As of 16:35 GST 3 January 2005, Sri Lankan authorities report 30,196 confirmed deaths^[1] after the island was hit by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004. Many of the dead were children and the elderly. The south and east coasts were worst hit. One and a half million people have been displaced from their homes. The death toll continues to rise as the threat of infectious diseases breaking out has turned into a fact, with doctors confirming first cases of cholera. GST may stand for: The Goods and Services Tax, a value-added tax imposed by several countries; The Generation-skipping transfer tax, imposed by the United States on certain transfers by gift, inheritance, or bequest. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Tsunami (disambiguation). ... The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea (subduction) earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with forced migration. ... Distribution of cholera Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious gastroenteritis caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. ...

About 1,200 dead were counted at Batticaloa in the east. At Trincomalee in the northeast, where the tsunami reached more than 2 km (1.25 mi) inland, 800 were reported dead. In neighbouring Amparai district alone, more than 5,000 dead. The naval base at Trincomalee is reported to be submerged. About 1000 more dead were counted in Mullaitivu and Vadamaradchi East [1]. A holiday train, the "Queen of the Sea", was struck by the tsunami near the village of Telwatta as it travelled between Colombo and Galle carrying at least 1,700 passengers, killing all but a handful on board. This article is about the capital of the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. ... Trincomalee District Map Trincomalee (Tamil: (Thirukonamalai, hist: Sirigonakanda); Sinhala: (Thirikunamalaya)) is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 1 km and 10 km (103 and 104 m). ... Mullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. ... Transport in Sri lanka is based mainly on the road network which is centred on Sri Lankas capital, Colombo. ... The Queen of the Sea (Sinhala: Samudradevi) was a train operating between Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the southern resort town of Galle. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with Gaul in English, in Sinhalese, IPA /gaːlːə/) is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. ...

The agricultural sector has been affected seriously. 259 km² of paddy land has been destroyed in the northern, eastern, southern and western coastal belt. In addition, the extensive salinization of paddy lands has rendered them unsuitable for paddy cultivation. Rubbish has also been deposited on paddy lands. A large number of agricultural vehicles and equipment have been destroyed and canals and drains have been blocked. Underground sources of water have also been salinated^[2]. A rice paddy in Japan A paddy field is a flooded parcel of farmland for growing rice (from the Malaysian word padi, a noun meaning growing rice). Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice-growing countries of East and Southeast Asia, such as China, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia...

Across the island collections are being taken for those who have lost everything, vans with PA systems driving around calling on people to give whatever they can. Even in the poorest, most remote areas people flock to the roadside to hand over money, clothes, bottles of water and bags of rice and lentils.

Apart from homes, many hotels were also reported to have been damaged. Hotels along the south coast were full of both foreign tourists and Sri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend. Twenty thousand soldiers were deployed in government-controlled areas to assist in relief operations and maintain law and order after sporadic looting. Curfews had been imposed in some areas to curb looting. Chinese light antipersonnel mines of type T-72A, left after the two-decade civil war, are feared to have been washed up and spread by the surge of water. The Norwegian Peoples' Aid Organization is currently assembling a team of mine sweepers to assess the situation. A hotel is an establishment that provides lodging, usually on a short-term basis. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... A curfew can be one of the following: An order by the government for certain persons to return home before a certain time. ... “Minefield” redirects here. ... The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is an ongoing conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and a minority terrorist group consisting of Ethnic Sri Lankan Tamils on the island-nation of Sri Lanka. ...

It has been noted that in the Yala National Park, many animals seem to have moved to higher regions in order to escape the disaster. It is unclear how they detected the coming disaster, although a sixth sense, perhaps the ability to hear the infrasound rumble of the tremors or approaching tsunami, was mentioned in reports. Another possible reason is that many animals can run faster than people, enabling them to outrun the tsunami. The beach and a rock outcrop at Yala Yala National Park, in Ruhuna is an important national park on the south east coast of Sri Lanka. ... Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP) is defined as ability to acquire information by paranormal means independent of any known physical senses or deduction from previous experience. ... Infrasound is sound with a frequency too low to be detected by the human ear. ...

The test match ground at Galle, where international cricket is played, has been devastated. For the womens version of the game, see Womens Test cricket. ... Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with Gaul in English, in Sinhalese, IPA /gaːlːə/) is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. ... This article is about the sport. ...

Aftermath

Remains of a house near Telwatte, photographed in March 2008.

The main highway in the south of Sri Lanka runs along the coast and was closed in the aftermath of the tsunami, delaying relief supplies. A huge initial effort to deliver supplies was made by large numbers of private individuals filling their own vans and pickup trucks with food, clothing and bottled water and driving to affected areas.

In Sri Lanka the first reports of measles and diarrhoea reached authorities, renewing fears of a deadly epidemic. However, relief operations based in the capital Colombo are well underway. Diarrhoea is the correct way to spell the word Diarrhoea. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ...

On the morning of Thursday 30 December, more people were wounded when people fled tsunami affected areas, after the Indian government erroneously warned of another possible tsunami. is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The science fiction author and scuba diver Sir Arthur C Clarke, who lives in Colombo, the capital, has issued a statement saying that Sri Lanka "lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath". Clarke reported that his family and staff were safe, "even though some are badly shaken and relate harrowing first hand accounts of what happened", and that his diving school (Arthur C. Clarke Diving School) "Underwater Safaris" at Hikkaduwa had been destroyed (see this link). Arthur C. Clarke, considered by many to be a grand master of science fiction and communication satellites Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British author and inventor, probably most famous for his science fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Hikkaduwa is a place on the south coast of Sri Lanka. ...

Sri Lanka's most popular sport is cricket, and the Australian, Bangladeshi, English and South African cricket teams have already announced that they are making donations to the humanitarian effort in Sri Lanka and other Asian countries. The Indian cricket team has pledged funds to the humanitarian effort in southern India. The cricketing world has already announced that two one-day matches will be played to raise further funds^[3]. This article is about the sport. ... The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The Bangladeshi cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh and is nicknamed the Tigers. ... The logo of the England Cricket Team which shows the three Lions of England below a five-pointed crown The England cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales, operating under the auspices of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). ... The South African cricket team, also known as The Proteas, is a national cricket team representing South Africa. ... The Indian cricket team is an international cricket team representing India. ...

International assistance

Indian navy medical team arrived in Colombo within hours of the tsunami. Eventually India deployed 14 ships, nearly 1,000 military personnel and several dozen helicopters and airplanes to its devastated island neighbor to help with relief efforts^[4].

A three-ship fleet carrying 2,000 US Marines out of Diego Garcia was sent to Sri Lanka. The Marines were bound for Iraq to assist in the January elections, but the fleet included a dozen heavy-lift helicopters and surgical hospitals, both badly needed in Sri Lanka. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea,[1] using the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces and is one of seven uniformed services. ... For other uses, see Diego Garcia (disambiguation). ...

On January 6, 2005, 150 members of the Canadian Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), a Canadian Forces group, arrived in Sri Lanka. The team brought four water purification units and provided medical, engineering and communication services. Another 50 members of the team arrived on January 8. DART sets up camp in Sri Lanka. ... The Canadian Forces (CF) (French: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the unified armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence Act, which states: The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces. ...

Relief efforts were impeded by heavy monsoon rain which washed-out roads and caused freshwater flooding. In most of India the winter northeast monsoon is relatively dry, but in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu it blows from Burma across the Bay of Bengal picking up water from the sea. For other uses, see Monsoon (disambiguation). ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Look up Bay of Bengal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

References

External links

• Aftermath of the 2004-12-26 Tsunami in Sri Lanka
• Kalutara, Sri Lanka Quickbird satellite image, DigitalGlobe Inc., 26 December 2004
• How to help Sri Lanka A collaboration tool for all volunteer organizations who want to help Sri Lanka Recover from the Disaster
• Shock and loss in Sri Lanka, CNN, 28 December 2004
• The Power of Humanity by Thrishana Pothupitiya Daily News, Sri Lanka

is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Blogs

• Autism Awareness Campaign Sri Lanka blog - Tsunami in Sri Lanka News & Information
• ceneus.blog - Blogging a Tragedy, Sri Lanka
• This Way Please's Extra Extra out of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Jaffna District. ...