Indian earthquake leaves one million homeless

As many as one million people have been left homeless by the Indian earthquake, UN disaster management officials say.

The death toll has reached 17,000 but it is feared the number could go as high as 30,000 before the counting is over.

Hindu priests have marked the end of the traditional mourning period, twelve days after the tragedy, with prayers for the victims.

The priests chanted Sanskrit verses and name after name.

Haren Pandya, Gujarat's home minister, says the death toll could rise to 30,000.

The organisers of the prayer service in Bhuj, followers of Gujarati holy man Swami Narayan, used newspaper adverts to encourage people to phone in the names of the dead so they could be read at the prayer service.

As the mourning period draws to a close, Indian government officials are beginning to assess their response to the disaster and have begun planning reconstruction efforts.

The Urban Development Minister says construction companies and architects had committed "serious lapses" in safety and that state governments had failed to tighten building codes despite a study a year and a half ago that found many areas vulnerable.

He says authorities will need to begin from scratch in rebuilding the badly hit towns of Bhuj, Anjar and Bhachau, including the layout of roads.