GENEVA, Jan 1: The first signs of potentially deadly diseases are threatening survivors in areas hit by killer tidal waves in Asia, the World Health Organisation said on Saturday.

"There are increasing reports of diarrhoeal disease outbreaks coming from displaced persons' settlements in Sri Lanka, in India," David Nabarro, the top official at the Geneva-based WHO dealing with humanitarian crises, told reporters.

However he said these initial signs were not cause for alarm, though preventive measures and treatments must continue.

"They are not causing us alarm because we expect this," he said. "What we need to do is to make sure that we continue to distribute all rehydration salts and treatment for diarrhea and we continue to do our work in sanitation and water supplies," Nabarro added.

On Saturday the death toll from the catastrophe was edging towards 126,000 but the United Nations has warned that the numbers killed by the wall of water could rise to 150,000.

"At the moment, the international operation is incredibly strong and it's getting relief to airports, to depots at district level and we have distribution starting and pretty well going in much of Sri Lanka," Nabarro said.

But he added: "It needs a few more days before we can state that we are confident that we've been able to avoid major outbreaks of disease."

On Tuesday, Nabarro had warned that disease could kill as many people in devastated areas as the tidal waves themselves unless emergency aid reached the region within weeks.

But he highlighted to reporters on Saturday that these comments were made when the death toll was less than 50,000. -AFP