Tsunami toll climbs

The number of people believed killed in December's tsunami disaster topped 296,000 yesterday, more than six weeks after the catastrophe, as Indonesia again increased its number of dead.

Indonesia was hardest-hit by the December 26 quake and tsunamis, with a total of 243,530 people listed as dead or missing, the Health Ministry said in its latest figures.

The ministry said the number of people confirmed dead and buried had increased to 115,628 while the number of people missing and almost certainly dead remained at 127,774.