Hunt for NZ surfers missing on devastated island

Two New Zealanders remain unaccounted for after the earthquake which has claimed more than 1000 lives on the Indonesian island of Nias.

The men were believed to have been on a surfing trip, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Brad Tattersfield said. Friends and family had contacted the ministry after failing to hear from them.

Problems with communication lines meant it was possible the men have been unable to phone home.

Details about the pair have been passed to the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta in the hope staff there may be able to track the men down.

Reports last night said the death toll could rise as high as 2000 but it may take days to get a clearer picture of the devastation which has flattened Nias' main town of Gunungsitoli where the New Zealand men are believed to have been staying. Many buildings have been reduced to rubble and there is no water or power.

Prime Minister Helen Clark, who spoke to Indonesian President Bambang Yudhoyono by telephone on Tuesday, said "well targeted" support for Indonesia was going to be important.

New Zealand's aid has so far been directed through SurfAid, a small agency founded by New Zealand doctor David Jenkins and based in the area after the Boxing Day tsunami. .