Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

South Asia Copes With Death, Destruction
----------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=AA2E78:2AB91D3

Scale of disaster still unfolding in India and Sri Lanka





Destruction in Sri LankaIndia and Sri Lanka are coping with massive
devastation in the wake of the deadly tidal waves Sunday that have
killed up to 8,000 people in their eastern and southern regions.

As day broke Monday, people in coastal villages resumed their
desperate hunt for missing loved ones and buried or cremated the dead.
Some of the hundreds of thousands of homeless are huddled in relief
camps, temples and schools.

In Sri Lanka, an estimated one million people are displaced. Thousands
of soldiers have joined the hunt for survivors, but authorities say
they are ill equipped for their worst disaster in living memory.

In India, Coastguard Commander S. Pradip says a rescue operation is
underway.

"All coastguard units including ships and aircraft are already
deployed for search and rescue," he said.

Aftershocks from Sunday's Indian Ocean earthquake, the most severe in
the world in 40 years, are causing fears of more deadly tidal waves in
the coming days.


.