Despite the torrential rains and impending cyclone which is expected to make landfall in the Eastern coast within the next 12 hours, preparations are underway for Maaveerar Naal commemorations. These images are from Nallur and vVsuvamadu.

Despite severe flooding following the landfall of cyclone Fengal, preparations for Maaveerar Naal continue across Tamil Eelam. 

Newspapers across the Tamil homeland marked Maaveerar Naal – Great Heroes’ Day – as Tamils around the world paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the liberation struggle.

Several also carried stories on the marking of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran’s 70^th birthday yesterday.

See the front pages of various newspapers below.

Uthayan

Valampuri

^{Illustration by Keera Ratnam / @wavesofcolour}

Several schoolchildren aged between 12 and 16, went missing after a tractor was swept away by floodwaters in Karaitivu, Amparai, earlier today, with a cyclone continuing to badly impact the island.

The incident occurred as the children were returning home from a madrasa school, travelling in the vehicle along with the tractor driver and his assistant. The tractor, used for ploughing, became stuck in the mud before being carried away by the strong flood currents in a nearby valley.