Notes from a disaster

MOTHER FACED WITH AGONISING CHOICE

An Australian mother swept away by the tsunami in Thailand faced an agonising choice: which of her children to let go. "I knew that if I held on to both, we would all die," said Jillian Searle, from Perth. Still clinging to her 2-year-old son, Blake, she let go of 5-year-old Lachie. The boy was found alive two hours later, having survived by clinging to a doorknob.

AUSTRALIANS WARNED DEATH TOLL WILL SOAR

Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty yesterday told Australians to brace themselves for hundreds of deaths. The toll stands at 10, fears are held for 41 others and a further 1250 have not been accounted for. "With 1250 Australians missing, clearly the numbers are going to be a lot larger than the 41 for whom we have grave fears, as well as the confirmed dead," he said.

FREE CALLS TO TSUNAMI AREAS

Telecom will credit customers for the cost of phone calls to tsunami-affected regions in Asia. The credit applies to direct dial calls from home phones to landlines and cellphones, made from Boxing Day until Tuesday. Also, an 0900 number is operating which adds an automatic $20 donation to Red Cross to customers' next Telecom bills. The usual administration fee of about 70c is being waived.

LOOTERS HAVE BEEN POSING AS POLICE

Some people have stolen from bodies or looted stores wrecked by the tsunamis, according to a report in Thailand. Police on Phuket island received complaints that a man posing as a police officer pried open a jewellery store safe and stole items worth about $110,000, the Nation newspaper reported. On Phi Phi island, 200 rescue workers from a foundation left abruptly after a police search found 20 of them had items stolen from bodies, the paper said.

DOCTOR HEADING FOR INDONESIA

Dave Jenkins is cutting short a holiday in Gisborne to provide aid and medical treatment in Indonesia. Dr Jenkins, founding director of Indonesia-based charity Surf Aid International arrived in Gisborne this week. When he got a call from Quiksilver, one of Surf Aid's sponsors, offering to fund a boat with medical supplies to take to Indonesia, he snapped up the offer.

TOLL PASSES

126,000

Latest estimated death toll:

Indonesia79,940

Sri Lanka28,508

India10,736

Thailand4500

East Africa137

Malaysia72

Maldives67

Myanmar36

Bangladesh2

TOTAL:123,998

- AGENCIES