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Tidal wave displaces hundreds of thousands of families in Batticaloa – Amparai

As details start flowing in with the little improvement in the telephone service, it is learnt that nearly 54,000 families have been displaced in the Batticaloa-Amparai districts due to the tidal wave that struck the North-East coast on Sunday 26 December 2004. Death toll is reported to be around 6000 and thousands are reported missing. The displaced are temporarily accommodated in welfare centers located in schools and public buildings.

bodies recovered form Batticaloa

Relief and rescue operations are in full swing with the concerted and coordinated efforts of the District Secretaries, the Political Division of the LTTE, TRO, INGO’s, NGO’s and Civilian Based Organisations. About 515 bodies retrieved were brought to the Batticaloa district hospital yesterday and only 25 were identified. Several families have been swept away by the tidal waves completely and therefore identification becomes a difficult task.

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 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. CBOs in Batticaloa are concerned that no governmental assistance has yet reached Batticaloa and neither have any ministers visited Batticaloa. With the floating bodies underneath Kalladi bridge, it is feared that delay in quick removal would result in a serious health hazard.

28 December 2004

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