Tsunami Death Toll 226,611; 6,245 Still Missing
January 19, 2005
by Kevin Caruso
The Indonesian Health Ministry says that the current death toll for the tsunami disaster is 226,611 and that 6,245 people are missing.
Recent reports from the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, which were both hit hard by the tsunami, have caused a significant increase in the toll as many people who were listed as missing were confirmed dead.
But the true death toll may never be known.
“Perhaps we will never know the exact scale of the human casualties,” said Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the president of Indonesia.
