75 Tamil refugees arrived from Mandapam camp

Tiruchirapalli, July 5: As many as 75 Tamil refugees, including 22 women and 27 children, arrived at the temporary Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camp at Valavandankottai, near here, last night.

Deputy Collector (refugees) M Gurulakshmanan told UNI that the state government had arranged special buses for them to come here from the Mandapam Transit Camp in Rameswaram. The number of refugees accomodated at the temporary camp at Valavandankottai had reached the maximum capacity of 1100.

There are already, 1024 Tamil refugees in the camp, including 350 women. With the arrival of 75 refugees last night, the total strength of the camp had gone up.

He said the new entrants to the camp were now accomodated at a middle school and were provided with necessary requirements by officials. After renovating the existing homes, which were lying vacant for want of repairs, the new batch would be suitably accomodated, he added.

Overcrowding at the Mandapam transit camp was stated to be the reason for the spillover of refugees to Tiruchirapalli.

Tamil refugees numbering 73 including 25 women and 18 children from 18 famillies, had arrived in the transit camp at Kottapattu - the second largest permanent camp for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the state on June 26 last.

UNI