Saturday, January 1 2005 15:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Tsunami survivors in Eastern Sri Lanka were hit today (Dec 31, 2004) by heavy rains, which flooded their camps and also disrupted relief operations, officials said.

Thousands of refugees in some 15 camps were evacuated to high ground in the Eastern Ampara district, 350 kms from the capital Colombo, which bore the brunt of the Tsunami devastation Sunday (Dec 26, 2004).

At least 330 millimetres of rain fell filling the camps with about 1.2 metres of water, district officer Herath Abeyweera said, adding that the floods had damaged several bridges and affected most roads to the area.

Over 10,000 people had to flee their homes due to the flooding even as authorities struggled with providing for 160,000 people displaced by the Tsunami calamity.

Relief work in the region, which was the hardest hit by the giant sea surges was slowed down by bridges which had gone under or had collapsed, Abeyweera said.

At least 28,743 people were killed in Sunday's disaster and the number of missing people went up to 13,976, the Disaster Management Unit in the President's office 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 also delayed by the floods.