Private donations to help victims of the Asian tsunami are soaring in Europe, rivaling and in some cases exceeding government contributions.
In Sweden, a series of telethons Saturday pushed private donations above the $60-million dollar mark. Relief agencies called it a record for the nation, which may have lost more citizens in the disaster than any other in Europe.
The British public had contributed about $115-million by Saturday -- nearly $20-million more than its government.
Private donations in Germany were running above 40 million dollars -- more than the German government has pledged so far. An aid official told the French news agency it was one of the largest donations of its type in Germany.