Rescue workers battled to reach isolated coastal towns Tuesday on the island of Sumatra nearest the epicenter of the monstrous earthquake that sent tidal waves surging through the region, killing more than 23,000 people, almost a third of them children. The scope of the tragedy was unprecedented, humanitarian agencies said, as they began what the United Nations said would become the biggest relief effort the world has ever seen. Thousands were missing and millions homeless. Bodies continued to fill tropical beaches and choked hospital morgues Tuesday, raising fears of disease across a 10-nation arc of destruction. In Indonesia, nearly 5,000 were killed, according to official figures, but the country's vice president said he believed the number of dead could reach 25,000. Purnomo Sidik, national disaster director at the Social Affairs Ministry, said Kalla's prediction was in line with his ministry's estimates. More than 12,000 people died in Sri Lanka, 4,000 in India and more than 1,000 in Thailand, with numbers expected to rise. The International Red Cross said it was concerned that diseases such as malaria and cholera could add to the toll.
