Sri Lanka Floods Raise Threat of Disease 15 minutes ago World - AP Asia
In the Yahoo News 10:25pm, Sat Jan 1
By CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - After the devastation wreaked by the seas, a deluge from the skies deepened the misery for tsunami-stricken areas Saturday, triggering flash floods in Sri Lanka that sent evacuees fleeing and increasing the threat of deadly disease. U.S. forces began one of their biggest relief missions ever with the death toll likely to hit 150,000.
A 5.9 quake rocked Sumatra Sunday, the second strong aftershock on the hard-hit island in two days. But there were no reports of further damage or injury.
The world's efforts shifted into high gear in ways big and small: elephant convoys working in Thailand, global assistance reaching $2 billion with a fresh pledge from Tokyo, and aid-bearing American helicopters touching down in Indonesia to the joy of tsunami survivors.
The confirmed death toll from the quake and tsunamis that hit a week ago Sunday passed 123,000, and the United Nations (news - web sites) has said the estimated number was approaching 150,000. Thailand said it expects its death toll to reach 8,000.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) decided to visit Indonesia, the hardest hit nation, where the official death toll stood at more than 80,000, but officials said it could reach 100,000. Annan will attend a conference Thursday in Jakarta on organizing relief.
"We mourn, we cry and our hearts weep to witness thousands of victims sprawled everywhere," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, touring the damage on Sumatra island, which bore the brunt of both the quake and the waves.
Hungry Indonesians welcomed a dozen American Seahawk helicopters sent from the USS Abraham Lincoln as they landed in Banda Aceh and other parts of Sumatra island's devastated northwest coast, bringing relief supplies including temporary shelters. Also, a flotilla of cargo planes carrying Marines and water purifying
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/481/jak10501020457
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