Nearly 500,000 people were made homeless after tsunami swept Aceh province, in Indonesia on Dec. 26, ministry of information and communication said on Wednesday.

The official of the ministry said that at least 476,619 people were refugees, and the figure could increase as there were still many others uncounted by the officials.

At least 95,000 people were killed by the tsunami in Indonesia.

A powerful earthquake of 8.7 degrees on Richter scale shocked many parts of the provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2005)