Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had instructed him to send a medical team to Japan to treat injured and displaced persons. He had instructed the Secretary to the Ministry Dr. Ravindra Ruberu to keep a team on standby.

The Minister said that the President had also asked him to send adequate stocks of medicine for 3 months with the team.

The President on Sunday instructed the Treasury to release one million US dollars as a donation to tsunami hit Japan and advised the Defence Ministry to send a combined-forces rescue team to assist the devastated country in its recovery efforts.

The group of specially trained tri- forces rescue team will be dispatched immediately along with the medical team.

The President has also directed the Sri Lankan Envoy in Japan to coordinate all possible assistance to Japan.

According to Japanese officials, more than 1,400 people were killed by Friday's magnitude 8.9 ocean earthquake that hit the eastern coast of Japan and the tsunami that followed.

The officials however, estimate the death toll to rise over 10,000 as rescue efforts continue.

The 23-foot tsunami triggered by the earthquake in the sea 80 miles off Sendai swept away ships, planes, homes, boats and cars.

Japan is the single largest donor to Sri Lanka providing about two-thirds of the total donor contribution.