NI couple caught in tidal wave

Thousands of people are waiting desperately for help

A Belfast couple who were caught up in a huge tidal wave in Thailand have said they are lucky to be alive.

Mark McBride and Lisa Lavery from east Belfast were on a boat that narrowly missed the full force of the wave - one of several across South East Asia.

Thousands of people have died in massive sea surges triggered by a major earthquake.

Mr McBride, said on Sunday that it was a scene of utter devastation.

"About half an hour out to sea, the captain told us to put on our life jackets," he said.

"A massive tidal wave was coming towards us. We could see it coming. Our boat was safe, but we watched as the tidal wave went past and hit the fishing village which we had just left."

There are just lots of people missing, lots of people injured, lots of chaos Mark McBride

The people on board the boat spent six hours at sea waiting to see what might happen next.

The captain was afraid to go back into port for fear of the ship being washed ashore.

Mr McBride added: "While we were out at sea, our boat lifted four Swedish snorklers, one girl was badly injured as she had been swept onto the beach and swept back out to sea.

"She was with a group of 15 of which we picked up four, so she lost her boyfriend. There are just lots of people missing, lots of people injured, lots of chaos."

Mr McBride and Ms Lavery were holidaying in Thailand. Both are well, but feel very shaken by what happened.

DEADLY DEVASTATION Sri Lanka: 1,000 dead India: 1,000 dead Thailand: 55 dead Indonesia: 150 dead Malaysia: 7 dead Source: Government officials Click here for map of area In pictures: Quake disaster

Meanwhile, a Londonderry woman is keeping a vigil by her telephone for news of her sister and brother-in-law caught up in the tidal wave disaster in Thailand.

Kathleen Kilcullan and her husband Jim have not been heard from since a telephone call on Sunday morning.

The call was made shortly after they were evacuated from their hotel in Phuket.

Kathleen's sister Ruby who lives in the Waterside, said Jim told her about the moment they knew they were in trouble.

Villages have been swamped and homes destroyed after the 8.9-magnitude quake, the fifth strongest since 1900.

At least 1,000 died in Sri Lanka and a similar number were killed in India.

Casualty figures are rising and deaths have been reported in Thailand and on Sumatra in Indonesia, thought to be near the tremor's epicentre.

Exact figures for casualties are hard to confirm but hundreds of people are said to be missing in India's and Sri Lanka's coastal regions.

Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga has declared a national disaster, and the military has been deployed to help rescue efforts for the 500,000 people thought affected on the island.

Thousands have been displaced from their homes by high tides in Indonesia.

The UK Foreign Office has set up an emergency helpline for those worried about relatives in the wake of the quake disaster - the number is 0207 008 0000