<P> According to the country's National Disaster Relief Coordination Agency, 250,000 people are dead and 37,063 are missing . In addition, the UN estimates that 655,000 people are homeless and sheltering in scattered refugee camps across the province . </P> <P> As of January 23, 2005 the Health Ministry reported 173,981 dead while the Social Affairs Ministry registered 114,978 killed . On 25 January 2005 Health Minister Fadilah Supari updated the estimated death total to 220,000 . On 7 April 2005 the estimated number of missing was reduced by more than 50,000 giving a final total of 167,540 dead and missing . </P> <P> Northern Sumatra took damage from the earthquake itself as a tsunami landed on it . However, most of the damage was the result of the tsunami that struck the coastal regions of the Aceh and to a much lesser extent the North Sumatra provinces . The west coast of Aceh was about 100 km (60 mi) from the epicenter and took very heavy damage as far south as Tapaktuan . The coastal town of Lhoknga was hit by tsunami waves of more than 20 to 25 meters with run - up heights of more than 30 meters in some places . Ten - meter tall waves passed the northern tip of the island to race south down the Straits of Malacca and strike along the northeast coast as far east as Lhokseumawe . </P> <P> Reports from those that have flown over the Aceh coast have reported a virtually destroyed coastline . In many towns and villages, concrete pads are all that is left of substantial structures, while scattered corrugated iron roofs crumpled like paper are the only evidence of flimsier houses . A few intact mosques rise amazingly from the wasteland . "You can't really explain . There used to be towns and cities there . All the people once had homes, lives," said Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Wickland from the American aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln . "Now there is nothing ." </P>

How did the tsunami affect the landscape in india 2004