<p>Minor protests broke out as people surrounded relief centres in worst affected Batticaloa district, angry over not receiving adequate food and medicines. At least three government officials were assaulted when a group of flood victims stormed a divisional secretariat building, alleging misappropriation of flood relief supplies.<br /><br />The total number of people killed rose to 40 while 4 others were still unaccounted for, according to the Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre.<br /><br />Health authorities cautioned the public on water borne diseases in flood-hit areas.<br />Thousands of people have begun returning home after flood waters receded while more than 50,000 people still remain at 137 camps, the DRC said today in its daily situation update.<br /><br />More than 27,000 houses were damaged or partially damaged during the flood, forcing the victims to stay in camps, officials said.<br /><br />Amid warnings of water borne diseases in the flood-hit areas, health ministry officials said so far there was no reported cases of spread of such disease.<br /><br />Once the battle field of the Sri Lankan civil war, the eastern province was the worst affected during the floods that affected more than a million people.<br /><br />A large number of those displaced were those who had only recently been resettled after decades of ethnic conflict between Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces.<br /><br />Sri Lankan officials earlier said the damage caused to the infrastructure and facilities was only second to the tsunami catastrophe in 2004 which claimed more than 30,000 lives.<br />India responded quickly to Sri Lanka's call for assistance by sending a consignment of relief supply by an special air craft.</p>
<p>Minor protests broke out as people surrounded relief centres in worst affected Batticaloa district, angry over not receiving adequate food and medicines. At least three government officials were assaulted when a group of flood victims stormed a divisional secretariat building, alleging misappropriation of flood relief supplies.<br /><br />The total number of people killed rose to 40 while 4 others were still unaccounted for, according to the Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre.<br /><br />Health authorities cautioned the public on water borne diseases in flood-hit areas.<br />Thousands of people have begun returning home after flood waters receded while more than 50,000 people still remain at 137 camps, the DRC said today in its daily situation update.<br /><br />More than 27,000 houses were damaged or partially damaged during the flood, forcing the victims to stay in camps, officials said.<br /><br />Amid warnings of water borne diseases in the flood-hit areas, health ministry officials said so far there was no reported cases of spread of such disease.<br /><br />Once the battle field of the Sri Lankan civil war, the eastern province was the worst affected during the floods that affected more than a million people.<br /><br />A large number of those displaced were those who had only recently been resettled after decades of ethnic conflict between Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces.<br /><br />Sri Lankan officials earlier said the damage caused to the infrastructure and facilities was only second to the tsunami catastrophe in 2004 which claimed more than 30,000 lives.<br />India responded quickly to Sri Lanka's call for assistance by sending a consignment of relief supply by an special air craft.</p>