Monday, December 27 2004 16:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: At least 5,880 people, including 70 foreigners, were killed in Sri Lanka a day after tsunamis wreaked havoc along most of the island's coastline, the military and Tamil rebels said today (Dec 27, 2004).

The military said the casualty figure had risen to 5,017 civilians and 43 security personnel killed in places outside areas held by the rebel Tamil Tigers in the North and East.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), conducting rescue operations in the regions under their control, put the fatalities in the North and East at 820.

The LTTE's main military bases are located along the North East coast, among the worst to be hit by yesterday's giant tsunami onslaught, triggered by an underwater earthquake off the Indonesian coast. The rebels said more people were still missing.

Both the Government and the LTTE have called for urgent international aid to help deal with the islands worst-ever catastrophe.