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NUMBER FEARED LOW

“I just can’t comprehend this,” writes Wes Roth. “An official report out of Indonesia puts the dead at 210,000 ... which ups the overall number to 272,000.”

An official document posted here says that nearly 210,000 people in Indonesia are dead or missing from the Dec. 26 tsunami, a death toll that appears to be far higher than officials have reported publicly. Rescue workers think even that number may be low.

The larger Indonesia toll would bring the total of dead and missing from the tidal surge across the Indian Ocean to nearly 272,000, ranking the tsunami as the fifth or sixth deadliest natural disaster in about 250 years.

Hoping that those numbers are wrong won’t make them so, but let’s hope anyway. Wes speaks for many when he says: “I wish I could help more.” Australians who wish to help personally are directed here.

Posted by Tim B. on 01/14/2005 at 01:01 AM

  1. It’s hard to help when Indonesia is imposing restrictions, and asking us to get out as soom as possible:

    BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Indonesia announced that U.S. and other foreign troops providing tsunami disaster relief must leave the country by the end of March and ordered aid workers Wednesday to declare their travel plans or face expulsion from devastated Aceh province on Sumatra island.

    Posted by ErnieG on 2005 01 14 at 03:38 AM • permalink

  2. “Rescue workers think even that number may be low. “

    I’m inclined to agree with the rescue workers. I’ve found some English language blogs by people who are native to that part of the world and I’ve read reports that indicate the all the dead are not being counted and probably never will be. (For various reasons.)

    Posted by CJosephson on 2005 01 14 at 06:41 AM • permalink

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