Nine women claim tsunami baby

Nine different women are claiming as their own a baby boy known only as Baby 81 at a Sri Lankan hospital.

The tsunami survivor, whose real name is not known, was the 81st admission to the Kalmunai Base Hospital on Boxing Day after the killer waves struck the island.

Dr KR Saseenthirian said the baby was alone and covered with bruises and mud.

“Parents who have lost their children come everyday to the hospital to check,” Dr Saseenthirian said. “Some go back, and some stay and claim that the baby is theirs.”

Nine women have claimed Baby 81, quarrelling amongst each other for his custody and one even threatening to commit suicide if she is not given the baby, an official said.

Hospital authorities have asked police to investigate and mentioned the possibility of a court-ruled DNA test to determine the real mother.

Children accounted for a staggering 40%, or 12,000, of Sri Lanka’s tsunami death toll of nearly 31,000.

THE UN childrens fund says preliminary data indicate that nearly 1,000 children were orphaned by the tsunami in Sri Lanka and another 3,200 lost one parent.