Associated Press

Colombo, May 13:

The US government will help set up and provide much of the funds for a tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean, the US ambassador said today.

“The United States will bear a substantial proportion of the cost,” Jeffrey Lunstead told reporters, adding that details, including the price tag and the allocation of funds, of such a system were still being worked out.

US President George W Bush signed documents on Wednesday allocating $907 million for relief in countries hit by the tsunami. There was no early warning system in the Indian Ocean when a massive earthquake struck on Dec 26, setting off tsunami that devastated coastal regions in 11 countries.