A total of 1,137 South Africans were still unaccounted for after last week's tsunami disaster in South East Asia, the South African government said on Monday.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said that those people were thought to have been in the area but have not been in contact with anybody since the event.

However, he added, this did not mean they were missing.

About 16 South Africans were feared dead after family members or friends who were with them at the time the tsunami struck were unable to trace them.

There was still no information about two South Africans confirmed dead earlier. Their deaths brought the number of South African victims to seven.

Pahad said a total of 1,820 South Africans who were in the areaat that time had been located.

He urged others who had not yet contacted their families or their local missions to do so urgently.