Indonesia: Tsunami toll now 429 dead, thousands homeless
Sumur, Dec 25: The death toll from the tsunami that hit Indonesian islands without warning Saturday night has passed 420 with more than 1,400 people injured.
Thousands of people were left homeless when the waves smashed homes on coastal areas of western Java and southern Sumatra.
Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the death toll had climbed to 429 on Tuesday and at least 128 were missing.
Military troops, government personnel and volunteers were searching along debris-strewn beaches. Where victims were found, body bags were laid out, and weeping relatives identified the dead. (AP) AMS
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India offers condolences over Khamenei's death; Foreign Secretary Misri visits Iran embassy
New Delhi (PTI): India on Thursday condoled the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveying to the Iranian ambassador New Delhi's message of sympathy.
Misri visited the Iranian embassy and signed the condolence book on behalf of the government of India.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also released photograph of the foreign secretary's conversation with Iranian envoy to India Mohammad Fathali.
Khamenei was killed in an Israel-US strike on February 28.
Though India called for resolution of the West Asia crisis through dialogue and diplomacy, it chose not to react to Khamenei's killing.
Misri's visit to the Iranian embassy and signing of the condolence book assumed significance as several opposition parties had criticised the government for not reacting to Khamenei's death.
