500 missing, 260 dead after record flooding in Sri Lanka

RATNAPURA, Sri Lanka -- At least 500 people were still missing Wednesday in the worst flooding in Sri Lanka in decades while 260 others were confirmed dead, an official said.\nKaru Jayasuriya, a government minister in charge of flood relief, said 350,000 people were left homeless in last weekend's flooding, up from an earlier estimate of 150,000.\n"People have lost everything, even their clothes. We appeal for help, send us whatever you can," Jayasuriya said at a news conference in Colombo, the capital.\nOn Tuesday, officials estimated the death toll at 300. But with 260 bodies already recovered and hundreds more people missing, the death toll is likely to rise, Jayasuriya said.\n"This is not the final figure," he said. "There are areas where we have not been able to reach at all."\nThe government has had trouble gathering information about the number of dead because of the remoteness of some villages affected.\n"There are at least 500 people about whom we don't have any information. This shows the magnitude of the disaster," the official said.\nThe government appealed to international donors for assistance -- especially bottled water, building materials, clothing and medicine.\nThe floods and landslides struck late Saturday after days of rain. The worst-hit district was Ratnapura with 125 dead.\nSri Lanka is a small tropical island off India's southern tip with 18.6 million people.