Asian Tsunami toll tops 21,000

The death toll in tsunamis that slammed into coasts from India to Indonesia topped 21,000 on Monday, as rescuers scoured the sea for missing tourists and soldiers raced to recover bodies amid growing fears of disease.

In India alone, 2,283 people have been killed, even as thousands have been rendered homeless as the massive waves lashed the southern parts of the country.

The state of Tamil Nadu was the worst affected in India with nearly 1,724 people killed. Nagapattinam is the worst-hit area of the state with nearly 690 people dead. Over 300 have been killed in Cuddalore. In Chennai, 200 people were killed. In Kanyakumari, the toll is 243. In Pondicherry, at least 280 people were killed, and 59 others in Kanchipuram.

About 3,000 people were also killed and over 200 injured in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Inspector General, IG of Police said. Fresh tremors measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale were felt in the island at 6.20 am today. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, 89 people have been killed.

In a statement made yesterday, President APJ Abdul Kalam tried to give some reassurance. He said that the state governments have started the necessary relief programmes. Kalam said, "The state governments have mounted the necessary relief programmes in the necessary areas. I have talked to the Prime Minister. He has already activated the crisis management group, and a massive campaign of assistance including the police and armed forces has commenced to support the relief measures of the concerned governmental agencies in the affected areas."

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is overseeing the disaster management of the damage done by the tidal wave, said the centre is in touch with the state governments and is monitoring assistance. "I have taken steps to provide relief to the people who have been affected. We are in the process of organising these things. The Chief Ministers have gone to the areas affected and their ministers are also asked to go to different districts and stay there."

Shivraj Patil is in Andhra Pradesh to visit the affected areas. He will be travelling to Chennai later today.

A Dow Jones report says that at least 6,517 people are dead in Sri Lanka, with 5,017 reported dead in government-controlled areas, and at least 1,500 dead in Tamil rebel-controlled territory. In Indonesia, the death toll is at 4,491. In Thailand, upto 700 are feared killed. In Malaysia, 48 people are dead, and about 12 in Myanmar. In Maldives, 43 people lost their lives. In Somalia, nine people were killed, and two in Bangladesh.

The tsunamis were triggered by a massive earthquake off the coast of Indonesia. The earthquake measured 9 on the Richter scale. This is the biggest earthquake in the last 40 years, and the fourth strongest since 1900.

According to authorities, India is not part of an international system that warns coastal communities about tsunamis.