A spokesman of the Hong Kong government said Friday that the Thai authorities had confirmed the death of one more Hong Kong resident in the tsunami through the victim identification process, bringing the total number of Hong Kong residents reported to have died to 23.

Meanwhile, there remained 17 unlocated Hong Kong residents. All were reported to be in Thailand.

The Hong Kong government will continue to follow up outstanding cases and provide practical assistance to Hong Kong residents and their families where necessary, said the spokesman.

The Hong Kong Police have contacted relatives of missing Hong Kong residents to collect DNA samples for analysis on a voluntary basis. Analyzed DNA information as well as finger print records were sent to the Thai authorities through the appropriate channel for identification purpose.

Source: Xinhua