Tsunami official death toll hits 5000

Official death toll from the Tsunami waves that hit northeastern and southern coast of Sri Lanka Sunday morning was increased to 5000, Sri Lankan Defence Ministry sources to...

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 08:56 GMT]

Official death toll from the Tsunami waves that hit northeastern and southern coast of Sri Lanka Sunday morning was increased to 5000, Sri Lankan Defence Ministry sources told TamilNet. Government officials in the devastated eastern town Batticaloa said only about twenty five of more than thousand families in Navalady, a coastal suburb of Batticaloa, appear to have survived the massive waves.

At least 208 persons have died in Trincomale according to the district's Government Agent, Mr. M.D.A. Rodrigo. Hundreds of people are missing in many coastal villages of the east coast and there are few facilities to search for them or care for the wounded, local officials and relief workers said.

More than 1300 people have died in the East. Scores of bodies are floating in the near the shore and in the Batticaloa lagoon, residents said.

Nilaveli, Sambaltheevu, Linganagar, Kuchchaveli, Pulmoddai, Kinniya and Mutur are among the villages that were severely hit in Trincomalee district, according to the GA of the eastern district.

Mullaitivu district is also badly affected. Officials say that many parts of the district are still inaccessible and it was difficult to provide damage estimates or death tolls there.

Around 200 bodies are brought to Kilinochchi Hospital from both Vadamaradchi East and Mullaitivu. Around 1600 severely injured persons from Mullaitivu and Vadamaradchy East have also been admitted to the Kilinochchi hospital, according to sources.

Meanwhile civil sources in Jaffna District said that they feared around 100 have died in Jaffna district. Civil sources in Mullaitivu District also report heavy losses along the coast.

Kaddaikadu, Uduthurai, Aaliyawalai, Chempianpattu, Maruthankerni, Vettilaikerni villages in Vadamaradchy East are severely affected by flash flooding. More than 1000 people are reported missing in these villages.

Sea Tigers wing of Liberation Tigers, Officers of Tamileelam police and volunteers from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) are attending to the immediate urgent needs of the affected public.

Sri Lanka declared a state of National Disaster, according to the Presidential Secretariat. Meanwhile, reports from the southern parts of Sri Lanka said that more than 250 are dead. Two hundred bodies have been brought to the Galle Hospital, according to reports. Seventy bodies of persons killed by the waves were brought to the government hospital in Tangalle on Sri Lanka's southern coast, Police said.