50 Britons Dead In Asia Tragedy

[george]

50 Britons dead in Asia tragedy

THE number of British people killed in the Asia tsunami disaster has risen to 50 – but that figure is destined to climb even higher.

British officials in Phuket said the number of casualties in Thailand had risen to 43 to add to the already confirmed deaths in other stricken countries.

Three Britons have died in the Maldives while four have died in Sri Lanka, according to the British consulate in Colombo.

There are growing fears that the death toll will continue to climb sharply as rescue teams finally reach remote areas of battered countries torn apart by the gigantic and thunderous waves.

Relatives have been scrambling to make contact with loved ones out in the shattered countries, many of whom are still missing or being treated in hospital.

Sunday's disaster made millions homeless and claimed 68,000 lives, among them the 14-year-old granddaughter of film legend Lord Attenborough.

A six-year-old British boy is also missing feared dead, along with his eight-year-old brother.

Around 770 people are thought to have died in the luxury resort of Ko Lak, while it is feared that hundreds more have died in Ko Lanta and on the island of Ko Phi Phi.

Tom Carter, of the British emergency consulate in Phuket, said Thai authorities believed more than 1,000 people were dead and 7,500 injured.

He said: "At this moment we just don't know how many Britons may have been caught there and we are braced for reports of more deaths as the situation becomes clear."

In Sri Lanka, it is expected countless more bodies of Britons will be found as the country's death toll rises sharply by the hour.

A spokeswoman for the British consulate in Colombo confirmed four British deaths, adding "We are expecting that figure to rise as our teams reach the worst-hit areas."

Police confirmed that an unnamed six-year-old boy from St Ives was among those killed as he holidayed in Thailand with his 37-year-old mother, his eight-year-old brother, and her 44-year-old boyfriend, originally from Essex.

It has been reported that a British man with ties to Hong Kong had been killed by the monster waves that swept Thailand. A statement identified the man only as Mr Leung, 39, after his wife informed Hong Kong immigration officers in Phuket.

[email protected]

• Were you affected by the tsunami? Call the YEP newsdesk on 0113 243 2701 extension 8376

• The Foreign Office emergency telephone number for those concerned about loved ones is 020 7008 0000.

• Travel advice can be found on the Foreign Office website at www.fco.gov.uk or by calling 0870 6060290.

• Flight information should be obtained from travel and airport operators.

• A massive emergency appeal under the umbrella of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), organisations including ActionAid, British Red Cross, Cafod, Oxfam, Save The Children, Christian Aid and World Vision, are asking for money to provide clean water, food, shelter and longer-term support.

• Call 087 0606 0900 for donations.