'I never imagined anything like this could happen'

MASSIVE tidal waves triggered by an Indonesian earthquake slammed into southern India yesterday, killing more than 2,000 people and sweeping away boats, homes and vehicles, officials said.

The worst affected area was Tamil Nadu state, where 1,567 people were killed "in the disaster that struck this morning", said the state's top elected official, Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha.

Earlier, federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil said 200 people were killed in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state. At least 102 people were killed in the federally administered territory of Pondicherry near Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy said. At least 14 people were killed in Kerala state and 14 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Patil said.