SRI LANKA: AID WORKERS DELIVER WATER TO TSUNAMI REFUGEES, U.S. MARINES ARRIVE IN COLOMBO.

Record ID: 275306

  • Title: SRI LANKA: AID WORKERS DELIVER WATER TO TSUNAMI REFUGEES, U.S. MARINES ARRIVE IN COLOMBO.
  • Date: 5th January 2005
  • Summary: (U2) COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (JANUARY 05, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. GV.MV/CU: U.S. AID UNLOADED ON THE RUNWAY OF COLOMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, OFFICIALS CHECKING AID; CLOSE OF AID FROM AMERICAN RED CROSS (5 SHOTS) 0.53 2. LV/GV: PLANES MOVING AT AIRPORT (2 SHOTS) 1.08 (W3) HIKKADUWA, SRI LANKA (JANUARY 04, 2005) (REUTERS) 3. GV/GV/PAN: DESTR
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: COLOMBO AND HIKKADUWA, SRI LANKA
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Reuters ID: LVACBVGXILTX24QIHHR14T14M32E
  • Story Text: U.S. marines arrive in Sri Lanka to help with rescue
    operations while aid workers rush to establish clean water
    supplies.



    United States Marines continued to arrive in Sri
    Lanka on Wednesday (January 5) with helicopters,
    bulldozers, generators and other specialist equipment to
    help the country recover from the deadly tsunami that
    killed thousands in South Asia.

    A giant U.S. Air Force Galaxy aircraft landed at
    Colombo's international airport from Japan with an initial
    force of 150 marine specialists, who will unload and
    assemble the equipment.

    Local media have speculated that the U.S. may be
    sending more than 1,500 marines to Sri lanka to help relief
    work -- a move reported to have been viewed with suspicion
    by neighbour India because of Washington's close links with
    Delhi's arch rival Pakistan.

    The Marines have not yet started relief operations and
    are hoping to do so in the next few days.

    Over 30,000 people were killed and nearly one million
    made homeless by the devastating tsunami waves that struck
    Sri Lanka's south and east coasts on Dec. 26.

    The waves also swept a train traveling along the
    southern Sri Lankan coast off its tracks, killing 1,500
    passengers. The rusting train cars blocked roads near the
    outskirts of a tiny village of Hikkaduwa, where locals
    suffering from the the aftermath of the disaster
    desperately waited for water and food supplies from
    international aid agencies.

    As teams of Sri Lankan soldiers used tanks, bulldozers
    and cranes to shift the train carriages to clear the roads
    the trains were blocking, the first tanks of fresh water
    ater to Hikkaduwa locals on Tuesday (January 4). Locals
    also distributed coconuts and maze.

    Sri Lanka was the second worst-hit country with 30,196
    confirmed dead. Rain again lashed eastern regions on
    Tuesday, flooding camps housing hundreds of thousands of
    homeless, but eased off in the morning.


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