Lanka calls for single authority to coordinate emergency broadcasts

The lawmakers held the previously scheduled hearing a day after a huge earthquake off Indonesia triggered tsunami alerts and evacuations in several Indian Ocean countries including Sri Lanka.

Thousands of people were urged to evacuate coastal areas in broadcasts late Monday but some media outlets said access to information was haphazard.

The head of the state-run Independent Television Network, Newton Gunaratne, told the lawmakers that after broadcasting warnings for coastal residents to move to higher ground they were unable later on to get information on the status of the possible tsunami.