New Zealander tells of 'wall of foam, sand and white water'

"What was coming towards us was a wall of foam, sand and white water."

New Zealander Michael Clark was on a cruise ship off a small low-lying island in the Maldives on Sunday morning when a powerful tsunami rocked southeast Asia.

"It hit the island and went literally over the island and into the lagoon. Then it decided to come towards us."

Officials in the Indian Ocean archipelago believe 52 people drowned and 70 people are missing after the tidal waves which struck about 10.30am local time. Six of the Maldives 200 inhabited islands have been evacuated.

The small cruise ship, which Mr Clark works as a crew member on, was about half a nautical mile off the atoll, south of the capital Male, when he noticed a surge in the lagoon water he initially thought was caused by a freak wave.

"There was a wall of water, only about two-feet tall, but there was an incredible amount of water behind it surging forward," he told National Radio via satellite telephone.

"It literally sucked all the water inside the atoll out to sea again and then it came back in again about three times."

The wave washed over the tiny island, which was about 120m by 40m and used by resorts as a picnic spot, he said.

"There was a lot of furniture on the island and it all got washed out so there were tables and chairs and people's personal effects. Things were washed around all over the place."

The six island residents managed to get safely to a house which was raised out of the reach of the water.

Mr Clark's ship was now moored outside its base on the eastern side of the island group.

"We can't refuel, we've got no food and we can't go anywhere either."

Call for help

To make a donation Red Cross: 0900 31 100 to make $20 donations

Christian World Service: 0800 74 73 72, PO Box 22-652, Christchurch

Oxfam: phone donations 0800 600 700

TEAR Fund: 0800 800 777

World Vision: 0800 80 2000

Caritas: 0900 411 11 for $20 donations, PO Box 12-193 Wellington

To inquire about relatives Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 0800 432 111

- NZPA