Tsunami toll now nearly 300,000

smh.com/au ^ | 2/2/05

[KidGlock]

Tsunami toll now nearly 300,000

February 2, 2005 - 5:29PM

The number of people presumed dead in December's earthquake and tsunami rose to more than 290,000 today, with Indonesian authorities announcing a further increase in the number of dead.

Indonesia was hardest-hit by the December 26 quake and tsunamis, with a total 237,071 people listed as dead or missing, the health ministry said.

A health ministry official said the 127,774 people listed as missing but who almost certainly perished would only be considered dead after one year.

Thailand's toll remained at 5,393 confirmed dead. A further 3,071 people were listed as missing, more than 1,000 of them foreigners.

The toll in Sri Lanka, which was second hardest hit by the catastrophe, stood at 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 has reached 10,749 with 5,640 still reported missing and feared dead.

The government said on Monday that it would make up its final casualty figures in "about a week" in which it is expected to declare the missing dead.

Burma has said 61 people were killed in the tsunami, against an estimated 90 deaths according to the United Nations.

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.

Fatalities also occurred on the east coast of Africa where 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: 237,071

Sri Lanka: 30,957

India: 16,389

Thailand: 5,393

Maldives: 82

Malaysia: 68

Myanmar: 61

Bangladesh: 2

Somalia: 298

Tanzania: 10

Kenya: 1

Total: 290,332

* The figures include 127,774 listed as missing in Indonesia and 5,640 in India

In addition, 3,071 people are listed as missing in Thailand and 5,637 in Sri Lanka but not included in the toll because of possible double counting.

[Mr. Mojo]

.....with Indonesian authorities announcing a further increase in the number of dead.

Did they spend all our money already?

[backhoe]

The Great Wave- Sumatra Quake and tsunami of 2004

[Publius6961]

I wonder if the main religion of each location is ommited on purpose or is now "accidental"?

[aspiring.hillbilly]

This whole area is a hotbed of paganism you figure it out

[pj2000]

So, no Christians were killed by the tsunami? You're right, it must be a sign from God then.

[Blowtorch]

This whole area is a hotbed of paganism you figure it out

The whole earth is a hotbed of sin. Why are we all still here? You figure it out.

[aspiring.hillbilly]

Sinners are like normal people, and if you believe, you have
a chance, but the pagan religions are totally false.

[Blowtorch]

Maybe God makes the distinction beween "normal people" and "pagans" in the way you're suggesting. But I believe the greater condemnation lies with those that know the truth, yet sin. Where much is given, much is expected.