The death toll in Indonesia increased to 98,000 people, and more than a half million others were refugees after tsunami hit the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra on December 26, Social Ministry told Xinhua on Friday.

The number of death toll would increase as there are still many bodies unfound among the ruins, an official of the ministry Susanti said.

She said that the increase was driven by finding of scores of bodies in the hardest-tsunami hit of Maulaboh district.

The catastrophe also made 544,927 people in the provinces homeless and most of them take shelter in refugee camp, she said.

At least 1,4043 people are still in hospitals, Susanti said.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was visiting Aceh Friday to see the damage of the tsunami disaster.

The visit is one day after world leaders and dignitaries met in Jakarta to coordinate assistance to tsunami-affected countries.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2005)