News In Brief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Tigers killed 8 Sri Lankan soldiers today. Poor conditions are allowing disease to spread in Thenmaradchi.

Tigers kill 8 soldiers, wound seven

The Liberation Tigers attacked a detachment of the Sri Lankan army at the Murunkan police station today, killing five soldiers and wounding seven.

The army detachment had been stationed at Murunkan police after it was overrun by the Tigers only last week.

A route clearing patrol of the Sri Lankan army on the Welikanda -valaichenai road (to Batticaloa) was also attacked this morning by the LTTE.

In this attack, three SLA personnel including an officer were killed. The Tigers recovered weapons and a communications set dropped by the dead and other soldiers who fled the scene of the attack.

Poor conditions breed disease in Thenmaradchi

3236 people were treated for Malaria at the Chavakachcheri hospital between January and September 1997, hospital records revealed.

These were detected from blood tests among the 8155 people who came to the hospital with fever during this period. 284 patients were afflicted with brain fever and five with chronic malaria.

The situation is attributed to the decaying sanitary conditions in Thenmaradchi and the arrival of some people from the Vanni.

Despite promises, the anti-Malaria section of the Chavakachcheri hospital is yet to be provided the basic facilities to fight the spread of the disease - particularly in view of the monsoons that have just begun.