Day of sorrow as NZ toll rises

The Government has declared Sunday a national memorial day to mourn victims of the Asian tsunami.

It is the first time a day has been officially designated to mark a disaster.

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday gave details of the memorial, which will include a minute's silence at 1.59pm - the time here when the earthquake struck on Boxing Day off Indonesia, triggering the tsunami.

National services were held after the terror attacks on America on September 11, 2001, and the Bali bombing of 2002, but memorial days were not designated.

Helen Clark hopes people will take time on Sunday, at formal events or privately, to remember those whose lives were destroyed or affected by the tsunami.

The tsunami killed at least 156,000 people in 13 countries around the Indian Ocean.

The number of New Zealanders killed has risen to six.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday said four missing New Zealanders were presumed dead.

They are understood to include Belinda and Andrew Welch, whose families are holding memorial services in Auckland and Christchurch this week, and Stephen Bond, whose sister has been searching for his body in Thai morgues after seeing a photograph of a corpse she believed was him.

The Welches and Mr Bond and his Thai wife, Janjira, were holidaying in Khao Lak.

The fourth person has not been named.

A further eight New Zealanders are unaccounted for.

Those confirmed dead are Leonie Cosens and Craig Baxter.

June Kander, a New Zealand-born woman from Canada, also died.

The memorial day coincides with Australia's national day of mourning, which was announced by Prime Minister John Howard last week.

In Auckland it will be observed with an inter-faith service at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Parnell, incorporating the minute of silence at 1.59pm.

Television and radio stations are also planning to observe the minute of silence.

Flags on Government buildings will fly at half-mast from Friday until Sunday.

Helen Clark said the loss of life, injuries and the devastation caused by the tsunami had been felt around the world.

New Zealand was mourning its own victims and injured, as well as the losses suffered overseas.

"In addition, there are still New Zealanders who do not know what has happened to their loved ones, and there are New Zealanders who have returned home deeply distressed by what they have witnessed," shesaid.

The Government has said it will give $10 million in disaster relief aid, and on Tuesday, the Cabinet will discuss increasing this amount.

Three military aircraft, a 36-person Defence Force medical team, five Defence Force staff, a 14-person police forensic team and 10 people in an emergency response team are working in the disaster area.

* In Auckland, plans are being made for a public service, possibly at the Aotea Centre, early next week.


- additional reporting Stuart Dye