Sweden set to be Western nation worst-hit by tsunami disaster

[Stockholm]

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - With more than 1,000 Swedish tourists in Thailand still unaccounted for, Sweden looked likely to be the Western country hardest-hit by the giant tidal waves which struck Asia's coastlines.

"The catastrophe is probably the worst of our time and will impact everyday Swedish life for a long time to come," Prime Minister Goeran Persson told a news conference on Wednesday.

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Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds spoke of a "national trauma" for her country.

In Phuket, Thailand, where she touched down on Wednesday, Freivalds said more than 1,000 Swedes were still missing.

"Many of them, I fear, we will not find," she was quoted as saying by the TT news agency.

Freivalds compared the trauma for Swedes with the 1994 sinking of the Estonia car ferry, Europe's worst post-war maritime disaster, which occurred during a crossing from Tallinn to Stockholm and was survived by only 137 of the 989 on board.

"You won't find many people in Sweden who don't have some personal link to this tragedy," Freivalds said.

When the waves struck, some 20,000 to 30,000 Swedes were believed to be holidaying in the disaster areas, of whom up to 10,000 could have been travelling independently of any tour operator, officials said.

http://www.turkishpress.com/world/news.asp?id=041229194343.wjtrut0g.xml

[Stockholm]

1. Around 4500 Swedes missing in Thailand

Media is reporting that the foreign office up til now have not reported the missing people correctly. The official figure of 1500 do only count those who went by charter.

Another 3000 is suspected to be backpacking in the area.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,582057,00.html

[xchrom]

2. it's all just so sad.

[Stockholm]

3. OMFG

Just found 5 friends among the missing persons. Did not even know they where in Thailand.

In the words of two year old Hannes Bergström "Stupid Giant Wave"...

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/saknade/saknad.html

http://www.expressen.se/index.jsp?a=223819

[Stockholm]

4. Have now been to 3 funerals and 2 memorial services

Tsunamis suck big time :cry:

I think everyone I know have someone close missing?