Malaysia's tsunami death toll at 66

Asian Economic News, Jan 10, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 30 Kyodo

At least 66 people are confirmed dead and 184 injured in Malaysia's northern coastal region from the weekend's killer tsunami, police said Thursday.

It has been four days since the tragedy struck and rescue workers are still combing beaches in Penang and Kedah, the two worst-hit states near the border of Thailand, looking for dozens of missing people.

Meanwhile, there will be no fireworks display to usher in the new year at midnight Friday following the government's decision to scrap all celebrations.

The official news agency Bernama quoted the Internal Security Ministry as saying that permits issued for fireworks and pyrotechnic shows have been canceled.

Thousands of Malaysians were expected at the New Year party at the foot of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Twin Towers where concerts and fireworks were scheduled.

But Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi urged the people Wednesday to hold prayers instead for the victims of the tsunami.

''This is not the time to be happy as tens of thousands of people in northern Malaysia are grieving. We have never had a disaster like this in our country,'' he was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times daily.

The death toll from the tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake Sunday off Indonesia's Sumatra Island, has exceeded 80,000. The most affected areas are Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.