Friday, January 14 2005 16:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government today (Jan 14, 2005) said all the aborigines of Andaman and Nicobar Islands were safe though some tribes, including the Nicobaris, Sentinelese and Shompen had been hit by the deadly tsunami waves.

"All tribes including Ongei, Sentinel and Jarwa in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are safe. There is no question of extinction of any tribe," Union Tribal Affairs Minister P R Kyndiah told reporters in New Delhi.

The natural instinct of the local tribes also helped them find safe shelter just before the tsunami waves struck, Kyndiah said.

However, the Nicobaris were the worst hit with 26,156 of the total population of 42,068 taking shelter in camps, he said adding in Andaman, out of a total of three lakh, 37,264 were now living in camps.

"We have now fine-tuned and streamlined the entire relief operations in the islands," he said adding the main concern of the Central Government and local administration was to rehabilitate the affected people before the onset of monsoon which usually starts at the end of April.

The Minister said a total of 1,400 tribals had lost their lives while about 5,000 were still missing, 4354 from Katchal Island alone.

Of the total 319 islands only 38 islands are inhabited, he said and added "the most affected have been Car Nicobar and Katchal Islands".