Sweden mourns lost thousands
2005-01-01 15:31
Stockholm - Sweden, Finland and Norway held an official day of mourning on Saturday for the more than 125 000 victims of the tsunamis in Asia, with thousands of Nordic holidaymakers feared to be among the dead.
Flags flew at half-mast and special church services were to be held across the region for the victims.
A total of 91 Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and Finns have been confirmed dead after the giant waves that slammed Indian Ocean shorelines almost a week ago, but officials have warned that chances of finding the 4 700 Nordic holidaymakers still missing in the region are slim.
Of those, 3 559 are Swedes, most of whom were holidaying in Thailand.
Overnight, two aeroplanes specially fitted out with medical equipment and carrying injured Swedes landed at Stockholm's Arlanda airport, where 30 ambulances transported them to hospitals.
Among the thousands of passengers who have returned to the Nordic region in the past days are also a number of children who have come home alone, their parents either missing or confirmed dead.
Parents are also coming home without their children, many of whom were caught by surprise on the beach when the waves hit. Of the 120 pictures of missing Swedes published by tabloid Expressen on Friday, half were under the age of 15.
"Never has it been so difficult to welcome a new year. A year that for many in our country will be the most difficult ever," Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson said in a speech at a solemn New Year's Eve celebration in Stockholm.
In Denmark, seven Danes are confirmed dead and 490 are missing. The country will hold its day of mourning on Sunday, and Queen Margrethe and Prince Consort Henrik cancelled their annual New Year's Day banquet planned for Saturday.
An air ambulance arrived in Copenhagen from Thailand overnight with 130 injured Scandinavians aboard, several of whom were in critical condition, news agency Ritzau reported.
In Finland, a plane with 14 seriously injured Finns arrived in Helsinki overnight from Thailand.
Set to be among the Western nations worst hit by the devastating tidal waves, the Nordic countries have shown signs of unprecedented generosity despite their own grief, as people here dig deep to provide aid for the survivors.
The 25 million residents in the region had by Friday donated more $46m to humanitarian organisations.
On New Year's Eve, Stockholmers responded en masse to a plea from the Sri Lankan embassy to donate blankets, clothing, tents and canned goods, with many rushing down to the harbour to help pack their contributions in cardboard boxes as elsewhere in the city dramatic fireworks exploded in the sky to ring in 2005.
- AFP