The first segment of the emergency rescue and relief contingent of 44 Army personnel and 4 Civil Medical Consultants, aboard an SLAF flight, left the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport for the earthquake-struck Nepal a short while ago this morning (26) at about 5.30 a.m. to assist ongoing rescue and relief operations in the densely-populated Kathmandu valley, devastated by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake which has reportedly claimed at least 1400 lives.
Following initiatives of HE the President Maithripala Sirisena, Commander-in -Chief and Hon. Prime Minister under the close supervision of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva, the full dispatch of the Army relief contingent, composed of 156 rescuers, including 14 sailors and 11 airmen plus 4 Civil Medical Consultants, is to be completed at any moment from now with the remainder expecting to leave.
Four Sniffer Dogs and a large stock of rescue equipment, urgent sanitary-ware, tools, tents, generators, medicine, dry rations, etc also saw their passage, carrying the first team of Army personnel to Nepal. The Army contingent is made up of 54 Engineer troops from Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers, 4 Main Dressing Stations of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps and two Commando teams.
Representing the Commander of the Army who has been in touch with the passage of the first team to Nepal round the clock, the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff Major General E.M.M Ambanpola, was present to see them off at the airport, together with Director General General Staff Major General B.A Perera, Military Secretary, Major General Mahesh Senanayake, Director General of Army Health Services, Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Chief Field Engineer, Major General L.N Wickramasuriya, Director Operations, Brigadier Jayantha Gunaratne, Director Movement, Brigadier M. Mudannayake and a few more senior officers.
The Army contingent, commanded by a two-star General, comprises 131 Army personnel (12 officers and 119 other rankers), 14 Sailors (1 officer and 13 other rankers) and 11 Airmen (1 officer and 10 other rankers). A senior officer in the rank of Brigadier serves as the Second-in Command of the contingent.
In a brief talk to the contingent at the SLAF air base, just prior to their departure, Major General Ambanpola reminded them of the importance of this humanitarian project, being executed on behalf of a friendly nation and urged them to maintain the dignity of the organization while serving there.
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