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26th December 2004, 19:14
The strongest earthquake for 40 years has claimed more than 9,000 lives across South Asia - with the death toll still rising.
See Sky News and Sky News Active for the latest footage.
The quake, which happened in the early hours of the morning, triggered tidal waves up to 30ft high and 300mph.
It swept through communities in Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and Bangladesh.
Many of the areas are popular holiday destinations for foreign tourists - some are thought to be among the casualties.
The quake's epicentre was beneath the Indian Ocean, 90 miles off the southern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
It measured 8.9 on the richter scale - the strongest since 1964 and the fifth largest since 1900.
Worst hit appears to be Sri Lanka where the latest official death toll is more than 4,000 in southern and eastern coastal areas.
The scene near Madras, India
A state of emergency has been declared.
In India, ministers say 1,600 are dead in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Officials in Indonesia's Aceh region say at least 1,800 people are dead. Entire villages are reported to have been swallowed up.
In Thailand, at least 300 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured.
Two divers have drowned and 40 others are trapped in Thailand's famous Emerald Cave.
In Malaysia, eight people are reported drowned and several others are missing on the resort island of Penang.
Some 10 people are feared dead in the Maldives with many more injured.
In southeastern Bangladesh, a father and child are reported killed after a tourist boat capsized.
http://www.sky.com/skynews
See Sky News and Sky News Active for the latest footage.
The quake, which happened in the early hours of the morning, triggered tidal waves up to 30ft high and 300mph.
It swept through communities in Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and Bangladesh.
Many of the areas are popular holiday destinations for foreign tourists - some are thought to be among the casualties.
The quake's epicentre was beneath the Indian Ocean, 90 miles off the southern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
It measured 8.9 on the richter scale - the strongest since 1964 and the fifth largest since 1900.
Worst hit appears to be Sri Lanka where the latest official death toll is more than 4,000 in southern and eastern coastal areas.
The scene near Madras, India
A state of emergency has been declared.
In India, ministers say 1,600 are dead in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Officials in Indonesia's Aceh region say at least 1,800 people are dead. Entire villages are reported to have been swallowed up.
In Thailand, at least 300 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured.
Two divers have drowned and 40 others are trapped in Thailand's famous Emerald Cave.
In Malaysia, eight people are reported drowned and several others are missing on the resort island of Penang.
Some 10 people are feared dead in the Maldives with many more injured.
In southeastern Bangladesh, a father and child are reported killed after a tourist boat capsized.
http://www.sky.com/skynews