Ancient tribe survives tsunami

Members of the ancient Jarawa tribe emerged from their forest habitat for the first time since the tsunami and earthquakes devastated India’s isolated Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and said all 250 had survived.

“We are all safe after the earthquake. We are in the forest in Balughat,” Ashu, a Jarawa, said in broken Hindi through an interpreter in a restricted forest area in the northern reaches of South Andaman island.

According to varying estimates, there are a total of only 400 to 1,000 members alive today from the Jarawas, Great Andamanese, Onges, Sentinelese and Shompens. Some anthropological DNA studies indicate the generations may have spanned back 70,000 years. They originated in Africa and migrated to India through Indonesia, anthropologists say.

Seven men emerged from the forest to meet with government and police officials to say they had all fled to the forest and survived.