China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Saturday that the death toll of Hong Kong tsunami victims may rise to four.

HKSAR Deputy Secretary for Security Michael Wong said at a press conference that a Hong Kong woman in a hospital in the Thai resort of Phuket reported that her husband and son had both died of the tsunami.

Wong said the government will verify the fact. If confirmed, the death toll of Hong Kong tsunami victims will rise to four.

Two Hong Kong men were previously reported to be dead of the tsunami, both in the Thai resort of Phuket.

He said by 12:00 Saturday, 109 Hong Kong residents were reported to have lost contact with their families in Hong Kong, of whom 74 are tourists to Thailand, six to Sri Lanka, and 11 to Indonesia.

Wong said the 160-strong HKSAR relief team has been helping Hong Kong residents trapped in tsunami-hit Thailand and Sri Lanka.

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2005)