Tsunami toll mounts to 27,400

The toll in Sunday's earthquake-induced tsunamis continued to mount on Tuesday with latest figures indicating nearly 7,400 deaths in India and over 20,000 in six countries across South and South East Asia.

Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the worst hit in India, accounted for 4,500 and 3,000 deaths, respectively.

In Kerala, 148 people lost their lives, while 96 died in Andhra Pradesh as the waves ravaged the coastal regions of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Maldives, washing away entire villages.

The waves were triggered by an earthquake off the Sumatra coast in Indonesia on Sunday.