Monday, December 27 2004 19:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: The death toll in the tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka reached 12,000, including at least 70 foreigners while many were reported still missing as rescuers today (Dec 27, 2004) frantically searched for survivors and engaged in reaching aid and medical care for the destitute.

The death toll has reached 12,000 according to military and Tamil rebel sources. The military revised the death toll after additional bodies were recovered, including some 2000 from Tamil rebel-held areas.

The LTTE's main military bases are located along the North East coast, among the worst hit by the tsunamis, which were triggered by an underwater earthquake off the northeastern Indonesian coast. The rebels said more people were still missing. The majority of victims were children and the elderly.

"Our information is that 70 foreign tourists have died in the tragedy," the director general of the Ceylon Tourist Board, Kalai Selvam said, although he could not give a breakdown of the nationalities yet.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared a State of disaster yesterday saying the country was ill prepared to handle the calamity, the worst to hit the tiny island.

We were not prepared for a natural disaster of this magnitude, we do have frequent floods, but this is a catastrophe," she said in a statement.