Posted on 01/04/2005 7:31:44 PM PST by jb6
MOSCOW, January 4 (RIA Novosti) - The rescuers sent by Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry operate on the Sri Lanka island hit by the tsunamis, providing aid to hundreds of people.
The rescuers working in the south of island have split into three groups, the ministry's spokesman told RIA Novosti. "One of the groups is clearing the debris in the Kalamula village, the second one gives aid to people in the refugee camp in the town of Kalutara and the third group helps the local rescuers," he said.
The helicopter Bo-105 of the Emergency Situations Ministry, delivered to Sri Lanka from Moscow, is used in the interest of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Russian rescuers are expected to work on Sri Lanka for a few more days.
The death of 30,196 people there has been confirmed in latest news reports.
The first days of 2005 have brought the news of the heavy plight of the tsunami victims in Somalia, which was reached by the waves moving at the speed of a jet liner from the earthquake epicenter 4,500 km away. Not less than 50,000 people in Somali are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and medical aid, said Yusuf Mohammed Ismail, an official spokesman of the Somalian president. At present the death of about 200 people caused by the tsunami has been confirmed, and dozens people are missing.
The total confirmed number of people killed by the tsunamis and earthquakes in twelve countries in the Indian Ocean is 144,970, according to a UN report.
Anyone seen the Bircher/EU trolls?
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