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Sri Lanka united in prayer
31/12/2004 18:20 - (SA)
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| Workers searching for bodies walk away from a fire they started to burn the bodies of two victims in this fishing village in Sri Lanka. (Ed Wray, AP) |
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Colombo - Sri Lanka's squabbling leaders displayed rare unity Friday at an emotional candle-light vigil for the victims of the tsunami which has killed close to 30 000 people on the island while heavy rains slowed relief operations.
Sri Lanka, which ended the year with a national day of mourning, was one of the country's hardest hit by the deadly waves triggered by a massive undersea earthquake on Sunday.
Carrying a candle in her left hand, President Chandrika Kumaratunga led public grief on Friday and called on the nation of 19 million to forego New Year celebrations as a sign of respect for the dead.
Kumaratunga stook next to her arch rival opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and legislator Joseph Pararajasingham, who represents a party seen as close to the Tamil Tiger guerrillas who have tried to assassinate her, at the multi-religious ceremony.
"We have lost much, but gained in strength by the knowledge of solidarity shown by the world," the president said as she thanked the international community for its spontaneous and massive support.
In Colombo, a sombre mood prevailed. Offices and private homes put up white flags as a sign of mourning while state buildings flew the national Lion flag at half-mast.
Hotels and supermarkets switched off music while church and temple bells rang out simultaneously for three minutes in remembrance of the dead. Residents, who usually organise house parties to usher in the New Year, instead took part in private candle-light vigils.
Meanwhile, a South Asian summit due to open in Bangladesh next week was put off by a month as four members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation were badly hit by the tsunamis that killed 125 000 people in 10 countries.
But as cash was pledged to help rebuild the country, overnight monsoon rains added to the gloom in eastern and southern Sri Lanka where relief workers battled to recover bodies still trapped under rubble.
The two districts were badly affected when tidal waves lashed three-quarters of Sri Lanka's densely populated coastline on Sunday.
At least 28 400 people were confirmed dead on Friday, of which 104 were foreigners, while nearly 5 000 were still missing and possibly dead, Kumaratunga's office said.
Aid workers said rain was hampering their efforts.
"Heavy rains overnight have damaged roads to the point where we can't move in (new) supplies," a volunteer with Christian Aid told AFP by telephone from Batticaloa.
"Transport has become a problem because the roads are damaged."
The rebel Tamil Tigers discounted fears of floating land mines said to have been washed out after the sea surge and urged international aid agencies to send staff and supplies to areas held by them in the island's north-east.
In the island's south, most of the mass funerals had been completed, but a handful of bodies continued to be found trapped under rubble, a police officer in Galle, 112km south of here said.
- AFP
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