"It was certainly a miraculous survival," he said.
Rizal, who subsisted mainly on rainwater, was weak and in shock, Arukiasamy said. He would be rushed for medical treatment when the ship arrived in Malaysia's western harbor early today.
Leaders from stricken nations and world donors geared up to meet in Indonesia to coordinate their US$2 billion global relief operation. They will also discuss a plan to set up an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system.
Japan was also preparing to send soldiers and aircraft to the disaster zone, and a 20-member military team left yesterday to study the needs in the region. Defense chief Yoshinori Ono sent an order to all forces yesterday to ready medical care and other aid.
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