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 also 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 also 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.
Sri Lanka: 1,000 dead
India: 1,000 dead
Thailand: 55 dead
Indonesia: 150 dead
Malaysia: 7 dead
