The report was based on information received as of 2.30 p.m. today and further 22 affected persons were being treated in hospitals.
43 fishermen are still missing with 24 boats. A Ministry spokesman said that the death toll might rise by tomorrow and a number of persons might remain disappeared. The highest number of deaths were reported from Balapitiya in the Southern coast.
Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources criticizes the Met Department for not issuing strong warning timely to the fishermen.
However, the Met Department insists they had issued warnings ahead of the disaster. No regret and apologizing from the weather body that depends on the public money.
However, the senior officials of the Met Department apologized before an NGO last week and made an offering under the NGO's order for naming a cyclone after an ancient king called Mahasen who built many reservoirs.
