mere Rs100 (Dh3.7).
