Tsunami toll approaches 300 000

2005-02-24 16:14

A newly revealed photo showing the beach at Khao Lak, Thailand, found on the digital camera card of a Canadian couple, when their bodies were identified recently. (Knill family, AP)

Jakarta - The number of people believed to have perished in December's tsunamis rose to 290 713 on Thursday, almost two months after the disaster, as more bodies were found in Indonesia's Aceh province.

The number of those confirmed dead in Indonesia rose by 302 on Wednesday alone, taking the death toll to 123 487, while those missing and presumed dead was 113 961, the National Disaster Relief Co-ordination Agency said.

Many foreigners still missing

Thailand's toll stood at 5 395 confirmed dead. A further 3 001 people are listed as missing, more than 1 000 of them foreigners.

The toll in Sri Lanka, which was second hardest hit by the catastrophe, was 30 957, according to the Centre for National Operations.

The number of people listed as missing was 5 637, but many were expected to be among those never formally identified, hurriedly buried and included in the confirmed death toll.

In neighbouring India, the official death toll was 10 749 with 5 640 still reported missing and feared dead.

Myanmar has said 61 people were killed in the tsunamis.

At least 82 people were killed and another 26 were missing in the Maldives.

Sixty-eight people were dead in Malaysia, most of them in Penang, according to police, while Bangladesh reported two deaths.

Somali fatalities 'exaggerated'

On the east coast of Africa, 298 people were declared dead in Somalia, 10 in Tanzania and one in Kenya. Relief workers have said they believe the figure for Somali fatalities to be exaggerated.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake west of the Indonesian island of Sumatra measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, making it the largest quake worldwide in four decades.

Death toll

Indonesia: 237 448

Sri Lanka: 30 957

India: 16 389

Thailand: 5 395

Maldives: 82

Malaysia: 68

Myanmar: 61

Bangladesh: 2

Somalia: 298

Tanzania: 10

Kenya: 1

Total: 290 713

* The figures include 113 961 listed as missing in Indonesia and 5 640 in India. In addition, 3 001 people are listed as missing in Thailand and 5 637 in Sri Lanka but not included in the toll because of possible double counting.

- AFP