MALE, Maldives (26 Dec 2004) -- The giant tsunami that devastated coastal areas in Asia has killed at least 43 in the Maldives archipelago where beachfront bungalows have been washed away. Officials in the Maldives told CDNN that 43 people are confirmed dead and at least 50 are missing. The death toll is expected to rise as information comes in from tourist resorts on outer atolls where communications have been completely cut off. Two thirds of Male, the nation's capital, is underwater and the international airport has been closed, stranding hundreds of tourists. Renowned as one of the world's best scuba diving destinations, the republic of Maldives is a nation of 1,192 tiny low-lying coral islands scattered some 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator in the Indian Ocean. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK | 
