Absentees traced: Deputy Secretary for Education & Manpower YC Cheng (left) says reports of 58 uncontacted students from 26 schools have been passed to the Security Bureau to follow-up. At right is Deputy Secretary for Security Michael Wong.

The number of Hong Kong residents known to be killed following the tsunamis remains at eight, Deputy Secretary for Security Michael Wong says, adding the Government is now verifying a media report about the death of a French family of three.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Wong said they have contacted the source of the report and verification is in progress as the report concerned was relayed by colleagues, not the relatives of the family.

As at noon today, five Hong Kong residents are known to be in hospital in Thailand, including a French couple and a Filipino girl in Phuket and two British nationals in Bangkok.

Mr Wong said following the earlier appeal to employers, eight employees have been reported missing after the holidays. Of them, three were later confirmed safe while five were being followed up.

58 students from 26 schools cannot be contacted

Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower YC Cheng said that by 3pm today, the number of schools with reports of missing teachers and students remained unchanged at eight, who report one teacher and eight students missing.

There are still 58 students from 26 schools who cannot be contacted, and these cases have been passed to Security Bureau to follow-up.

Mr Cheng said the Education & Manpower Bureau has sent educational psychologists and school development officers to seven schools today to offer assistance. 

70 residents cannot be reached

At noon today, 70 Hong Kong residents still could not be reached. Of them, 33 were reported to be in Thailand, two in Malaysia, 10 in Indonesia and 25 in other places.

Mr Wong reiterated there were no Hong Kong residents known to be in Sri Lanka or the Maldives.

Meanwhile, 549 people were reportedly stranded in the affected areas. The number dropped 321 from yesterday because many have either been contacted or returned to Hong Kong. The Government is now following up on the remaining reports.

16 families provide DNA samples

Mr Wong said up to 4pm today, 16 families have agreed to provide DNA samples and Police have taken samples, including oral swabs and hair, from nine families in Hong Kong and four in Phuket. The others will be collected in due course.

He said families concerned can go to the Central Police Station in Arsenal Street if they are willing and ready to provide samples.

The families can also call 2829 3010 if they have questions.

Mr Wong said as the situation in Thailand starts to stabilise and the need for the team's service is decreasing, its service and manpower will be scaled down.

He said starting tomorrow, the team will provide counter service at Bangkok and Phuket airports during busy hours only and they will only remain in Phuket hospitals where there are Hong Kong residents.

Mr Wong said Hong Kong police at Phuket will continue to take DNA samples for concerned families upon request, as the Thai police have taken up all the dead-body handling work.

He added a detailed adjustment of the team's manpower will be announced tomorrow.

At present, families of 21 affected citizens had agreed to disclose their relatives' information. The details have been uploaded onto the Immigration Department's Tsunami help info webpage.

$17.5m Gov't donation

Mr Wong said the Disaster Relief Fund will donate $3.5 million to Red Cross for relief work in Sri Lanka. Together with earlier donations to Oxfam Hong Kong and Worldvision Hong Kong, the fund has donated a total of $17.5 million to tsunami-affected areas.