18 Americans Known Dead in Tsunami, U.S. Says

The State Department reported Tuesday that 18 U.S. citizens had died in the southern Asia tsunami disaster in December, 15 were presumed dead and 18 were listed as missing.

The department received about 30,000 inquiries from relatives, friends and others about possible victims.

“We will not stop until we know everything we can know,” said Adam Ereli, the department’s deputy spokesman.

Of the known dead, 10 perished in Thailand and eight in Sri Lanka, Ereli said. Of the presumed dead, 14 were in Thailand and one in Sri Lanka.

There had to be “compelling evidence” to list an American as presumed dead, Ereli said, such as witnesses reporting that the person had suddenly disappeared when the waves struck.