1 of 11
Getting aid to the many victims of the Indian Ocean earthquake will be an unprecedented challenge, the UN says.

2 of 11
Estimates say the final number of dead could reach tens of thousands across south-east Asia. Many people remain unaccounted for.

3 of 11
The huge waves - some up to 10 metres (33 feet) high - swept away buildings in their path and picked up cars like matchsticks.

4 of 11
People scoured makeshift mortuaries for loved ones in Banda Aceh, Indonesia - one of the worst hit places.

5 of 11
The town, located near the tremor's epicentre, is still flooded.

6 of 11
Luxury hotels in Thailand's southern Phuket region have been turned into temporary morgues.

7 of 11
In Galle, Sri Lanka, soldiers have been deployed to prevent looting.

8 of 11
Meanwhile, family members have been searching for each other.

9 of 11
Large numbers of tourists are waiting to leave the region and escape the devastation.

10 of 11
Offers of aid have been sent from countries around the world. Here, a Pakistani group prepares death shrouds to donate to victim nations...

11 of 11
... while in Paris, rescue workers from the Red Crescent and Rescuers Without Borders wait for a flight to Sri Lanka.