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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

22nd May 2016 18:29:53 Hours

UPDATE: Commander Wants Army to be Well-Prepared for Post-Recovery Challenges

Sri Lanka Army troops in the Colombo region after establishing more than five mobile medical units in public places where hundreds of displaced flood victims remain housed, have so far treated a total of 821 affected civilians during the past 24 hours ending Sunday (22) afternoon.

Elsewhere outside of Colombo, Army medical teams examined a little more than 430 victims for various ailments, such as fever, colds, diarrhea, vomiting, respiratory difficulties, coughs, etc during the same time period.

Records confirm that 66 boats, belonging to both the Army and civilians have so far managed to evacuate 7300 stranded civilians to safer places in worst-affected Wellampitiya, Kaduwela, Biyagama and Kolonnawa areas while Army armoured cars, unicorn buffels, gun towing tanks, etc are still busy evacuating helpless civilians in some of those above areas.

Around the same time, troops are actively engaged in the distribution of Army-cooked meal packets and also meals, provided by different donors among relocated civilians as of this morning (22).

Meanwhile, a contingent of 200 Army troops are continuing their relief operations in Aranayake areas, from where 30 dead bodies, including mutilated human remains, have been recovered by this morning (22). The number reported still missing however stands at 139, according to Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera, Military Spokesman.

Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Chrishanthe de Silva early Sunday (22) morning evaluated ongoing rescue and relief operations across the island closely and instructed respective provincial commanders to be well-prepared for any post-disaster outbreak of contagious diseases and infections and other eventualities as floods begin to recede.