Indian islands: They have survived for thousands of years in one of the world's most isolated areas, but at least two of the Stone Age aboriginal tribes which live on the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been gravely affected by Sunday's giant tsunami, which ripped through the sprawling archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, killing at least 3,000 people.
Indian authorities here admitted yesterday they were dealing with a disaster and said they had been unable to make contact with the Shompens, a reclusive tribe who live on the island of Great Nicobar. Officials said they were sending messengers to some of the most remote islands, more than 16 hours away by boat, to ascertain who was left alive.
The relief operation has been made more complicated by the fact that many of the worst affected areas are also home to reclusive communities, whose ancestors migrated to the islands more than 30,000 years ago.
Yesterday the islands' governor, Prof Ram Kapse, said he was sending a boat to Sentinel Island, home to the world's last truly Stone Age tribe. The 100- strong Sentinalese, who originated from Africa, have resisted all contact with the outside world. They have opened fire on friendly visiting anthropologists with poison arrows.
The boat being sent there would not land on the island but would have a look at their situation from a safe "outer circle," Prof Kapse said.
The fate of the Shompens, a Mongoloid tribe who live on the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, was not known, he added. The Indian authorities have so far failed to reach them. They have also not managed to land on two tiny but inhabited nearby islands, Konsul and Pilomilo.
"We are doing our best, but many villagers are simply not yet reachable," said the administration's chief secretary, Mr V.V. Bhat.
So far, it is thought the worst affected island in the group is Car Nicobar (population 20,000), a small low-lying island where entire villages inhabited by tribal Nicobarese were washed away.
The waves appeared to have spared nobody. The dead include 68 Indian air force personnel who were stationed at the island's hilltop air force base; 25 of their bodies have been washed up. Another victim was the island's magistrate.
The main tribal group, the Nicobarese, who are devout Christians, were also among the dead
Yesterday one tribal survivor, Casper James (34), described how he was about to go to church when the first tremors struck early on Sunday. He dragged his wife and daughter out of their house and started racing up into the jungle. Three minutes later, a giant wave tore into his village, Malacca, demolishing it.
"There was a tremendous sound, we shouted to all our neighbours to run," Mr James said. "We ran 200 metres up the hill. Behind us, trees and cylinders floated past. The village disappeared. There was nothing left. When I went back, I saw many hands sticking out of the sand."
Five days after the disaster there was still confusion yesterday as to how many people have died. Indian officials said that 3,000 had gone missing and were presumed dead, although only 306 bodies have been recovered.
The final death toll will only be known when terrified villagers finally emerge from the dense forests of coconut palms and casuarina trees where they have been hiding. The Indian government's rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal has been hampered by the archipelago's size - it constitutes 572 islands, 36 of them inhabited, spread across nearly 800 km.
Although the main Andaman Islands escaped the worst, the giant waves left a trail of destruction there.
One "longish" island, Teressa, had been flooded in the middle and was now two islands, Mr Bhat said.
Guardian service