Re: Flags at half staff
Death toll from the Indian Ocean tsunami, according to government and health officials.<br /><br />East Africa 137*<br />Bangladesh 2<br />Burma 59 <br />India 15,160**<br />Indonesia 94,081 <br />Malaysia 74<br />Maldives 74<br />Sri Lanka 30,196***<br />Thailand 5,104<br /><br />Total 144,887<br /><br />* This figure includes Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Madagascar<br />** Indian government says there are 15,160 dead or presumed dead<br />More than 7,000 foreign tourists, mostly Europeans, were still missing eight days after the Indian Ocean tsunami hit coasts and devastated beach resorts. Below are figures for the number of foreign tourists reported killed or missing in the disaster, based on statistics provided by the countries listed. It does not incorporate figures provided by Thai officials who say at least 2,402 foreigners have been killed there: <br /><br />Austria 7^^^<br />Australia 12^^^^<br />Belgium 6<br />Brazil 2<br />Britain**** 40<br />Canada 5<br />China 1<br />Croatia 1<br />Czech Republic 1<br />Denmark 7<br />Finland 5^^^^^^<br />France 22*<br />Germany 60<br />Greece 9<br />Hong Kong 6<br />Hungary 20 <br />Iceland 11<br />Ireland 20<br />Israel 4<br />Italy 18<br />Japan 21<br />Luxembourg 11<br />Mexico 15<br />Netherlands 6^^^^^<br />New Zealand 1<br />Norway 16**<br />Poland 4<br />Portugal 8<br />Russia 1***<br />Singapore 9^^<br />South Africa 7<br />South Korea 11<br />Spain11<br />Sweden 52<br />Switzerland 16^<br />Taiwan 1<br />Turkey 53<br />United States 15<br />Total 357 <br /><br />* France has a further 560 nationals of whom it is without news. Deputy foreign minister Renaud Muselier told France Inter radio the toll could rise "well above" 150.<br />** Norway have revised down their number of dead to 16 from 21 and slashed the numbers of missing to 274 from 462.<br />*** Russia says it has not been able to make contact with around 50 of its citizens who were in Thailand.****Foreign secretary Jack Straw has said that the British death toll could reach 200; in addition to 40 confirmed deaths, 159 nationals were "highly likely to have been involved as victims of the disaster".<br />^ A Swiss foreign ministry spokesman says there are 95 cases where there is "practically no hope". There are a further 500 Swiss anaccounted for, of whom 360 in Thailand, 50 in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and 20 in India.<br />^^ Singapore has a further 157 uncontactable.<br />^^^ The Austrian figure of 468 missing includes 130 people Vienna presumes were killed in the tsunami. A further 211 people are unaccounted for in Asia and Kenya.<br />^^^^ Australia says some 1,200 of its nationals are unaccounted for.<br />^^^^^ The Netherlands have an additional 200 unaccounted for in the region.<br />^^^^^^ Finnish authorities decline to give an official death toll, but Thai authorities have reported 14 Finns have died.
