Gina Wilkinson : Colombo, Sri Lanka : 1430 GMT
In the district of Trincomalee on the east coast, military officials say tsunami waves swept more than two kilometres inland washing away entire villages.
Gina Wilkinson : Colombo, Sri Lanka : 1120 GMT
A military spokesman says damage from the tsunami wave stretches all the way from Jaffna in the north of Sri Lanka to the popular beaches in the south.
More than ten thousand military personnel, backed by naval vessels and helicopters are combing the coastline searching for survivors and pulling bodies from the sea.
In the district of Trincolome on the east coast officials say massive waves have dislodged landmines laid during the country’s civil war hampering rescue efforts.
In the southern town of Maderapu police say more than 100 people died when a tsunami hit a weekend market, washing shoppers and vehicles out to sea.
There’s also been extensive damage at a string of tourist resorts on the south coast packed with local and foreign holidaymakers.
Officials say they expect the death toll to rise, communications problems in some parts of the island are slowing efforts to assess the full scope of the disaster.
