The death toll from Sunday's massive tsunamis triggered by an 8.7-magnitude earthquake has passed 80,000 as Health Ministry of Indonesia renewed the country's death toll to 45,000.  

The international Red Cross, meanwhile, said Wednesday the total death toll of the earthquake and tsunamis could exceed 100,000.

A UN official said death toll in Indonesia's Aceh Province might alone reach between 50,000 and 80,000.

In Sri Lanka, more than 22,000 people have been confirmed dead after the tidal waves tsunamis washed most parts of the island's coast.

India, another heavily hit country, Wednesday reported a death toll of 10,850 with thousands more still missing.

The World Health Organization estimated that up to 5 million people have been left without daily necessities by the Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by the biggest earthquake in 40 years near Sumatra on Sunday.

(CRI.com December 30, 2004)