Angry survivors kidnap inept officials

The relief operation in India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been so poor that starving tsunami survivors kidnapped a senior Government official to demand food supplies.

Speaking at a refugee camp in Port Blair yesterday, Lilly Ooman said she was one of a group of survivors who captured the most senior official on Great Nicobar, the Assistant Commissioner, together with the local police chief.

Ooman told how her group had to trek for days through dense jungle after their village was completely destroyed by the tsunami. There was no rescue mission in that area of the island and no air drop of supplies.

"After four days of starving we got to HQ to find out what was going on," she said. "We found the Assistant Commissioner eating platefuls of biryani, along with the DSP [Deputy Superintendent of Police] and the SHO [another senior policeman].

"We told them: 'While we are starving you are eating - you didn't do any rescue. There are dead bodies lying all over the island and you have not done anything to bury them. You are here enjoying yourselves'."

The group took the men captive but released them after a short time.

Refugees continue to arrive in Port Blair by the boatload. One week after the disaster, there are still believed to be survivors stranded on some of the islands.

So inept have the civilian authorities been in their handling of the relief operation on the most heavily affected island, Car Nicobar, that control has been handed over to the Indian military.

The death toll here is believed to be much higher than the Government claims.

- INDEPENDENT