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'Stop counting the dead'
18/01/2005 11:29 - (SA)
Jakarta - Indonesia's president has ordered a halt to the grim task of counting up the number of people who died in last month's tsunami and earthquake, officials said on Tuesday.
Although the most recent estimates put the death toll from the disaster at almost 115 000, the true figure may never be known as thousands of corpses are being hurriedly buried in unmarked graves to prevent disease.
Indonesia's social affairs ministry gave its toll as 114 978 on Sunday. It revised the figure down slightly to 114 717 on Tuesday but said it had been ordered to stop counting.
"Our director general told us that the president had asked that the dead no longer be counted," said a ministry spokeswoman.
"We should instead focus on collecting data on refugees and those who are in hospital, as well as looking for the missing."
The country's health ministry said it had abandoned counting the dead several days ago.
Indonesia was the country hardest-hit by the December 26 catastrophe. Whole towns and villages were swallowed by the waves and many areas remain isolated without regular supplies of food and water. - AFP
- SAPA
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