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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade calculated the number of Korean victims from the rolling tsunamis in the South Asian region at eight dead, eight missing and 17 injured, while the total death toll has now exceeded 81,000.
The Korean government has decided to focus on identifying the whereabouts of 654 tourists in the tsunami-stricken region.
As of 5:00 p.m. Thursday, family members of 1,030 tourists asked the ministry to ascertain their whereabouts. Among them, 376 vacationers are now known to be be safe.
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Tsunami survivors hold out their hands for relief aid in Cuddalore, 180 kilometers south of Marid, India, on Wednesday.
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The government is investigating whether the remaining 654 travelers have returned to Korea or are receiving treatment at local hospitals in the South Asian region.
The Foreign Ministry said that the number of Korean victims may escalate when the situation in India and Indonesia is fully determined, as many tourists had made individual trips there.
Meanwhile, news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the total number of fatalities in 11 South Asian and African countries had surpassed 81,000 as of 5:00 p.m. Thursday.
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A relative of a Korean who is still missing after calamitous tidal waves rocked Asia Sunday inquires as to the whereabouts of the missing person, as tsunami survivors return to the peninsula via Incheon International Airport on Thursday.
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Of these, 45,268 were Indonesians, 22,799 were Sri Lankans, 10,850 were Indians and 1,975 were Thai nationals.
Foreign news agencies have estimated that the number of victims will hit a ceiling of five million at the most catastrophic forecast.
As the scale and magnitude of the catastrophe has gained widespread currency in both hemispheres, citizens, governments and international relief agencies are collecting contributions and relief goods around the world to help the victims of the calamity.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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