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Tribal extinction in the Andamans?

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among the hardest hit locations as a result of Sunday's earthquake and tsunami, being close to the epicentre of some of the quakes. There are fears that some or all of the races indigenous to the archipelago, namely the Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas, Sentinelese and Shompens, may have been wiped out entirely.

Wednesday afternoon however, India's Union Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the Ongi people had escaped to higher ground and were safe, and that some Sentinelese and Jarawas were known to have survived. Further information of course is still very very sketchy.

The Indian government website of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has information about the indigenous tribes. See also this ANI report on the Union Defence Minister's comments.