05th August 2022 19:00:22 Hours
Alert Army troops serving upcountry establishments under the direction of Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army immediately responded to worsening weather conditions, floods, landslides, earthslips and emergency needs in affected areas and evacuated many stranded civilians to safer locations during the past 24 hours ending noon on Tuesday (2).
Troops of the 5 Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) under the command to the 581 Brigade under the 58 Division of 1 Corps rescued 16 civilians, trapped and stranded in earthslips in the general area of Welgampola, Nawalapitiya last evening (1) after torrential rains caused soil erosion. (See separate story elsewhere in Home Page)
Similarly, 1 Sri Lanka Army Rifle Corps troops of the 111 Brigade of the 11 Division under the Security Force HQ- Central assisted Disaster Management Centre and other civil authorities to relocate about 50 families, displaced due to the overflow of Mahaweli river water in the general area of Kithulgoda.
Likewise, 19 Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG) troops of the 111 Brigade of the 11 Division under the Security Force HQ- Central with the support of civil authorities, evacuated about 75 families from Bagathuluwa area in Nuwara Eliya district to safer locations after overflowing Mahaweli river waters inundated their areas of residence.
Boats made available by the Army carried stranded flood-affected civilians to higher elevations as a temporary measure where 5 VIR troops under command to the 581 Brigade under the 58 Division of the 1 Corps were involved despite torrential rains throughout day and night.
In addition, 19 SLNG troops of the 111 Brigade conducted a search for a missing person, believed to have been carried away in the gushing waters that hit Diyagala -Vidulipura area in Nawalapitiya last evening (1). However, troops finally recovered the dead body of the missing person and handed over the corpse to the Nawalapitiya Hospital and the Police for onward arrangements.
Meanwhile, 19 SLNG troops of the 111 Brigade have launched a search for a 4-year old boy due to flooding in Madeniya area in Gnigathhena.
Meanwhile, 3 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) troops of the 112 Brigade under command to the 11 Division HQ of the Security Force Headquarters-Central hand in hand with workers at Road Development Authority (RDA) cleared soil mounds, caused by a minor landslide near Blackcool Junction Tuesday morning (2) along Nuwara Eliya-Hatton Road.
Troops who acted quickly joined hands with workers at Nuwara Eliya Road Development Authority, removed earth mounds and restored the road transport operations within few hours.
112 Brigade Commander, Major R.G.G Weerakoon, Commanding officer of 3 SLSR provided guidance to the troops for this task.
In the meantime, 19 Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG) troops under command to the 111 Brigade of the 11 Division of the Security Force HQ - Central on Wednesday (3) removed earth mounds, boulders and trees that had fallen on to the Gampola - Ginigathhena main road near Bagathuluwa area interrupting vehicular traffic.
A group of about 15 of 19 SLNG troops promptly removed those disruptions with the help of other volunteers and restored free movement after a couple of hours.
In the meantime, 19 Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG) troops of the 112 Brigade under the 11 Division of the Security Force Headquarters-Central on Tuesday (2) swiftly acted and cleared boulders and earth mounds that had fallen on to the railway track patch between Rossella and Watawala due to prevailing adverse weather conditions and earth slips.
Troops of the 19 Sri Lanka National Guard as per guidelines given by Major General Samantha Silva, Commander, Security Forces - Central and the General Officer Commanding, 11 Division carried out the emergency work under the close supervision of the 112 Brigade Commander and 19 SLNG Commanding Officer. A two digit number of troops including an Officer contributed to the emergency removal of those soild mounds, enabling trains to resume operations.
