Spotlight

Tidal horror

With the  first reports of the tsunami wrecking havoc along the coast, The Sunday Leader's Amantha Perera followed the carnage. He travelled to Trincomalee, Batticaloa, along the south-eastern coast getting close to the  devastated Kalmunai, and along the southern coast down to Galle.   .....

More...

> The disaster mismanagement 

> State media at odds with govt. over tsunami

> Planets speak of winds of change

> Aid in abundance but distribution poor

> Regional toll of bloody Sunday

> All are equal before the surge

> Hospitals pushed to the limit

> Keep the aid coming - Ministry

> Key ministers out when tragedy struck

> Sea of tears...

> Orlantha Ambrose - on a sad note

> "My wife and sons were hanging on a fan" - Commander Sudarman Silva

> Those who lived to tell the tale...

> Orphaned kids at risk of being kidnapped

> A sixth sense

> Chaos in prisons 

Tidal horror

With the  first reports of the tsunami wrecking havoc along the coast, The Sunday Leader's Amantha Perera followed the carnage. He travelled to Trincomalee, Batticaloa, along the south-eastern coast getting close to the  devastated Kalmunai, and along the southern coast down to Galle.   

It was 9.30 am on Boxing Day and Kelum Mendis thought it was going to be just another lazy holiday Sunday. He was relaxing at his house at Kosgoda right on the beach.

Kapila was tending to household work in her cadjan hut at Kinniya, south of Trincomalee. Despite the holiday her husband had left in his boat to fish. Business owner Z M Fahim in Galle had a very practical problem to solve. One of his cooks working at his restaurant was on leave. He asked his wife to cut brinjals at the restaurant located  in Galle town and went looking for a replacement.

German tourist Ralf Schimiedieke was just sitting down for breakfast with his friend at the resort hotel he was holidaying in, near Galle. He had arrived two days before for a two week holiday. Like Schimiedieke other tourists local as well as foreign were sitting down for breakfast at the Nilaveli Beach Hotel, at Nilaveli, north of Trincomalee. The air was lazy and hangovers were many.

The Matara bound train from Colombo had just passed Kahawa and was heading southwards, when all of a sudden sea water seeped up to the railway track, lying about 100  meters from the shore. The breaking waves had pushed a lorry into the rear compartments of the train that was halted on the tracks. Kanthi a resident in  a two storied house nearby was watching the train stop after the lorry rammed. Within the next 15 to 20 minutes the lives of all of them and the rest of Sri Lanka would change irreversibly.

Massive quake

Hours before, a magnitude 9 underwater earthquake was detected by the US Geological Survey  off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The quake that was located at a depth of 10 km from a distance of 250km from the Sumatran coast would not stop at just a shake of the ocean floor.  Waves created by the shock thundered across the ocean towards land.

Mendis saw his anchored boat sway in the water after the first wave hit the southern coast of Sri Lanka. He immediately reached the boat to secure it. He screamed at his sister to get indoors but to no avail. "She didn't listen," he later recalled sitting in front of what was left of his house.

Kapila never felt the first wave, some diners at Nilaveli did but did not take much note. Schimiedieke never noticed any thing amiss, Fahim's wife was still engaged in replacing the cook.

At Kahawa however, panicked residents living along the beach had gotten into the stopped carriages as a precaution against what they suspected was an abnormal wave break.

Mendis had just tied his boat and reached the shore when the ocean thundered and roared in anger like never before. Thirty foot waves barrelled down on the coast. He was swept away by the wave which destroyed three properties owned by his family. He however was able to grab on to a coconut tree and hold on to dear life.

But his mother and sister were not that lucky. As Mendis watched in horror, the two were swept away by the  waves that reached almost up to the roof of his house. "What can I do, the waves were so powerful, there was nothing I could do," Mendis later recalled tears swelling in his eyes.

Second wave

Kapila heard the thunderous noise of the second large wave breaking and ran out of her house with her daughter. When she saw the size and force of the waves crushing the huts in front of her own  she ran. For the next two days she was running, away from the destruction and life as had known till Sunday, December 26, 9.45 am in the morning. A day later she reached a refugee centre near Kantale 40 km from Trincomalee with her daughter with only the clothes on her body as her sole possession.

Her husband had disappeared with the wave. "I don't know where he is, there was no sign of him after the waves."

At Nilaveli, the new manager only three days at his post felt something was amiss when one of the staff members ran at full speed right through the dining area. Almost immediately another colleague followed and thereafter it was a stampede when the breaking waves crashed in. The resort was shattered beyond repair with vehicles parked in the premises ending up wedged between trees.

Fahim's wife was one of the few lucky ones. She heard people running screaming "Muhuda godda galanoo,"  and joined in, with the sweeping waters following them along the alley ways. "She was running, and the water was following, and she was running" Fahim later said only half-jokingly.

The tsunami destroyed his restaurant and Fahim changed jobs two days later and turned himself into a body scavenger hunting for dead bodies in Galle town. "On Tuesday I took out 32 bodies," he said.  As he spoke a three-day old  corpse was rotting under a lorry carriage nearby. The  death toll from the tragedy kept on increasing as bodies kept on appearing when water receded and the rubble was taken away.

At Kahawa, 1500 people now in the 10 carriages were sitting ducks in the face of  the crashing waves. They would have been ferocious judging by the destruction. Waves crashed through a row of houses between the rail track and the sea flattening all of them and hit the train at tremendous strength. The locomotive and the carriages were thrown about like toy cars by the waves crushing and suffocating those inside.

Nature's fury

Kanthi ran upstairs and watched in horror as nature's fury erupted all around her. "I will never go to the sea or take the train hereafter," she said three days later.

As she spoke Ven Baddegama Samitha Thero had joined with Air Force personnel to retrieve the bodies from the wreck. Traditionally monks would not touch corpses. But Ven Samitha dressed in surgical gloves and mask  was getting into the carriages and removing the bodies. One of his junior monks was seen even helping to carry away the bodies.

"This is a health disaster waiting to happen, with so many dead bodies around. We don't need food and water, first we need to take care of the health issues. That is why I am doing this," Ven Samitha told The Sunday Leader at the site of the carnage. He had helped recover more than 300 bodies from the wreckage.

Schimiedieke in the meantime had not felt anything but when he saw guests and staff running away came out to see what was amiss. By then the waves had destroyed rows of hotels along the Hikkaduwa beach. Boats anchored in the sea were later found lodged inside lobbies and along the road. 

Schimiedieke however decided against leaving the island as many tourists did after the disaster. Instead he took a wrenching iron in his hand got to work cleaning up the mess at a German national's house located by the side of  the Galle Road. He met the owner's son in the lobby of his hotel after the tsunami and decided to help out. "I had two days of sun and sand. This will be my holiday till I leave now," he said holding blocks of concrete wall. He said that once the repair work is finished at the German's house he will lend a helping hand to others around. "It is better than living in a tent city for foreigners in Colombo and then leaving," he said referring to the waiting centres created for tourists in Colombo.

Massive scale

Horror stories abound after the tragedy the scale of which the country has  never seen before. S M Roshan another refugee fleeing to Horowpathana from Kuchuveli in Trincomalee spoke of 20 foot waves crashing down, and slamming boats on the shore. "Go to the Nilaveli resort and see. You will find cars on trees," he said detecting the scepticism. And just as he had predicted there were cars perched on trees.

Along the devastated beach in Trincomalee residents standing on top of the rubble spoke of divine retribution. In Batticaloa villagers recalled how the sea had divided into two evoking  Biblical  imagery.

On the south eastern coast Kalmunai had suffered the worst damage. The roads had been rendered inaccessible and a bridge on the Batticaloa - Kalmunia road was wrecked leaving supply lines open from only through Amparai. Two thousand five hundred were feared dead in the town.

"There is no Kalmunai," said S Farook waiting to get to Kalmunai to look for missing relatives. He was taking the route through LTTE held areas and crossed the Batticaloa lagoon on a ferry at Kaurrukallamadu south of Kathankudy.

"There are bodies all over," said Meera Mohideen waiting alongside Farook to get the van they were travelling in on to the ferry.

At Allayadichole just off Batticaloa main town, bodies kept coming to mass graves dug by soldiers. In six graves 335 bodies were dumped in white polythene bags. The badly decomposed corpses were photographed for future reference and buried without any recognition.

Worst hit

The worst hit areas appeared to be from the eastern Mullaithivu coast all the way to Payagala on the southern coast where the railway station was torn down by the waves. Most of the damage north and south of Colombo appeared  cosmetic compared to the horrifying mayhem visible elsewhere.

Many Sri Lankans always felt that they knew devastation. Few could be blamed for such an attitude given the horrific 20 years of ethnic fratricide. Not even two decades of carnage, though  could have trained them to deal with what the  angry ocean left in its aftermath last week, in matter of mere 15 minutes.

The devastation did not take hours, it took only minutes. What had started off at 9.45 was over by 10 am and the entire nation was in shock 

The most remarkable nature of the devastation left by the tsunami was the indication of the supreme power that it held.

Buildings were torn apart. Locomotives and carriages had been thrown about as if they were made of paper. Fishing trawlers ended perched on top of one another and swept several miles inland.  In Vakaneri, boats were smashed against the rail track several miles from their normal anchoring locations. Bewildered owners and on-lookers kept staring at the site of a large fishing boat swept on to a 20 feet high boulder barrier near Ahungalla. No one could even fathom the force capable of such raw power.

The devastation did not take hours, it took only minutes. What had started off at 9.45 was over by 10 am and the entire nation was in shock. In Mankerni and Panichchankerni shocked and stunned fisher-folk living along the coast were helped by the army stationed in the area. Their houses had been totally smashed and livelihoods destroyed. Food and water were first provided by the security forces. The villages, all Tamil then walked towards safety, into the neighbouring Vakaneri area predominantly Muslim.

Tension between the two ethnic groups has been high ever since the racial riots in June 2002 at nearby Valachchenai.

However, they were welcomed and taken care of by the Muslims. "These are just people who ran away when the sea came into their village. It does not matter whether they are Tamil or Muslim. They are all people" S. H. Rafique who was spearheading the relief operation at a mosque near Vakaneri said. Almost 300 people including women and children were in his charge.

No professional

But Rafique is no trained disaster management professional, he is the  thaliwar (head) of the mosque and was looking after the needs of the displaced with the help of donations from businessmen from Ottamavadi and relief coming in from outside. "I can take care of their daily needs but I am not a doctor and no one has come here to asses the health needs," Rafique said. The situation was similar all over the devastated coast.

The goodwill of the nation was misguided, at least during the first few days after the tragedy  because the authorities were late matching up to the public outpouring of help. There was no proper mechanism to assess the damage and the needs. Disaster management was left in hands of  citizens like Rafique good hearted but in desperate need of instructions.

The only immediate reaction from local level authorities was to use public address systems tied to vehicles announcing those living along the coast to evacuate and inform that there were relief centres set up at schools.

Kapila from Kinnya in Trincomalee who lost her husband in the tragedy travelled 40 km to Kanatale to reach such a centre because she heard the announcement. There was no transport provided by any authority and Kapila and her daughter hitched a ride in an open lorry with some other refugees.

Arriving at the centre a day after the tsunami a stunned and exhausted Kapila walked in to see others like her cooking meals on open fires. There was no official to register with and there was no health officer to think of. Three hundred refugees were left living on their own at a school expecting handouts from any body.

S M Roshan's story was similar. From Kuchveli in Trincomalee he was travelling to Horowpathana in the North Central Province. "You are the first outsiders to speak to us," he said a day after the disaster. Their houses and boats had been destroyed and they were left to fend for themselves. Roshan and the rest in his group had decided to seek the comfort of relatives living hundred miles away rather than wait for assistance that seemed woefully late in arriving.

In Batticaloa, the mounting bodies left hospital authorities with a disposal problem similar to other decimated locations. A day after the tsunami mass graves were dug near the lagoon at  Allayadichole and bodies in white plastic bags were dumped in heaps. The only remaining memory of the dead was a photograph of the badly decomposing corpse.

Mounting toll

IRCR officials who were transporting the bodies were bringing them in open pick up trucks and tractor tailors. "We put them in and shut, no problems," said Police Inspector V Sadanandan who was in charge of internment rights while soldiers in shorts dug yet another grave.

In the Tamil and Muslim dominated east there was a sense that that government was channelling assistance to the Sinhala dominated south which proved baseless. The official reaction to the tragedy was pathetically inadequate without any race or geographical discrimination.

"Whatever international donors are giving, they should give to the NGOs working here and not the government," LTTE political head for Batticaloa Anupmaran said adding that the Tigers had mobilised their military units for the relief efforts. Velupillai Pirapaharan appealed to international agencies direct to help the Tiger relief  effort.

In Galle private citizens joined in the clean up effort  voluntarily.  Z M Fahim the businessman was one such volunteer. A day after lending his hand Fahim walked off home dejected. While authorities were keener in totally cleaning up the rubble at the city centre that had drawn much media  attention, bodies were rotting in alleys still blocked with sea water.

"They (local officials) are sweeping the municipality compound when there are still bodies here," Fahim said. Debris though,  was an attraction for scavengers who picked through the rubble and destroyed stores looking for meagre pickings.

Near the destroyed Galle Police Quarters, a father stopped his bicycle and asked his little son to go look for a backpack. "Go, go, get one," he insisted, to the shy child. The racks of the pavement hawkers had been destroyed along with the quarters and their goods were strewn all over. One police officer was exclaiming to all to get out while another was instructing the pickers to take whatever they can before the clean up vehicles working 10 feet away approached.

There were no reports of mass looting but all over the coast  the scene at the Galle Police Station was repeated. Just beside the Galle bus stand, while crews were removing overturned buses and three day old bodies, others were picking through a mound of clothes.

There is no denial that Sri Lankans united in the time of tragedy. In the morning of December 27, barely 24 hrs after the waves struck, farmers, local businessmen, teachers were banding together on small farm tractors going around Melsiripura in Kurunegala appealing for help. "We don't care where these go to, its all for our people," the collectors said. The local temples had networked together to channel the collections outside.

Lack of coordination

Private aid convoys were heading towards the disaster areas even before government officials woke up to the enormity of the death toll. Though in some cases the lorries were half full with curious youth hitching a ride to see the mayhem. But the bigger problem was the lack of coordination at national level and at a very micro level in distributing. Some lorries were arriving in Galle with home-bottled water in used soft drink bottles, when the water could just as well be provided from two miles inland, from areas left untouched by the tsunami.

A mile from Galle destitute families were stopping aid convoys grabbing at whatever they could. Riots by angry refugees was a very real possibility along the Galle Road on Wednesday.

"We need to be much more methodical in this, this cannot get down to all out lunacy," Ven Baddegama Samitha Thero said through a surgical mask while leading the retrieval of bodies at the train wreck.

"They are only interested in getting the city centre clean, while five minutes from town it's a massive sewage with rotting bodies," Fahim said. He was not far off the mark with some outlying areas of Galle looking just that three days after the tsunami.

Officers of the security forces inducted into the disaster area confessed that they did not have any training in handling a disaster of the  tsunami magnitude.

The government reaction was similar to the manner in which the then-government reacted to floods in Ratnapura in June 2003, then as now there was a lot of chatter but very little else on ground. Unfortunately it was Ratnapura into the power of 1000 this time around.

 Sri Lanka no longer safe from earthquakes 

The disaster mismanagement

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti 

With the government allocating Rs.135.5 million to provide relief to the tsunami victims and undertaking a massive reconstruction and rehabilitation drive, the pertinent question to raise in the aftermath of the devastation is why Sri Lanka, an island nation was caught so ill-prepared to deal with the catastrophe.

The post disaster management programme of the government launched by President Chandrika Kumaratunga is her second attempt at disaster mitigation. The first was when she undertook the subject of disaster management under her wing following a political tussle with UNP Minister Sarathchandra Rajakaruna in 2003 and appointed a Disaster Management Unit at the Presidential Secretariat.

Bill on disaster management

However, none of the Presidential Secretariat officials were willing to make a comment on how prepared the first committee was when the tragedy struck the nation, but Kumaratunga upon return immediately appointed a Special Task Force, 15 district co-ordination units and an apex body, National Relief Operations Unit (NROU).

While it is apparent that the entire South Asia was not aware of the impending disaster, needless to say that the UPFA government was caught napping when the nation was struck by the killer tide - and this despite a UNP drafted bill on disaster management pending before the cabinet when the new government came in.

According to former Presidential Secretary, K. H. J. Wijedasa, the bill was  drafted following the May 2003 floods that were the worst experienced in 50 years.

"It transpired that legal and institutional frameworks fell far below expectations to deal with a massive natural disaster, and hence experts were called into create something that would have made Sri Lanka a well prepared nation," says Wijedasa.

Yet, when Kumaratunga chaired the first meeting following the tsunami terror, The Sunday Leader learns that she was unaware of the said bill's existence until the UNP members present drew her attention to it.

A UNP working committee member said that the least Kumaratunga could have done was to call for the pending cabinet papers as she took over and that the draft could have provided her a few clues on managing a catastrophe of this magnitude. "We suggest that she at least digs that up until the UPFA prepares its own," the source added.

No longer safe

Besides the UNP's attempt to have some disaster mitigation programme put in place, there have been many signs that should have sent alarm bells ringing in this land of lotus eaters.

It has been predicted by local and foreign geologists that Sri Lanka was no longer safe from earthquakes. A recent research conducted by a scientist from Doherty University, US, James Cochran has predicted "a new plate phenomenon" developing in south of Sri Lanka.

The above view has been supported by Senior Geologist, University of Peradeniya, C. B. Dissanayake who warns that Sri Lanka is no longer safe from earthquakes as a new plate boundary was being formed south of the island.

"Located inside the Indo-Australian plate, it is breaking up right near the south of Sri Lanka. The geological change may cause earthquakes," he says, a warning he has repeated before.

However, it would appear hilarious, if not tragic to have the Tsunami Warning System (TWS) officials on record saying that they had no idea as to who should be informed of the impending disaster in Sri Lanka, as they knew the wave action was moving in this direction.

The Indian Ocean has no warning system in place and Sri Lanka and the neighbouring countries would have had more than two hours of warning, if such a system existed. It is needless to mention the difference it could have made.

No way to detect

Besides the warnings, what transpires is that Sri Lanka did have some facility to detect the vibration - a facility that is completely unutilised despite having a direct connection to California's seismic monitoring facility. The earthquake detection center in Pallekele moans of equipment damage - something that the authorities should have addressed long before the waves hit the Sri Lankan shores. The other complaint is that while earthquakes could be detected, the detection of a tidal wave may have been beyond their capacity.

Naturally, when the 9.0 earthquake at 6.58 hours at the epicenter (and in Sri Lanka) led to a sequence of 15 other quakes directly across the Andaman islands, the nation was caught unawares.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center detected the earthquake and after 15 minutes issued a communiqu to the Pacific islands announcing that there were no threats to the region. But South Asia as at December 31 has been devastated with a death toll of 124,000 and counting.

However, what is significant to note is that whether the TWS informed the island or not, the precise point of the earthquake had been located and its magnitude estimated. The TWS has also detected an earthquake almost every hour that day. The information was available on the internet and could have been picked by anyone, only if there was some rudimentary monitoring mechanism further in place. Instead, there was no officer on duty in Pallekele - the only place that could have made the detection.

When questioned, Social Services Minister, Sumedha Jayasena spoke of the massive flow of aid and the immediate allocation of Rs. 135.5 million for relief measures.

Jayasena told The Sunday Leader that an inter ministerial committee had been set up by Kumaratunga to co-ordinate and streamline relief distribution along with co-ordinating units in 15 tsunami ravaged districts.

A member of the Disaster Management Council, presently headed by the President said that an early warning system is a must and that a new physical plan of cities could be formulated using the opportunity.

"It may appear unkind, but some of the destroyed dwellings are unauthorised. The government has decided to relocate those who live in areas that have been identified by the geologists as being disaster prone on a regular basis. Also, in the coastal areas, structures should be put up at least one kilometre inland from the shoreline," he explained.

When questioned whether the unit would have direct links to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) and the Meteorological Department, his answer was that plans have not advanced to that extent.

Meanwhile, it is learned that following the devastating 1978 cyclone, dozens of Sri Lankans have been trained overseas in disaster management and their services are currently unutilised. When questioned, Minister Jayasena said that she was unaware of such persons and would like to have them serving the government as resource personnel at this crucial juncture.

Helping the nation

Further, several environmentalists are urging the managers of the post disaster situation that the action plan should necessarily address the issue of protecting natural barriers such as reefs, mangroves and the coastal vegetation. "Bangladesh has an excellent disasters management programme and have plans to protect their natural barriers. This catastrophe shows that we no longer can exploit the land and the sea and expect to be safe," they claim.

The government's approach has been to set up yet another task force, but a week after the disaster, the government's relief programme has proved futile, according to information received. "There are too many co-ordiantors and there is no center that knows what goes on where. The same places are visited by relief teams and those who have already received relief are receiving more assistance while some do not get anything," a volunteer of the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) told The Sunday Leader.

In this backdrop, the main opposition UNP is ready to call for a cabinet sub committee on disaster mitigation and an all-party initiative to approach the subject.

With the authorities being caught napping and assistance not reaching the needy in a systematic manner, it is time that politicking is pushed aside to help a disaster struck nation.

State media at odds with govt. over tsunami

By Easwaran Rutnam

The government and the state media were at odds last week after the Daily News reported it had issued a warning of a possible earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

The differences arose after the Daily News of December 21 carried a headline story quoting a professor at the Peradeniya University and the Director of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) as saying the increase in tremors experienced in the country prior to the disaster could lead to something big.

However, President Chandrika Kumaratunga said at a press conference last week there was no way to predict when an earthquake or a tsunami will occur.

However, in the Daily News report on December 21, GSMB Director, Sarath Weerawarnakula did not mention anything about a possible tsunami.

The US Geological Research Centre says the danger of a tsunami results only if the earthquake measures more than 7 on the Richter scale.

On Monday (27), a day after the tsunami devastated the country, the Daily News decided to go to town saying, "We told you so." Even at a time when the whole country was shattered, the paper looked to gain some credit by indicating they knew something like this was about to happen.

With President Kumaratunga saying there was no way to predict an earthquake or a tsunami, she had made the state media look like fools.

The question of course arises why the President did not heed the warning given by the Daily News which going by the report, could have saved thousands of lives.

When contacted by The Sunday Leader, Secretary, Public Security Law and Order Ministry, Thilak Ranaviraja said he was not aware of such a report in The Daily News.

Planets speak of winds of change

By Ranee Mohamed 

Piyasena Rathuvithana, an astrologer renowned for even being able to speak of past births said that when Saturn moves into Gemini, there will always be some change on earth. "This is scheduled to happen on January 14 and each time this has happened, records show major calamities or changes on earth. This usually happens close to the Palawaka or the Mase Poya where one experiences the powers or the effects of the moon," pointed out Rathuvithana.

According to astrologers who have been dealing with the stars and planets for decades, earthquakes, climatic changes are on the cards for Sri Lanka in the early part of this year.

"I have predicted maraka apala (almost death) for Sri Lanka. I have cautioned against floods and other natural calamities in the Subasetha of November 12," said Haripriya Gunasekera, an astrologer for 40 years.

"I have predicted that it is going to be a bad period for fishermen and I am predicting today that on January 5 and 9 bad happenings are indicated for and in Sri Lanka. I wish to point out that a natural calamity may happen between January 22 to 30," said Gunasekera

"The vayu mandalaya, the agni mandala are planetary positions and the vayu mandala shows obstacles through the wind. Of the nine planets, eight indicate vayu neketh. It has been pointed out in the fourth chapter of the Varahamira that there may be broadening of the mountains, the trees and the waterways below. These will have repercussions as they will tend to knock over the earth and throw themselves on the earth itself," pointed out Gunasekera.

President, Astrological Centre, Jayasekera Hettiarachchi, said however that the effects on man itself may not be as hard as it was with the tsunami. "These will be ordinary incidents that happen all over the world. There is lightening, thunder and natural calamities, but what should concern us is when it happens in a way that will threaten and take away human life," pointed out Hettiarachchi.

Hettiarachchci, an astrologer for four decades said that there certainly will be more natural calamities during this period, but their effects will not be felt so badly this time.

G.M. Gunapala an astrological columnist who is known for his accurate predictions said that there will be no more tsunamis in the near future. "There may be small earthquakes and changes in weather, but as for another tsunami, it certainly will not happen," said Gunapala.

"No one predicted this tsunami. There were indications about the change in weather, but we did not study the charts for the possibility of a tsunami, that is why we were unable to predict this calamity," said Gunapala.

Head, Astrological Bureau, Jayatissa Bandara said Pluto going into a water sign and also Mars being in a water sign Pisces till January 29 were not favourable signs. "The planets indicate that the time is not good for Sri Lanka. Saturn is transiting to the sixth house and will move on to the seventh house on November 2, 2006 - this is not good for our country. Saturn will move on to the house of disease in our country chart and this shows a period of disease and suffering too," said Bandara.

Bandara went on to say Pluto is an underground planet and its movement and placements for the future indicate unexpected hidden happenings. "Pluto, which is in Scorpio, will move on to Sagittarius and there will be planetary changes until February 10 and this does not indicate a good time for Sri Lanka right now," said Bandara.

Aid in abundance but distribution poor

Relief aid in tonnes, but poor distribution hampering relief to the needy

By Shezna Shums 

Sri Lanka came to a virtual standstill last week in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster with getting relief aid to those affected by the disaster being the sole priority.

The people of this country worked untiringly over the last one week to ensure that people in the areas where the tsunami unleashed its terror would receive help as fast as possible.

Getting essential items together and sending it to these areas was the order of the day, with several organisations and countless individuals providing immediate relief while the international community pledged and presented large amounts of aid and financial assistance to the government.

The aid flow was so abundant that the government of Sri Lanka was overwhelmed and had to even request a limitation to the number of medical personnel being sent to the country - evidence of how the world rallied around Sri Lanka to help in its time of dire need.

Donations

Everyone, it seemed, dug deep into their pockets or rummaged around their houses looking for something to donate - be it food, clothes, and anything that would be of use.

Shop shelves were emptying rapidly as people kept buying items to send to the affected areas and numerous signs asking for aid were proof that everyone was pitching in to help.

According to the Foreign Ministry, a total of Rs. 300 million is being donated from the international community towards relief and rehabilitation.

The first to come to the country's rescue was neighbour, India, when it sent six helicopters to rescue victims from the savage waters. Other countries - both affluent and those not that well off - sent relief aid and assured financial assistance to Sri Lanka.

While the outpouring of help from many countries has been remarkable, criticism has been levelled against the United States for its slow and stringent response to the disaster that shocked and ravaged many Asian countries.

While there have been reports of aid not being received in the affected LTTE held areas, SLMM Spokesman, Helan Olafsdoptir denied the allegations saying, "It is not true to say the north and east are not getting aid because I know for a fact the UN and other major agencies involved in aid donation are currently in direct contact with the LTTE and are sending them aid."

The security forces also kept the A9 open two hours a day to enable people to seek medical or other assistance needed.

The LTTE Development Secretariat's request for assistance is being met by the government and arrangements have also been made by the Norwegian facilitators for the LTTE Peace Secretariat to be in regular contact with the government of Sri Lanka for coordinating disaster relief activities.

Meanwhile, a source from Trincomalee said although relief supplies were entering the Eastern Province the organising and distribution mechanisms should be better.

"Only today (Friday) a meeting was held to decide the mechanism of the distribution of the relief aid," said the source.

Highway robbery

Another problem he spoke of is that fraud is taking place, "people not affected are staying on the roadside and taking relief aid while some needy ones are not getting any."

The source further said that the important thing now was preventing contagious diseases that could spread, "the people are half dead, the government should provide counselling and rehabilitation for them."

The President has directed all the government agents of the affected districts to allocate Rs. 10 million each for relief aid. The districts include Jaffna, Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai, which were granted an initial sum of Rs. 70 million.

According to the Women's Empowerment and Social Welfare Ministry, 341,296 kilogrammes of relief supplies were sent to Sri Lanka from foreign countries.

The relief aid included school kits, tents, syringes, purified water, food and medical supplies, airlifted by 50 aircraft from various foreign countries.

Military Spokesperson, Brigadier Daya Ratnayake said clothing, cooking utensils and construction material are essential in the affected areas.

"Tents, housing materials and cooking utensils are needed so that people moving into even partly built houses or in refugee camps will be assisted," he said.

Brigadier Ratnayake further said the army has also sent relief aid to places such as Amparai and Batticaloa.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has dispatched more than 1,000 doctors to all affected districts. According to the GMOA, temporary shelter is required for these doctors as well as the patients.

General Secretary, GMOA, Dr. A. Padeniya said although medical supplies are coming in to assist the people, there is a lack of coordination in the operation, due to which it is difficult to identify which medications should receive high priority and be sent in immediately.

In the aftermath, he said, attention should be given to the conditions in refugee camps and that having 3,000 to 5,000 families living together is not good since contagious diseases could spread within minutes at the camps and cause a great number of deaths as well.

Sufficient relief

Amparai District Secretary, B. M. M. M. Basanayake told The Sunday Leader that food and water are being received in the area, but the items that are essentially needed are construction materials and household utensils.

"Most of the people whose livelihood was fishing are now scared to even look at the sea and most of these people would now need jobs and a means to make a living," she said.

Assistant Secretary, Prime Minister's Office, Saman Waduge told The Sunday Leader what the people need are clothes, especially for women and girls, cooking utensils and clean drinking water.

"Until an alternative is provided and until they are able to make a living on their own, the basic short term needs will have to be provided," said Waduge.

Several people said there was enough relief being collected in Colombo, but there is a lack of transport. Hiring lorries and vehicles is impossible to send the relief measures to the people, pointed out several people and organisations.

The Prime Minister's Office was sending dry rations to the affected areas, but the needs of the people keep altering and as one need is reduced, another need arises.

According to many people, dry rations such as spices, dhal and milk powder were priority. However, with some people moving into their partly damaged houses, utensils and household furniture are also fast becoming priority items.

These include mats, candles, lanterns, pillows, bed sheets and basic household appliances. Milk powder and bottles for children remain a high priority as well.

Many who were providing relief to the disaster struck areas say that short term needs can be met with the donations being received, but what is most important, especially in the long run, is construction materials - cement, roofing sheets, sand, stones and tiles.

An official in the Galle District Secretariat office said they need cooked food or cooking utensils. "Although dry rations are being donated, the people have no way of cooking the food," the official said.

Indian aid

The Indian government also provided relief in the form of 600 kilogrammes of medical supplies, a team consisting of one doctor and two medical assistants, and four Indian navy ships to carry out relief aid in the country - the INS Sandhayak and INS Sukanya which are now in Trincomalee and the INS Sharda and INS Sutlej, stationed in Galle.

All these ships have brought with them medical and relief aid, including diving items and inflatable boats. A helicopter was stationed on each naval ship during last week's rescue operations.

According to the Indian High Commission, 32 tonnes of relief supplies had been provided at Trincomalee, while ships at Galle had brought in 40 tonnes of relief supplies.

The six Indian Air Force helicopters performed ferry duties within the country by carrying provisions, medicines and drinking water to remote areas and helped bring stranded persons to safety.

Last Thursday, an Indian naval ship arrived at Trincomalee carrying 300 kilogrammes of medical and relief supplies, while another large transport aircraft from India brought 25 tonnes of goods, including dry provisions, medicines and tents for the disaster struck victims.

Last Friday, an Indian Air Force aircraft brought 700 kilogrammes of medical supplies and a health officer specialising in post disaster health management to Sri Lanka.

Additionally another Indian naval ship, INS Aditya brought to Colombo more relief supplies, medical teams and provisions.

By midnight on Thursday, a large aircraft carrying a full field hospital, with a total of 70 medical personnel and full medical supplies arrived in the country and another aircraft arrived on Friday carrying one field hospital with a similar contingent of personnel and provisions.

The government of Pakistan also sent relief goods worth over US$ 333,333 for the victims of the tsunami disaster. This relief arrived last Wednesday and consisted of tents, water, medicines, water purification tablets and an ambulance was also gifted to the country. According to the Pakistan Embassy, more relief items will be sent to Sri Lanka.

Other aid

The United States of America has promised to provide aid to victims of the disaster and the American Embassy stated the US government will provide US$ 100,000 for disaster relief as an immediate measure.

Spokesperson, US Embassy, Chris Long said this money has been handed over to the government of Sri Lanka, which will be responsible for allocating the finances.

The British High Commission in Colombo noted they have sent 50 tonnes of relief aid to the country and the government of Saudi Arabia has donated a total of US$ 10 million to the affected regions with half of this aid being in cash and the other half in relief material.

Meanwhile, the government of Japan promised to dispatch an emergency disaster relief and medical team to Sri Lanka and following an appeal made by the Sri Lankan government, Japan immediately dispatched a 20-member team, lead by a Japanese Foreign Ministry official including doctors, nurses, paramedics, a pharmacist and other medical staff to Sri Lanka.

This medical group brought tents, medicine, water, sleeping bags and other essentials while the Japanese government also pledged more assistance for Sri Lanka.

Korea too rushed relief assistance to Sri Lanka with the Korean government donating US$ 50,000 cash to the government. Korea also pledged US$ 150,000 to those affected by the tsunami and provided a medical team consisting of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to help the injured.

Other countries that sent medial personnel and relief aid to the country include China, France, Russia, Israel, Greece, Nepal, Bhutan, Australia, Hungary, Romania, Switzerland, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Iran, Indonesia, Norway, Singapore and Dubai.

Medical supplies

UNICEF last week donated tents to affected people on the list forwarded by the government of Sri Lanka and another donation of medical supplies was also made from UNICEF Copenhagen to the Health Ministry.

The World Conservation Union stated that they would solicit their expertise and assistance to contribute to relief efforts, drawing upon the Union's global network of people and institutions.

Regional toll of bloody Sunday

Last Sunday's tsunami affected not just Sri Lanka, but many countries in Asia. A round up of the death tolls and state of affairs in countries hit by Sunday's earthquake and tsunami is as follows:

Indonesia: Nearly 80,000 people are confirmed dead in Indonesia, whose western island of Sumatra was closest to the epicentre of Sunday's earthquake. The number of dead is likely reach over 100,000.

India: The official death toll is more than 11,000, with most of the dead in Tamil Nadu, and it could keep rising as information comes in from remote areas.

Thailand: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has said most of the 6,000 people still missing must now be presumed dead. More than 4,500 are confirmed dead including foreigners from 36 countries. Many children were separated from their parents when the wave struck.

Maldives: High waves and floods inundated the islands, killing at least 67 people.  Large areas of the capital, Male, have been left under water. With most of the Maldives being only 1m (3ft) above sea level, the damage is extensive.  Some of the country's 200 islands cannot be contacted.

Malaysia: Although Malaysia lies close to the epicentre, much of its coastline was spared widespread devastation because it was shielded by Sumatra. However, scores of people are reported to have been swept away from beaches near the northern Malaysian island of Penang. At least 65 people are confirmed dead. The mainland states of Kedah and Perak were also affected.

Burma: The military junta in charge of Burma has confirmed about 30 deaths. Other reports put the toll as high as 90. A government official said most of the dead were in the Irrawaddy Delta, where 17 villages were hit and 200 people left homeless.

Bangladesh: Two people have been reported dead in Bangladesh.

Somalia: At least 120 Somalis are known to have died, with thousands more homeless and many fishermen still unaccounted for, according to a government minister. About 50,000 people have been displaced.

Kenya: One person drowned in Kenya.

Tanzania: Ten people were killed in Tanzania.

Seychelles: One person was killed in the Seychelles and there has been extensive flooding.

All are equal before the surge

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti 

Among the many lessons that December 26, 2004 held for the Sri Lankan populace, perhaps one was that how many a thing in life could get completely altered in one swift moment and by one single wave.

It was one humbling experience to watch the waves crash and to feel completely helpless and at their mercy.

Friendly waves that used to be a soothing sight on other days. The soothing wave sound that lulled me to sleep at night and calmed my nerves during a particularly fatiguing day. Here was a sea gone mad instead.

If you live by the sea, often you end up having a mystic bond with the ocean. Its swiftly changing colour, the waves themselves, the sound they make would all hold different messages for you. That is if you are the coastal type. Loving the sea and the surf. Yet, it is one terrifying experience to watch the same waves mercilessly sweeping away everything in one a massive swirl.

Fateful day

Last Sunday, a fateful Boxing Day that would be deeply etched in the memories of all Sri Lankans as we recorded the biggest natural disaster in the island, I stood there, just some 50 meters away from the turbulent sea before fleeing for life as the waves lashed onto the shore in absolute fury.

In those seconds, it tragically dawned on me that the much romanticised, calm, serene and beautiful ocean could turn into a merciless destroyer.

At the end of the tsunami terror, Mount Lavinia has been one of the few lucky coastal towns to be vastly spared of its ravages with minimum property damage being recorded and no lives being lost. Yet, the fear people experienced was very real. Almost tangible.

The warnings had come that morn as news travelled to the sleepy town about the southern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka suffering heavy damage due to the waggeries of the waves. Nevertheless, the fisherfolk who live by the sea were totally unprepared for the catastrophe. Being the day after Christmas, they were still in the mood to revel, despite the towns on either side-Moratuwa and Dehiwela being affected by tidal action.

Suddenly, the crashing waves were heard clearly. As we ran outside the house to witness the oncoming tide, shrieks could be heard as fisherfolk began to desert their humble houses in absolute terror.

With the first wave, a child was swept away and men were seen jumping into the water to drag the child back in time. And the coast suddenly reverberated with mournful cries as people began running for safety gathering whatever that came into their hands.

The second wave rose well above the coconut trees that lined the coast and formed a natural protection, though a feeble one against the tidal wave that lashed on to the shore reaching the railway track. In one swift surge, it had altered the physical features of the famous Mount Lavinia beach - the tiny shacks and wooden houses went up like torn doll's houses before they were thrown asunder. And I fled, like everyone else, struck by the enormity of what was taking place before my eyes and knowing that the waves were not going to discriminate in its destructive force.

Young Nadeeka Prajeewa's approach to the tidal wave was different. Instead of fleeing in the face of adversity, he remained on the tsunami-ravaged Crow Island in Mutwal and saved two lives - his Christian spirit compelling him to serve somebody on the day following Christmas.

Heroic act

The heroic young man often spends his free time on the beach, playing cricket with his friends. That Sunday too, he was there with his friends. When signs of turbulence were noticed, the boys rushed out of a nearby house to witness what was taking place.

As the waves begun to crash in furiously that morn, Nadeeka and his friends suddenly galvanised themselves into action and warned most inhabitants to go to places of safety and helped them evacuate. Then came the great waves smashing everything in sight and taking many lives with several furious sweeps.

Having ensured that most were away and safe, the boys stayed away for a while before returning to the coast to keep a watchful eye. It is then that they observed a young man of about 28 years afloat.

Minutes of devastation

"I jumped into the water and dragged the body towards the shore. He was unconscious, blue in the face and his eyes have turned white. For about three minutes the waves did not return so I kept his head on my lap and began to beat his chest to until the water came out," he said.

A strong swimmer who also knows the basics in first aid, Nadeeka then gave a heart massage and felt the pulse quicken before carrying him to the shore, just before the waves began their furious action again.

Another minute on the shore could have cost the brave young man his own life. While there were dozens of onlookers, they did not come to his aid fearing for their own lives, but Nadeeka somehow dragged the victim to safety.

Having rushed the victim to the National Hospital, Nadeeka returned to the beach with his friends to watch over things once more. "A friend lives close by and his is a three storied house. Whenever the waves came in, we rushed to the second floor. The tide was over 20 feet each time. When it recedes, we would rush out to the beach once more to warn people or get the remaining few to evacuate," he adds.

The second rescue operation was on a boy of about 14 years who was swept towards the sea and back. "He crashed against a rocky wall and fell when we rescued him," he says.

Nadeeka is among the thousands of unsung heroes who emerged on that fateful day, braving the swirling sea to help the needy. When we visited him, he limped his way to open the gate having met with an accident on the 26th evening.

He was distributing food parcels when his motorbike met with an accident, causing cut injuries to both his hands and feet. Undaunted, he distributed more food after a quick visit to the accident ward. "I am glad I had the courage to plunge into the sea when many were fleeing the area. God gave me strength to help those who needed it," says a happy Nadeeka.

Mangala Susantha reached the Mount Lavinia beach that morning for a walk on the long expanse of the famous beach with his friends. He had no premonition of what was to come. But soon, he realised that the sea was becoming turbulent and began to walk from Mount Lavinia to Dehiwela and back to appease their collective curiosity. It was then that the swirling tsunami set in with the tide reaching over 30 feet high.

"There was a young man filming the wave action because the sea had been rough since early morning. Suddenly he was being swept away by a strong current. I jumped into the sea with four fishermen to drag the man back," he says. It was no mean task, he recalls considering how the five men had to struggle against a tide that was most destructive.

Mangala says that what he observed after reaching safety would never be forgotten. "The famous coast stood altered before my very eyes. A minute ago, it was a calm, beautiful land, a safe place to be. Now, there was debris all around - destroyed furniture, cabanas flung apart, shanties that had collapsed and roofs that had been flung upon the railway track by the furious waves. It was in a complete state of ruin," he recalls, happy that he was able to save somebody.

Saving grace

For Prasanna Dinal, it was a close call and a day that he would never forget.

He experienced near death, but was among the lucky survivors of the catastrophe.

Being Boxing Day, Prasanna and a group of friends were travelling down south when a friend telephoned on his mobile to warn not to proceed beyond Kalutara as the area was experiencing floods. The young men changed plans when they reached the Wadduwa Beach Resort, taking heed of the warning given.

In the first instance, the tide reached the doorstep of the cabana they occupied. Then the water receded by about two and a half km, he recalls.

Things began to settle somewhat and kids began playing on the sea front and guests began to move out of their cabanas, despite the manager issuing a warning that the tide was "unusually rough" and to stay indoors.

There were well over 250 guests, families with little children - a happy post Christmas scene until the water began to seep in through the closed doors.

"We ran out of our rooms. And a massive thud was heard when the roof simply flew and the door was seen afloat. We panicked and ran towards the entrance and clung to the walls and the gate for dear life as the water reached our neck level," he says.

Tragedy

It was water all over and first, television sets and other electronic equipment began to get washed away and the guests began to scream as they were being swept in one swift tidal action seawards. Then, parked vehicles were being washed away and furniture were flung out of the cabanas.

"I witnessed a horror story. At least eight children were swept into the sea as we watched in mute agony. Seconds later, two other children were also caught in the current. By then, a friend's wife had climbed on to the hotel wall for safety, and she jumped in and caught them by their necks and were swimming back when all three got momentarily swept away," he shudders. The personal tragedy was averted as the girl's husband - an army officer rescued all three.

"The parents of those children were so grateful and couldn't believe that people would actually save others by risking their own. It altered my own life and showed how futile this existence is," says Prasanna who adds that nothing came to his mind when he was momentarily neck deep in water, expecting death to lay its icy cold hands on him.

Like Prasanna, Damith Samaranayake, an employee of Triton Hotel, Ahungalla is one lucky survivor who experienced near death in last Sunday's tidal fury. He actually managed to snatch life back from the very jaws of death.

He still cannot believe how lucky he is to be among the living as the death toll continues to rise and repeatedly said that now that he had survived the tsunami ravage, he would live to be a 100.

Damith was on duty on 26 morning when the swimming pool began to fill with seawater. It was regular during high tide, but the staff began to worry when the water began to seep.

"I have never seen something like that. Suddenly, the water receded by about two km and the coast stretched far beyond the normal coastline. We felt relieved momentarily and some of the foreign guests rushed upstairs to fetch their video cameras to capture the awe inspiring sight," recalls Damith.

Suddenly, there were great noises as the ground floor went under water. Guests and employees began rushing upstairs for safety and the glass panes came crashing down. Those who rushed out of the hotel to capture the moments simply got washed away.

It was one huge tragedy that took place before his eyes as guests and workers were dragged away by the sheer force of the seawater. Heavy wooden furniture got swept away and the water level reached well over 20 feet, says Damith.

He was holding on to the wall, soaked and shuddering when the wall cracked and collapsed. "I had no way of saving my life. I could see people simply getting swept away. There was no ground floor for the hotel anymore it was totally covered with water. I remembered all my loved ones and climbed on to one of the trees within the hotel compound," he says, thankful for the trees that were planted under renowned architect Bevis Bava's instructions for the hotel to maintain a natural look.

Lives changed

"I remained that way for over 20 minutes, too scared to climb down in case the tide carries me to the great oceanic depths," adds Damith, still traumatised by his experience.

To the survivors, it has been one massive life changing experience. To all, a lesson on impermanence as the waves refused to recognise the many differences, both imaginary as well as real.

One survivor, Sumith Kumara said that December 26 felt more like Judgment Day. We have been spared yet forced to become humble before the elements and the eternal truth of impermanence.

"Why fight and fight whom? Where is the territory we call our own and defend fiercely if all get swept away in one massive sweep?" asked he.

While the tragedy struck at the very heart of this nation, there also were many touching examples of humanity when people saved others risking their own. The generosity that we witness shows that all is not lost to this nation that has suffered the worst of tsunami terror and horror as they have demonstrated incredible generosity of spirit.

A friend hastily penned a poem as the island was devastated by the tidal wave. It reads:

"They scorned and dismissed

With one massive sweep

Of sheer watery power

The barriers and boundaries

We'd erected in our minds,

Imposed on our daily living

And deeply etched in our lands."

Hospitals pushed to the limit

Hospitals have been overflowing with casualties  following the tsunami terror last Sunday

By Ranee Mohamed 

Director, National Hospital in Colombo, Hector Weerasinghe said the doctors, nurses and paramedics are being dispatched in batches to the affected areas.

"The epidemiology unit is having meetings and we have sought the assistance of the GMOA in this situation. Doctors, nurses and paramedics are being sent in batches. After this immediate relief we will concentrate on the public health aspects, with public health inspectors and medical officers of health," said Weerasinghe

Meanwhile, in Trincomalee, Galle, Matara and Panadura hospitals, casualties were in need of beds. Doctors worked full time. Forty doctors in the government service too had disappeared after the tsunami.

The immediate fears were the outbreak of disease after the disaster as bodies floated everywhere. Director, Epidemiology Unit, National Hospital, Dr. Paba Pallihawadana when contacted however said that there was no immediate indication of any kind of virus or disease, but warned of diarrhoeal disease that could arise in this situation.

"There have been reports of mild illnesses. We are alert to the outbreak of blood and mucous diarrhea and eye diseases. When people are gathered in limited spaces there is always a danger of disease," pointed out Dr. Pallihawadana. She said that they were paying attention to the preparation of food in these camps where people are housed. "Several medical officers of health and public health officers have been mobilised in these areas," she said. She pointed out the importance of the chlorination of water and of ensuring proper sanitary facilities. "We have dispatched medical health officers to seven districts to supervise the cooking of food and other living conditions," she said.

Dr. Pallihawadana warned however that though there may be no disease reported right now, an outbreak can occur anytime.

Meanwhile, Paediatrician, Dr. Sarath Silva said that babies being breast-fed must be given breast milk and not infant formulas being distributed in the camps. "The mothers can be given this milk to drink, but breast-feeding must continue because it is difficult to prepare milk hygienically in these circumstances and breast-fed babies must be given the milk that they are used to," he said.

Keep the aid coming - Ministry

By Risidra Mendis

The tsunami disaster that left thousands dead and millions homeless has resulted in the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Social Welfare (MWESW) working round the clock to provide aid and relief to the victims.

The MWESW has since December 26 been receiving aid from locals and foreigners the world over. But despite the aid that is flowing in non stop, much is yet to be done to make the lives of those affected by the tsunami terror more comfortable. At present many of the refugees have been given makeshift accommodation in the affected areas. However the lack of proper space and basic requirements such as toilet facilities for most of the refugees is a growing problem among the displaced.

The affected areas according to the MWESW are Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticoloa, Mullaithivu, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi.

Meanwhile an official from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) MWESW said he cannot even imagine how the MWESW is to cope with the future of these refugees. "Most of these refugees have lost all their belongings. They have no place to go to. We cannot keep them in tents forever. This matter cannot be handled by the MWESW alone" the DMC official said.

The DMC official added that this would be a good time to decide where these refugees should be settled as some of them had built their houses on the reserve, before they were washed away.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader,  Director, Social Services Department (SSD), Yamuna Chitrangani said they have received foreign aid from Russia, Japan, Pakistan, and the Czechoslovakian Republic among others. "We only handle the essential items for the refugees. If we receive any medical supplies we hand them over to the Health Ministry.  Essential items such as water bottles, tents and blankets have been sent by some of these countries. We are expecting more aid within the next few days" Chitrangani said.

Meanwhile the official from DMC MWESW said they have been supplying an uninterrupted flow of aid to the refugees up to now. "We work as the coordinating body between the government, private parties and the recipients. We keep in constant touch with government agents (GA) of the affected districts and find out what their requirements are," the official said.

According to the official, the GAs have control over the divisional secretaries or the Assistant  Government Agents (AGA). "Private parties and organisations have come forward to provide transport for the essential items to be dispatched to the affected areas.

"Therefore, we don't have a problem with regard to vehicles and manpower for the moment," the DMC official said.

An official from the SSD said what they need to do right now is to make sure the victims get the necessary food, clothing and essential items as soon as possible.

At present, the SSD dispatches essential items to the affected areas depending on the information they receive from the pradeshiya sabha members. "At the moment we haven't identified the places of the refugees as our priority is to provide their basic necessities. We have instructed the relevant government authorities in the area to keep all the refugees in the nearby temples and churches for the moment.

The SSD makes an appeal to the public to keep providing aid as there is a shortage especially in underwear, water, milk powder for babies among others. "We will accept anything right now because most of these people don't even have a pot in which to cook their meals" the SSD official said.

Key ministers out when tragedy struck

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema 

The government's knee jerk reaction to the devastation caused by the tsunami has come as a surprise to many. When the deadly waves lashed out at the coastal areas from the Southern to the North Eastern Province, President Chandrika Kumnaratunga, who was holidaying at the time, requested the Presidential Secretariat to call all ministry secretaries to summon their respective ministers for emergency meetings to draw up contingency plans to provide immediate relief to the victims.

The calls were made and it was Premier Mahinda Rajapakse who took the task upon himself to call for discussions with party leaders as well as cabinet members - at least those remaining in the island as many were overseas at the time.

President Kumuratunga upon hearing the magnitude of the destruction and the large loss of lives caused by the deadly tsunami waves, cancelled her trip and reached the island by Monday.

Approximately six crucial cabinet ministers, apart from the President were overseas on Sunday, December 26. Among them were Tourism, Industries and Investment Promotions Minister Anura Bandaranaike holidaying in the US, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Media, Ports and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Health Minister Nimal Siripala Silva.

Minister Samaraweera after hearing the news on Sunday arrived in the island on Tuesday, while Minister Bandaranaike released a statement expressing his condolences to the families affected, while still overseas.

In the face of health hazards and the need for immediate medical supplies, Health Minister Nimal Siripala Silva arrived in the island three days later, on Wednesday. Finance Minister Dr. Amunugama however, was overseas even on Thursday and he was only expected to return to the island on Friday (31) evening.

Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundera who was overseas as well arrived in the island only on Wednesday. Premier Rajapakse continued with the disaster management activity since Sunday until the President arrived and took over.

However, it is interesting to note that despite a Presidential circular which did the rounds not too long ago regarding restricted foreign trips for ministers, on that fateful Sunday, a large number of cabinet ministers were abroad along with the President herself.

According to the circular, ministers were entitled to only four official foreign trips and beyond that would require special presidential permission to go abroad.

Be that as it may, it has also been reported that irregularities existed in the records kept with regard to the foreign trips made by government ministers.

The CPA Division of the Presidential Secretariat has been tasked to keep records of the ministers engaged in foreign trips and the nature of the trips, whether official or personal.

It has now been revealed that the Division cannot maintain proper records as some of the ministers directly approach the President and receive approval while the rest follow the accepted procedure and write to the division requesting for permission to travel overseas.

As a result, no authority would have any proper records to keep a tab on the foreign sojourns undertaken by ministers.

Sea of tears...

Surging waves of the sea that took thousands away...

By Ranee Mohamed 

In death there is no caste, creed, colour or position. And this is what happened on Sunday, December 26, when the savage sea swirled precious lives and took them into the sea. When they were returned, they were lifeless bodies which had been battered and beaten by the waves.

Palitha Silva Gunewardene of the Colombo Securities Exchange, son of Admiral Ananda Silva; and his wife of seven months were about to leave the Yala Safari Beach Hotel. Their vehicle had been parked outside and their chauffeur ready and waiting; when he saw a huge wave in the sea. "It was so huge, and it was the first time in my life that I have seen a wave like that. This is why I began to run," the chauffeur said from hospital.

But Palitha and Harshini Gunewardene had been in the hotel getting ready to leave.

Unfortunate victims

"My brother had some problems in office and he was on his way back from Kataragama and his stay at the Yala Safari Beach was an unplanned one," said a member of his family.

There has been some confusion about the identification of Palitha Gunewardene, however a pirith ceremony has been held in his name. The body of his wife Harshini has been found.

Like Palitha Gunewardene there had been 163 others at the hotel and 11 staffers of the Jetwing group who passed away. The General Manager of Yala Safari Beach Hotel Upali Weerasinghe, a bachelor who dedicated his life towards his career and his work, was buried last week. "He was a dedicated employee who was with us for 20 years," said Director, Sales and Marketing, Jetwing Group, Lalin de Mel.

The Yala Safari Beach Hotel a popular hotel today is no more. "The waves came and took the entire hotel away," said De Mel.

Out of the 115 guests 42 are confirmed dead and 31 classed as 'missing.'

De Mel said however that none of the Negombo hotels have been affected. The Lighthouse Hotel in Galle which is on a hillock has not been affected, but the Blue Waters Hotel in Wadduwa had waves from the sea flowing into the lobby area.

"But these hotels are in operation now," said de Mel when contacted.

Hansard Editor Morano Amit and his wife Kanthi Wickremasinghe, the chief parliamentary interpreter and their daughters - 20-year old Shenya and 15-year old Tania are missing since Sunday. The family set off in their vehicle no. JN284 to Kataragama on Sunday. The vehicle however has been found.

President's Counsel Edward Deraniyagala of Kirula Road, Colombo 5 has been missing since the tragedy. "Deraniyagala was a great counsel. This is a shock," said a colleague. Deraniyagala, his wife and son were reportedly having breakfast when the tsunami hit the Yala Safari Beach Hotel. The funeral of Deraniyagala, his wife and a young grandson was held last week. Tennyson Edirisuriya, MP and lawyer was another unfortunate victim of the tsunami.

Increasing dead

Deputy Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karaliyadde and nine members of his family among them his father-in-law Edward Ratnayake who were on a holiday at Nilaveli are missing since the tsunami of December 26.

Nilaveli was not approachable since the tsunami.

Meanwhile, at a church in Matara, Sister Bernadette Koelmeyer was taken away by the waves when water filled the church during holy communion.

There have been thousands of people who have been swept away; and the real impact of the savage waves will not be known for weeks as we confirm that the people who are missing from our lives are people who have died.

As we try to identify those dead as people who moved with us in our everyday lives, there remains hundreds and thousands of people who are trying to identify the bodies of their very own kith and kin.

The figure of those dead exceeds 30,000 people

Orlantha Ambrose - on a sad note

"Even Jesus died young," said Anton Ambrose in tears. Anton Ambrose is the father of Olantha Ambrose, the star from U.S.A. who came here to do charity.

Olantha Ambrose, and her parents had been at the Yala Safari Beach Hotel.

"We were planning to go to Kataragama. It was morning and Olantha went to freshen up before going to breakfast. I heard her scream and thought she had seen a wild animal. Then the water started coming, it was not too high," recalled Anton Ambrose in tears.

Ambrose said that when the water began to flood, he had taken his vehicle and all of them had rushed into it to beat the water. "When I was driving fast, I realised that my wife had not got in. She had encountered a problem with her foot. So I stopped the vehicle and rushed to her aid. Olantha was in the vehicle. But I could not save my wife. The water came and took her away. Then I saw the vehicle being taken away. Olantha was in the vehicle," said Ambrose.

Anton Ambrose had been taken to hospital after he survived the tsunami waves. "When I was in the hospital, I saw that they were bringing in bodies and the body of my daughter Olantha was among them, I think she had been electrocuted," said the father in tears.

Olantha Ambrose came here from the USA for one year, but she could not leave. She was a pioneer when it came to 'music camps' for little children, conducting Summer camps for children aged 3 - 16 from international schools.

A talented violinist, Olantha was equally versatile with the piano. Olantha Ambrose was a multi talented musician who had studied with brilliant musicians in the USA.

Olantha was a music teacher at the Wycherly International, School but helped form musical troupes with children from international schools countrywide.

"My wife and sons were hanging on a fan" - Commander Sudarman Silva 

It was 9.25 a.m. on December 26, Commander Sudarman Silva of the Sri Lanka Navy based at the Galle naval base was in his chalet with his wife and two sons Karishma (8) and Chaithra (10). "It was Karishma's birthday and last year on this day too he was with me. We had ordered some short eats from the nearby Sahana Hotel and it was time for me to go and collect them, but I kept postponing the visit, lest they were not ready. I was in my pajamas in the sitting room and my wife and sons were watching the match in the bedroom on the seafront. Suddenly my wife shouted that water was coming into the room, I rushed in to see water gushing into the room. My first thoughts were that those guys building the new wardroom had damaged the pit because the water was murky. There was no time to think, in a matter of seconds the water level increased and my sons began to swim. I was scared for my wife as the water level rose steadily, outside I saw our parked car go racing down in the water at full speed. Suddenly my wife got lost and my youngest son began to panic, our almirah started to float. At once I saw my wife emerge and I held on to her and then we held on to the almirah. The power was disconnected but the ceiling fan was whirling, I hung on the bar of the fan and my children clung on to its wings.

"The water was upto the ceiling fan and we were eight inches above the ceiling. I tried to hit open the ceiling with my head but it only cracked. I kicked the glass pane of the windows but it did not break. It was as if we were all in a huge water tank. We did not let go of the fan. The pressure of the water was unbelievable. I knew that it was a tidal wave," explained Commander Silva.

After what seemed like eternity, the water had gradually begun to recede and Commander Silva had shouted for help through the lattice. He had broken the glass pane and put his youngest son out, "someone came and took him and ran, then I put my older son out. Then when the water level began to recede I took my wife out. I gave two cushions to my sons and asked them to hang on to them and helped them climb a building. I help my wife up the bar. My pajamas were soaking. We were in this way till about 12.30 p.m. When the water level began to recede, I took them all and ran down the flooding Baddegana Road. The bodies we saw scared us. It was unbelievable. We did have a narrow shave," said Commander Silva.

Those who lived to tell the tale...

Little Sathsara remains the miracle boy who was rescued from the ill fated train that passed Galle. Sathsara was saved when a father tried to save his own children from drowning. Little Sathsara smiles, but life will soon tell him that his family is no more, that he is alone.

The most miraculous story of escape comes from Chithra Premasiri, wife of Captain Rohitha Premasiri of the Sri Lanka Navy base in Galle.

"It was a vacation for us. We arrived at the Galle navy base on December 22, but my older daughter had a special class, so we went to our house in Ratnapura to keep her at home. We returned to the Galle base at about 11.30 on December 25. We were very tired - my husband, and my other little daughter. So we slept through the morning. My husband did not want to wake me up because of the late night, but I heard him getting ready to go to work and woke up. I was sipping my tea and watching TV - a programme on Sri Pada; the cabin in which we all stayed was air conditioned and it was dark inside as the glass windows were painted," said Chithra.

Chithra Premasiri and her family was stunned by the roaring noise outside. "My little daughter peered through the crack in the paint and said that it was sunny outside, so it could not be rain."

Suddenly Chithra saw the water gushing out of the door. At first she thought that the water tank had burst. "It was unbelievable, the glass and the windows broke and water gushed into our cabin situated in the seaside. The ground floor was filled with water and we were floating. My husband, child and I rushed through the gushing water to jump outside from the roadside window. And when we did the water there was about 12 feet high. We were swirling in the water and logs and dirt, and garbage was coming rushing by. I saw bodies too, they were battered, beaten and mangled. I could not believe that these were human beings who were alive a few hours ago.

"We  were together despite the gushing and the swirling. I saw my little daughter go down and come up several times. I made my way towards her and held her close," said Chithra Premasiri.

Captain Premasiri however remained nowhere to be seen as his wife and daughter were swirled away with the fierce waters. "The broken windows and fences were coming after us. It was so frightful. Then I saw the roof of a house with concrete grills that are usually made for ventilation. I held on to the concrete and withstood the force of the gushing water. I made my little daughter too hold on to one. But the water came in huge waves and I had to let go. To my horror I saw chairs and tables rushing towards us. I held on to my daughter and swirled around the same house and held on to another grill, but the water was too strong and we were swept away, luckily I saw the topmost branches of a large tree, I held on to these branches and climbed what was left of the drowning tree. To my surprise I heard someone call me "Madam, madam," just as I was atop the tree with my child it was Commander Kalubowila's M.A. who was perched on another tree.

Then we got to a rooftop that was just below us. Our clothes were torn too. I still remember the horror I felt when I saw a merchant ship from the sea come close to us. I feared for our lives, but we were saved. We remained on the rooftop and was thereafter saved and taken to Boosa in a cab," said Chithra Premasiri.

Chithra and her young daughter was later reunited with Captain Premasiri  who had fought his way to safety, a naval man who refused to give up the battle for life amidst the gushing seas.

Commander Sudarman Silva also of the Galle naval base lived in his cabin with his head held high as he stood neck deep in water for 15 minutes in a gap that was just eight inches away from the ceiling as the gushing waters enveloped his cabin, Silva too had an amazing escape.

In the train passing Galle on December 26, was Suji Priyanath, his wife Priyangi and his two daughters of eight and three and a half. The family was travelling with Priyanath's sister, her 16-year old daughter and husband. They were on their way to a pinkama at the Galle Temple. But before the families reached the temple, the unexpected happened.

Today his home at D55/64 Maligawatte Flats is a sea of tears.

We reached the railway station late for the early morning train, but my brother who works in the Fort railway used his influence and we got into the last guard room. Near Galle I did not think much of the water gushing about five to six feet. A child fell into the water and we helped him up and changed his clothes too. But what we were not prepared for was what happened next, for a huge wave swept into the carriages and came through the closed doors. "I held my little daughter Himashi and asked my wife to hold on to my older daughter. As I held on to an iron bar with my hand holding my little daughter while the water filled into the carriage and I just could not breathe. I let go of my hand as my daughter was struggling and covered her nose and mouth. Suddenly like passing through a tunnel, we were all thrown to a side - the carriages, seats, water and people. I emerged, luckily through a closed door, still holding close my daughter. A stranger threw me a plank and I held on to it. Just then I saw the body of my wife come floating by. I cried out loud and pulled her up from her hair, but a stranger shouted at me to let her go - that it was too late. I did not see my older daughter said Priyanath, after the funeral of his wife and older daughter Shemini on Thursday. Suji Priyanath lost his wife, his oldest daughter, his sister and his sister's daughter in the Galle train tragedy.

In naval camp Vijayaba in Trincomalee the Commanding Officer and his wife and three and a half old daughter were looking at the sea from their chalet. It was his wife who had seen an unusual wave about 40 feet in height rising out of the sea. Pointing it out to her husband, she had got up from her seat and taken their child to her arms. Thereafter the naval officer, carrying his child and accompanying his wife had run before the wave approached. 'We ran and ran," he told a friend. "And the waves followed us, it was a wave of about 50 feet, but we ran. The wave that we saw at five minutes to nine broke off as small water at about 11.45," observed the officer.

Orphaned kids at risk of being kidnapped

By Jamila Najmuddin 

In the midst of a national tragedy, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) last week warned to be vary of opportunists posing as volunteers engaged in relief work.

As thousands of volunteers flock  to the tsunami hit areas to offer assistance to those displaced, the NCPA has warned to be cautious of volunteers showing keen interests in adopting orphaned children.

Director, Colombo Crimes Division, SSP Sarath Lugoda told The Sunday Leader that at a time when the nation was involved in assisting the tsunami victims and rebuilding the nation, it was "revolting" to note that there were a few who misused the opportunity to adopt children to "satisfy" their own needs.

SSP Lugoda said that there were several child abduction cases already reported from the tsunami areas and although some people showed 'keen interests' in adopting children, the children were taken for domestic purposes or as child prostitutes instead.

"There have been thousands of children who have been orphaned. Opportunists should not take advantage of such a tragic situation and use the children for horrid purposes. Although the police is currently involved in rescue efforts in the tsunami hit areas, a special team has been deployed to investigate child abduction cases," the SSP said.

Meanwhile, a special legal unit has been established at the NCPA for those seeking to adopt children. The unit will assist these people go through the legal adoption procedure in order to safeguard these children from opportunists.

Chairman, NCPA, Prof. Harendra de Silva told The Sunday Leader that the authority was also involved in identifying these groups that posed as volunteers and how many groups were involved. "We are also involved in identifying the areas where most number of illegal child adoption cases have been reported from," Prof. de Silva said.

The NCPA will assist more than 60 lawyers from the Sri Lanka Law College to travel to the tsunami areas to assist the orphaned children and study which areas have been worst affected from child abduction.

"Anyone who wants to adopt a child should go through the correct legal procedures. For documentation to be complete, it can either taken months or even a year. The legal procedure is very important as it is only then that we can safeguard the children from culprits," Prof. de Silva said.

He added that people keen to adopt children should also take into consideration that it is important to treat these children as their own. "Although there is excitement initially to adopt children, people have to realise that they will have to face reality soon," he said.

Meanwhile, crimes such as looting have also increased in the tsunami affected areas.

Police officials claim that special troops have been assigned to accompany groups bringing dry rations and aid to the tsunami areas. "There have been many incidents where trucks bringing aid have been stopped and looted by gangs. People have also started looting from shops and houses," police officials claimed adding that desperation for food and valuables was so severe that gangs even stole jewellery from the corpses.

The areas worst affected by crimes were Galle, Hambantota and Batticaloa.

A sixth sense

By Risidra Mendis 

The tsunami devastation that has claimed the lives of thousands around the country has so far spared the animals within the Yala National Park.

The Yala National Park located in the south eastern region of Sri Lanka was one of the places badly hit by the tsunami. Hours after the tsunami hit the national park, many bodies of tourists and locals were found during the rescue operations within the park. However, wildlife officials are yet to come across the body of a wild animal within the park.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader on behalf of Wildlife Department (WD), Director General Dayananda Kariyawasam, Law Enforcement and Field Operations head H. T. S. Fernando said the tsunami hit the park between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. on December 26. "I was in Kataragama when we got the news that Yala was hit by the tsunami. The Lunugamwehera National Park was to be opened on December 26 between 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. and we were getting ready to leave for that programme," Fernando said.

On hearing the news Fernando together with Assistant Director Yala, Bundala Jayaratne Ralahami, Wildlife Ranger Jayantha Seneviratne and WD official K. A. Sarath arrived at the park between 11.30 a.m. and 12 noon on December 26.

"On arrival at the park I saw three elephants, some wild boar, spotted deer and sambhur running near Heenwewa. We covered the area from Palatupana to Pattanangala along the coast for about 15 miles and even further. We were in Yala on December 26 and 27, but didn't come across the carcases of any wild animals. At present WD officials are conducting searches within the park. The remaining officials in Yala have been instructed to inform the WD department in Colombo if they come across the carcases of animals," says Fernando.

Fernando went on to say that animals can generally sense when there is danger. "We believe the animals would have moved to the higher areas such as Sithulpauwa, Katagamuwa and Heenwewa within the park," he said.

However, the park has suffered severe damage with regard to bungalows and forest areas. Commenting on the damage within the park, Fernando said since Pattanangala is close to the coastal area in Yala, this was the most badly hit area. "The Patanagala bungalow, the new building close by, the Patanagala tank and the roads near by are badly destroyed. Around three to four water tanks have also been destroyed in Yala. We saw large Palu trees that have come down due to the tsunami," explained Fernando.

But despite large trees being destroyed within the park the main roads within the park remain clear. "When we open the park in January people can go on safaris as planned."

With regard to food and water for the animals, Fernando says he doesn't forsee a problem as there are plenty of water holes and food within the park. According to Fernando, the animals had returned to the park by December 27.

An hour after Fernando and his team got to Yala, Kriyawasam arrived at the park together with a team of wildlife officials to assess the damage.

The eastern boundary of the park is formed by the sea and is marked by sand dunes of up to 30m high and broad sandy beaches. Its altitude ranges from sea level to 90m high inselbergs. The area of the park is 97,881 hectares. However, only 14,101 hectares (Block 1) is used for tourism.

The vegetation in the park consists of fairly dense forest and is characterised by species such as palu, satin, weera, mayila, malithan, ehela, kohomba, and divul. The shrub vegetation consists of andara, kukuruman, eraminiya and karamba among others.

According to research conducted by the WD and experienced naturalists, a total of 32 species of mammals have been recorded. The threatened species at Yala include the sloth bear, leopard, elephants, water buffalo, wild boar, sambhur, spotted deer and the golden jackal. The birds include the crested serpent eagle and white bellied sea eagle.

According to wildlife officials, many water birds are attracted to the lagoons - flamingos, pelicans, spoonbill painted stork black necked stork (of which there are about a dozen in the country), the grey heron purple heron, night heron, purple coot and darter. Notable reptiles include the mugger, estuarine crocodiles found in the main rivers and the common monitor. The cobra, Russell's viper and a variety of sea turtle's such as the olive ridley, and leatherback can also be seen at the park. The Yala coastline is known to be a major nesting ground for these turtles. The lagoon fauna include various species of prawns crabs and fishes.

In Block 1 of the park the main area for visitors include the six wildlife bungalows located at Mahasilawa, Buttawa, Patanangala, Yala, Heenwewa and Talgasmankada. The two camp sites at Jamburagala and Kosgasmankada are also available for visitors.

Chaos in prisons

By Dhananjani Silva 

The tidal wave that took thousands of lives sent shockwaves into several prisons of the country dotting the coast line creating chaos and confusion. The prison premise going underwater, several deaths and disappearance of prisoners as well as prison staff, all in all resulted in the ultimate uproar within the prisons.

According to reports, Matara, Galle and Negombo prisons were subjected to severe damage.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Prisons Commissioner, Rumy Marzook said the Galle prison was affected due to the tsunami waves. The entire prison premises including the prison quarters were fully flooded, after which several prisoners have started rioting inside the prison premises, setting fire inside prison cells. Therefore, the prison guards were compelled to open fire killing two prisoners.

According to the Commissi- oner the total strength of the Galle prison is some 801 prisoners. However, out of this, 518 inmates were transferred to Boosa prisons, 43 female prisoners to the Elpitiya lockup while 236 remain in Galle prison. One prisoner was admitted to Karapitiya hospital. Reports however indicate that four guards and one female guard were missing.

Meanwhile, Marzook who went on to explain the position in Matara prison said that "the outer wall of the Matara prison has collapsed due to the pressure of water."

Out of the total strength of 410 prisoners in the Matara prison, 328 were reported missing, said Marzook. Seventy six prisoners were transferred to the Kuruwita prison. But during the transfer, an accident had occurred and this resulted in the escape of five prisoners. However, four prisoners were injured due to the accident and had been admitted to the Akurassa hospital. According to Marzook, todate 91 prisoners who were in the Matara prison who were originally included in the list of missing, have voluntarily surrendered and they were put in to Kuruwita prison. 

Explaining further, Marzook said out of the total strength of 467 prisoners who were in Tangalle, 50 prisoners were transferred to the Kuruwita prison while the rest remained in Tangalle. The situation in the Negombo prison has aggravated as the prison premises as well as prison officers' quarter were submerged.

In Negombo, the numbers of inmates total 1,232. Out of this  47 were shifted to the Colombo prison, 325 to the Magazine prison, 65 to the Colombo remand prison, 118 to the Pallansena prison and 333 to the Mahara prison. When the transfer from Negombo to Mahara was carried out, around 11.30 p.m. according to Marzook, eight prisoners have escaped. "The transfer was carried out in haste and the prisoners were taken without handcuffs, and this resulted in the escape of eight prisoners," said Marzook. But the police have already caught four prisoners. Also several prison guards in the Negombo prison, it is said have been reported missing.

Further the 17 prisoners who were in Puttalam were shifted to the Anuradhapura prison and 20 prisoners from the Chilaw prison were transferred to the Kuliyapitiya prison, says Marzook.

Speaking about the prisoners who have gone missing, Marzook said that they can voluntarily surrender to either the Prisons Headquarters or to the nearest police station. "We would not take any disciplinary action against those who surrender," he stressed.

Also speaking was the Assistant Superintendant of Prison, Gamini Jayasinghe who went on to explain about the situation in the Hambantota prison. According to him, the situation in Hambantota is normal as it had not been affected. This he says is similar to the situation in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. Speaking of the reconstruction work of the prisons he said that they are taking necessary steps in order to make sure that the prisons are reconstructed soon. But he was of the view that the Galle prison has to be reconstructed immediately. Meanwhile, he said that most of the prisoners inside do not know whether their families are alive. In order to overcome this  a special fax number is being set up for relatives to make contact.

Meanwhile speaking to The Sunday Leader, Chief Jailor, Kalutara Prison said that there was no damage caused to the Kalutara prisons. "Since the Kalutara prison is situated away from the beach we have not been affected by the tsunami wave," he said.