Central Troops Spot Missing Undergraduates in Hanthana

A 16-member two rescue teams, each consist of 1 Officer and 8 Other Ranks of the 2 (V) Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) of the 11 Division under the Security Force Headquarters - Central (SFHQ-Cen) succeeded in tracing whereabouts of a group of university undergraduates while on an expedition in Hanthana mountain, Kandy in the Kandy Police Division a few hours before on Thursday (29).

Reports confirmed that this 17 member team of undergrads, including 9 male and 8 female on a camping tour while trekking the mountains were reportedly lost their way as dusk was fast falling amidst gloomy weather conditions.

On being informed by the District Secretary, Kandy for rescue assistance, a 16-member rescue team of the 11 Division under the supervision of Major General Nisshanka Ranawana, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 11 Division and under the guidance of Major General Rukmal Dias, Commander, Security Forces - Central (SF-Cen) rushed to the dense jungle-infested Hanthana hilly areas although, cloudy weather and thick darkness obstructed their search operations from time to time.

However, during the evening hours (2030 hrs) on Thursday (29) the Army rescue team of the SFHQ-Cen screened the exact location and reached affected undergrads who had lost their way in the hilly jungles.

The Army rescue team of the 2 (V) SLSR managed to bring them down safely after a search operation that lasted about three hours.

The rescue team after locating those went missing returned to the Kandy Police Station this evening (29).

The Army rescue team of the SFHQ-Cen formally handed over the undergraduates to the Kandy Police Station at about 11.30 pm on the instructions of the Commander, SF-Cen.