Thursday, December 30 2004 13:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Port Blair: Panic-gripped inhabitants of Andaman and Nicobar islands rushed for safer places after the authorities sounded high alert of the possibility of high waves once again dashing the islands again four days after it was devastated by the killer tsunami strike which left over 10,000 people untraced.

Lt Governor Ram Kapashe told reporters that according to information high waves may hit the islands around noon and people in low lying areas were advised to go to safer places.

People were running helter-skelter after the alert.

There was total panic and confusion as people were seen running for safer places as TV channels also announced the possibility of another tsunami wave hitting the Indian coasts.

Meanwhile a large-scale relief and rescue operation continued in full swing by the civil and military personnel while people were being evacuated from the badly-hit Nicobar and Hudway islands by Naval ships and AN-32 aircrafts.

About 1100 people were so far brought to port Blair from Hudway Island and the process was continuing, a senior administration official involved in the operation said.

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Confusion, however, still prevailed about the number of casualties as the local administration confirmed that only 309 bodies have been recovered so far.

Lt Governor Ram Kapse, however, admitted that as many as 10,000 people, almost half the population of the Car Nicobar Island, were still missing even after four days since the giant waves devastated the Island.

Unconfirmed reports from various affected Islands said that as many as 15,000 people may have been killed with Car Nicobar accounting for majority of them.