Tsunami toll hits 413, with 298 missing

The death toll from the tsunami that smashed into western Indonesia has risen to 413 with another 298 still missing several days after the disaster, an official said on Saturday.

The death toll from the tsunami that smashed into western Indonesia has risen to 413 with another 298 still missing several days after the disaster, an official said on Saturday.

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West Sumatra disaster management official Suryadi said much of the aid has arrived in Sikakap area in North Pagai island, but emergency workers were having difficulty getting it to those most in need.

"A lot of the aid has arrived on the island. Unfortunately there are insufficient boats to distribute the aid to the affected areas quickly," he said.

The tsunami has displaced 13,000 people on the tsunami-stricken Mentawai islands.

Emergency services in Indonesia are being further stretched by the continued eruption of Mount Merapi in central Java, where around 50,000 people have been evacuated.