The number of people known to have died across south-east Asia in the aftermath of the most powerful earthquake in 40 years is now put at more than 80,000, but expected to rise over 100,000. Indonesia has declared three days of national mourning. The epicentre of the earthquake was off the western island of Sumatra in Indonesia, striking at about 0100 GMT (0800 local time) on Sunday. Dozens of buildings were destroyed in the initial quake before a huge wall of water, up to 10m high in places, hit the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra. Officials said Aceh was the worst hit area, which lies closest to the epicentre. In Sri Lanka, a wide stretch of the eastern coastline - from Jaffna in the north to the popular tourist beaches in the south - have been devastated, while in India, more than 2,000km (1,243 miles) of southern coast was swamped by tidal waves, including the states of Tamil Nadu - whose capital, Madras, was particularly badly hit - Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, as well as the federally administered territory of Pondicherry. The western coast of southern Thailand has been badly affected, including Phuket and Phi Phi islands and the mainland resorts of Krabi and Phang Nga. High waves and floods inundated the Maldives and people are reported to have been swept away from beaches near the northern island of Penang in Malaysia. Waves also struck Somalia, Kenya, Burma, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles. | 
