The Department of Foreign Affairs advised Irish tourists last night not to travel to the stricken areas of southern Asia. "Pending further clarification of the situation in the region, the Department advises against travel to the Maldives, eastern parts of Sri Lanka and the west coast of Thailand."
A spokesman for Twohigs Travel agency said all of its 150 customers in the region were accounted for. Several Irish tourists were moved yesterday from the devastated region of Phuket, western Thailand, to an alternative resort.
Mr Ed Burke, spokesman for Twohigs, said: "We were very quickly able to establish that all our people in Phuket and in the Maldives were safe. While a number of them have been moved to alternative accommodation, a number of the passengers will be coming home tomorrow."
Mr Burke said that, while many of his customers are couples, he was concerned about the high number of backpackers. "Many people who go backpacking often travel alone, making it hard to locate them at a time like this. Operating under the radar as they do, it could be some time before such people are found."
It emerged last night that two scheduled flights from London to southern Asia left empty to enable British and Irish tourists to return home early.
The Department of Foreign Affairs issued the following helpline numbers: 01 4082302, 01 4082876 and 01 4082308.