Six thousand said missing in Batticaloa
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 December 2004, 10:35 GMT]
More than 54,000 families have been displaced in the
Batticaloa-Amparai districts due to the tidal wave
that struck the North-East coast two days ago.
Information is meagre with little improvement in the
telephone service. TRO sources said that around six thousand are missing. The
displaced are temporarily accommodated in welfare
centers located in schools and public buildings.
Children killed by tsunami in Batticaloa.Seven hundred and twenty six bodies were brought to
the Batticaloa hospital until Monday afternoon. Only
five hundred and twenty three of these have been
identified by firends and relatives, doctors at the
Batticaloa teaching hospital said. More bodies are
being brought in every hour, according to them. However, three hundred and fifty bodies were cremated
at government expense before anyone could identify
them as these were putrefying. Many families have been swept away by the tidal waves
completely and therefore identification becomes a
difficult task. Following update is obtained from the LTTE Political Division in Batticaloa:
"In the Batticaloa district, the worst affected areas
are Kalladi, Navaladi, Mugaththuvaram, Dutch Bar,
Seelamunai and Navatkuda. The village of Navaladi has
been completely wiped out. Since Batticaloa hospital
is full of dead bodies and cannot accommodate any
more, the Divisional Secretaries have been advised to
instruct Grama Sevakas (village officials) to arrange
burial in the places where retrieval is done."
"It is reported that many of the hospital employees
have lost their kith and kin and therefore there is an
acute shortage of staff in the hospital. The medical
officers are engaged in round the clock services over
800 injured are being treated in the Batticaloa
hospital."
"It is reported that many of the state employees are
also dead crippling departmental activities.
Anaippanthy temple, Hindu College, Vivekanandha
Vidyalaya, Sivanantha Vidyalaya, Eastern University
and the Technical College are some of the public
buildings utilised to accommodate the refugees."
"Community groups in Batticaloa are concerned that no
governmental assistance has yet reached Batticaloa and
neither have any ministers visited the eastern
district. Bodies found floating underneath Kalladi
bridge, could cause a serious health hazard if there
is any delay in removal and disposal of the dead. "
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