Four Japanese, including three children, were confirmed dead in Thailand following the quake-induced catastrophe in the Indian Ocean. Government officials said Tuesday they expect the number of Japanese casualties to rise.

In Sri Lanka, bodies believed to be Japanese tourists were discovered in the flooded island country. Family members are rushing to disaster-hit countries to determine the whereabouts of their loved ones. And the central and local governments have received thousands of calls about missing Japanese in the tsunami-stricken regions.

The Foreign Ministry said four Japanese were confirmed dead in Thailand.

One of the victims was Kaito Yoshino, 8, who was swept away by the tsunami on Sunday during a family vacation at Khao Lak near the resort island of Phuket. Yoshino's father, Sadayuki, 41, the first secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Bangkok, was still missing Tuesday. The boy's body was identified by his mother.

Another fatality was a Japanese woman tentatively identified as Naoko Kakinoki, 27, of Fukuoka, who was in Phuket when the tidal wave hit. Her parents flew to Thailand on Tuesday to identify the body.

Two other Japanese children were killed in the disaster, according to the Foreign Ministry. Their identities were not released.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said family members would be flying to Sri Lanka to confirm the identities of seven bodies believed to be those of Japanese nationals on a tour organized by Tokyo-based travel agent Tairiku Ryoyu.

On Monday, the travel agent reported 12 of the 19 tour members missing, as well as the tour guide.

In the immediate aftermath of Sunday's earthquake-tsunami, the government reported 20 Japanese missing. But that figure was based largely on numbers from tourist agencies.

The actual figure is apparently much larger.

Foreign Ministry officials said about 2,000 inquiries had been received as of Tuesday morning from family members worried about relatives who were traveling in areas hit by the disasters. Municipal and prefectural governments were also receiving reports about Japanese visiting the stricken countries who have not been heard from.

According to prefectural governments, there are at least 52 other people from Japan whose whereabouts are unknown, including nine from Shizuoka Prefecture and five from Mie Prefecture.

Contact has been cut off with 29 foreign residents of Japan who were visiting the stricken areas, including three foreign-language assistants at high schools in Oita Prefecture.(IHT/Asahi: December 29,2004)