2nd lead:

Wave toll increases in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 21:19 GMT]
More than 1000 people feared dead in Batticaloa district and around 800 are feared dead in Trincomalee, civil sources in the east said. TRO sources in Kilinochchi said that they feared around 2000 were dead in Mullaitivu district and around 1000 in Jaffna district. 500 bodies have been placed in Thalaiadi hospital in Jaffna's southeastern coast, and 75 bodies have been taken to Kilinochchi hospital. TRO volunteers are searching for bodies under debris of destroyed buildings.

While Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai bore the main assault from tsunami waves, Jaffna and Vadamaradchy East coastal villages were not spared.

300 bodies were brought to Vidyananda College at Mullaiyawalai in Mullaitivu district and Puthukudiyiruppu hospital has about 250 bodies, most of them small children, women or old people. Bodies had deep wounds and bruises. Most houses have been razed to the ground in areas in Mullaitivu district where the waves struck with force. TRO officials estimate the death toll in Mullaitivu to be about 2000.

In Vadamaratchi East in Jaffna district the villages, Kaddaikadu, Vetilaikerni, Aliyavalai, Vathirayan, Thalaiadi, and Sempianpattu have been severely affected. TRO officials estimate the total number of people killed in the tidal wave to be about 1000. About 1000 families have been evacuated to Palai fearing further tidal waves, TRO sources told TamilNet.

In Jaffna peninsula Kudathanai, Keerimalai, Point pedro, Suparmadam, Valvettithurai, Neduntheevu, Karai nagar have been affected. 162 bodies were recovered in Jaffna and in Keerimalai 17 who attended a funeral ceremony have been reportedly drowned inside receding tsunami waves, Tamil Rehabilitation Organization officials participating in the relief effort told TamilNet.

TRO officials say this number may rise when the debris is fully cleared.