Tsunami survivors in eastern Sri Lanka were on Saturday hit by heavy rains, flooding their camps and also disrupting relief operations, officials said.
Thousands of victims of tsunami in some 15 camps were evacuated to high ground in the eastern Ampara district, 350 km from the Colombo, which bore the brunt of the devastation on Sunday.
At least 330 millimetres of rain fell in the region, filling the camps with about 1.2 metres of water, district officer Herath Abeyweera said. He said floods had damaged several bridges and affected most roads connecting the area to other regions.
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Over 10,000 people had to flee their homes due to the flooding, which made the task of providing relief to those affected by tsunami difficult.
Relief work in the region was slowed down, as bridges were either under water or had collapsed, Abeyweera said.
A 20-member Japanese medical team was unable to reach any of the camps, while convoys carrying urgently needed supplies to the east were delayed by the floods.
At least 28,743 people were killed in Sunday's disaster, with 13,976 people still reported missing, the Disaster Management Unit in the president's office said.
In the south of the island, rescue workers have buried most unclaimed bodies and are beginning to clear up the wreckage of buildings and vehicles obstructing roads.
The authorities said there was an urgent demand for more drinking water and medicines. A brewery and a milk packaging plant had stopped normal production and were bottling water for distribution in relief camps, they said.
