Tamil Nadu - Ramanathapuram   

40 more refugees reach Rameswaram

Staff Reporter

The number has crossed the 4,000-mark so far

RAMANATHAPURAM: The number of refugees, who reached the State after fighting broke out between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Ealem, crossed the 4,000-mark on Sunday.

Forty refugees of 12 families reached Rameswaram on Sunday alone. They included 16 women and 13 children. They set off in boats from Pesalai and Mannar. Soon after their arrival, some non-governmental organisations provided them with food and water. After preliminary enquiries, the refugees were sent to the Mandapam camp.

Sources said 4,001 refugees of 1,263 families had so far arrived here since January 12. Of these, 1,532 were men, 1,386 women and over 1,000 children. At least 10 per cent of the children were below one year.

Nearly 70 per cent of the refugees were from Trincomalee, where several attacks against Tamils were reported; the rest were from Mannar and Jaffna. A majority of them had stayed in various parts of Tamil Nadu earlier.

"Most of the refugees have arrived here to escape the atrocities of the Sri Lankan Navy, which carry out attacks on innocent Tamils. Life is a nightmare for Tamils," said Natesalingam (50), son of Sabapathy Pillai, of the Organisation For Ealem Refugees Rehabilitation.

The police have introduced measures to monitor the refugees and the unknown elements along the coast.

Superintendent of Police Mahender Rathore said all 15 stations along the Ramanathapuram coast were asked to monitor the movements of refugees.

The police were asked to follow the new refugees and those who were staying outside the camps.

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40 more refugees reach Rameswaram

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