Sri Lanka has dispatched some 25,000 soldiers and 10 helicopters Monday to coastal areas, which were lashed by Sunday's massive tidal waves triggered by a powerful earthquake in Indonesia, to deliver aid and rescue teams as the death toll has climbed to 4,813 and a million others displaced in the country.

The helicopters were dropping medicine and rescue teams to areas not accessible by land, while soldiers were to help the local people in their rescue work and maintain or

At least 4813 people dead in the huge tsunami triggered by the earthquake off Indonesia, 4013 in government controlled area, 800 in LTTE controlled area, the military source said Monday

In areas held by Tamil Tiger rebels, pro-rebel Web sites reported that at least 1,500 people were killed and many more missing.

The 8.7-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful one in four decades, struck just before 8:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, about 1,620 kilometers northwest of Jakarta, according to the Chinese State Seismological Bureau. It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks.

Massive tidal waves smashed coastal areas in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Bangladesh, leaving tens of thousands of people dead and millions of others displaced.

The death toll has climbed to over 12,000 by the press time Monday and is increasing as counting of bodies washed up on beaches is continuing while thousands were reported missing.

Tens of thousands fled the coasts for higher ground, fearing aftershocks and further flood surges.