The toll in Sunday's devastating tsunami has risen to 4,500 in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, official sources said.
Unconfirmed reports, however, put the toll at over 5,500.
In Nagapattinam alone, more than 2,500 people have died. Over 500 bodies have been recovered from Velankanni.
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Water levels have receded in many places in low-lying areas of coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, helping relief workers to speed up operations.
At Nagapattinam, volunteers are helping the local administration in relief work. Army and Indian Air Force helicopters are also assisting local officials.
Mass burials are taking place in many of the affected areas.
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