Millions still struggling to survive in Asian disaster zone

JAKARTA - Five days after Sunday's massive earthquake and giant tsunami created one of the worst natural disasters the world has seen, the number of dead continues to rise and has now surged past 120,000.

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A Sri Lankan family shelters in a building at a higher elevation after warnings of new tsunamis Thursday. (AP photo)

Indonesia, which bore the brunt of the catastrophe, has updated its toll to almost 80,000.

Entire coastal villages have been washed away.

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The soaring numbers come as Indonesia discovered more bodies on ravaged Sumatra Island.

On Thursday, the Indonesian Health Ministry said the toll leapt from earlier figures after reports arrived from the remote town of Meulaboh in western Aceh province, which has been cut off for days.

In Sri Lanka 27,000 people are now confirmed dead with nearly 5,000 still missing.

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India's death toll has hit 11,330 with many thousands still missing.

Thailand has confirmed 2,400 deaths from the tsunami, among them over 700 foreign tourists, with another 6,000 people missing and feared dead.

At least 75 people were killed and another 42 confirmed missing in the Maldives, while 66 people were killed in Malaysia, mostly on Penang Island.

Looters in the Indonesian province of Aceh are being forced to undress and sit on the street as a warning to others who may be considering theft as desperation mounts.

Planes have been dropping food to villagers stranded among bloating corpses in western Sumatra, the area hardest hit by Sunday's earthquake and tsunami strike.

Foreign forensic teams are at work in the Thai resort of Khao Lak. Thai government officials say at least 2,200 foreigners are among the dead throughout Thailand.

The forensic teams have come from Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Australia. They say the magnitude of the disaster is beyond anything they've seen.

Indonesians who lost their homes to the tsunami line up for food in Banda Aceh on Thursday. (AP photo)

Local Thais have been rushing to bury bodies as they deteriorate in the tropical heat. Authorities have asked them to hold back until identifications can be made. Experts say in some cases that may never happen.

Police estimate up to 3,000 people may have been killed in Khao Lak alone.

The World Health Organization says the next few days will be critical in controlling the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases.

WHO says up to five million people in countries that rim the Indian Ocean do not have the basics they need to stay alive.

But officials attempting to deal with the disaster are reporting some encouraging news from the Maldives.

The chain of islands in the Indian Ocean is regarded as the world's lowest-lying country. Although at least 75 people on the islands are confirmed dead, officials say the country is beginning to show signs of recovery. They say resort hotels are beginning to reopen and foreign tourists are already coming back.

They say because the islands are just one metre above sea level, the immediate area lacked the conditions for a full-scale tsunami to build, meaning fewer casualties and less damage than other parts of the region.

Governments around the world are reporting thousands of citizens missing.

The Canadian Foreign Affairs Department says more than 70 Canadians are missing. Sweden and Germany report 1,000 of their nationals are still unaccounted for.

Hundreds of Italian, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Czech and Singaporean tourists are among those reported missing.

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Relatives from dozens of countries are searching beaches and scouring newspapers and the internet in search of word of their loved ones.

With files from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation