Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, Jan. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- A 14-member Chinese medical team Tuesday started the aid work here, a small town some 90 km off Colombo, the capital of tsunami-stricken Sri Lanka.

    The five surgeons and two nurses in the team have treated around 100 local patients Tuesday morning, while the seven experts in the field of infectious-disease have examined the water sources in the town with a population of 15,000.

    Most patients were seen being suffered from foot or leg injures due to their rushing fleeing of the tsunami disaster on Dec. 26, which claimed for nearly 30,000 lives across the island nation.

    The epidemic specialists said so far no indication clinched that the water had been contaminated.

    The team set up its camp at a local Buddhism temple and the monks there offered them two rooms to store their gears being brought here from Beijing.

    The group had to accommodate in five make-shift tents on the temple's backyard and the workshop was also cemented there.

    Two officers with the Hikkaduwa public health authority are assisting the Chinese team to do the coordinating job. The power at the temple was on and the water supply was restored, which made the medical aid work possible.

    One local volunteer has been doing the interpretation job for the team and people in the neighborhood who speak English also came to help.

    Hundreds in town are feared dead during the tidal wave hit and thousands might be injured. Loud speakers at the temple has been announcing the notification to urge locals to approach for medical aid and more patients were expected to flock here soon.

    Wang Bingqiang, the squad leader, told Xinhua the medicine they have brought here is not sufficient and the local health authority pledged to lend a helping hand.

    Meanwhile, another Chinese medical squad will come soon and hopefully will bring more medicine here.

    Wang's team arrived in Colombo late on Sunday and entered the tsunami-affected area on early Monday.

    Questioned on how long the team is to stay here, Wang said, "it could be 10 days, could be three or four weeks." Enditem