More than 200 members of the Army serving the 111 Brigade under the 11 Division in Kandy swiftly responded to an SOS Police message and rescued a team of 455 university undergraduates who went missing in Hantaana mountains in Peradeniya at daybreak on Monday (17) after those university students had gone trekking on the previous day during their annual trip.
386 undergraduates and several lecturers of Sri Jayawardenapura University, joined by 65 undergraduates and 4 lecturers of Vavuniya Faculty of University of Jaffna as part of their annual picnic on Sunday (16) morning, had commenced trekking the popular Hantaana mountain range after entering from the Peradeniya University side, but inclement weather by Sunday (16) noon had worsened with torrential rains, covering the whole of the area with a pall of thick mist, compelling stranded picnickers to go in all directions, away from one another as darkness was enveloping the mountains.
As excited tension and sheer desperation began to grow every second with no assistance forthcoming in sight, one of the stranded lecturers in the group had reportedly alerted the Kandy Police on their plight over a mobile phone and pleaded for emergency rescue help. Police in turn immediately contacted the Kandy 11 Division Headquarters of the Army for action since the Army has the potential for such rescue operations at short notice and in times of national disasters, etc.
More than 200 officers and soldiers of 2 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR), 20 Gajaba Regiment (GR) and Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) Training School-Gannoruwa accordingly launched the rescue operations by Sunday (16) evening in search of those missing undergraduates.
Army troops hours after the launch of the operation traced the whereabouts of 71 missing students at first, of whom 7 students among them were found critically ill and made arrangements to get them admitted to Peradeniya Teaching Hospital by Sunday (16) evening itself.
However, by 4.30 a.m. on Monday (17), the troops completed the mammoth rescue operation after salvaging all the 455 missing students, including four lecturers and 30 student monks who were on the expedition, organized jointly by University of Jaffna and University of Peradeniya. 46 among the stranded who were in poor health were rushed to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.
Soon after the operations, 2 SLSR troops took them to their nearest formation, made them comfortable and served them with refreshments and first-aid assistance, considering such requirements as their priorities.
On close supervision and directions of Brigadier K.M.U Wijeratne, General Officer Commanding, 11 Division, Colonel Kamal Pinnawala, Commander, 111 Brigade in the area coordinated the rescue operations in association with 111 Brigade officers and other ranks who jumped into action for rescue operations despite heavy rains.
386 undergraduates and several lecturers of Sri Jayawardenapura University, joined by 65 undergraduates and 4 lecturers of Vavuniya Faculty of University of Jaffna as part of their annual picnic on Sunday (16) morning, had commenced trekking the popular Hantaana mountain range after entering from the Peradeniya University side, but inclement weather by Sunday (16) noon had worsened with torrential rains, covering the whole of the area with a pall of thick mist, compelling stranded picnickers to go in all directions, away from one another as darkness was enveloping the mountains.
As excited tension and sheer desperation began to grow every second with no assistance forthcoming in sight, one of the stranded lecturers in the group had reportedly alerted the Kandy Police on their plight over a mobile phone and pleaded for emergency rescue help. Police in turn immediately contacted the Kandy 11 Division Headquarters of the Army for action since the Army has the potential for such rescue operations at short notice and in times of national disasters, etc.
More than 200 officers and soldiers of 2 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR), 20 Gajaba Regiment (GR) and Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) Training School-Gannoruwa accordingly launched the rescue operations by Sunday (16) evening in search of those missing undergraduates.
Army troops hours after the launch of the operation traced the whereabouts of 71 missing students at first, of whom 7 students among them were found critically ill and made arrangements to get them admitted to Peradeniya Teaching Hospital by Sunday (16) evening itself.
However, by 4.30 a.m. on Monday (17), the troops completed the mammoth rescue operation after salvaging all the 455 missing students, including four lecturers and 30 student monks who were on the expedition, organized jointly by University of Jaffna and University of Peradeniya. 46 among the stranded who were in poor health were rushed to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.
Soon after the operations, 2 SLSR troops took them to their nearest formation, made them comfortable and served them with refreshments and first-aid assistance, considering such requirements as their priorities.
On close supervision and directions of Brigadier K.M.U Wijeratne, General Officer Commanding, 11 Division, Colonel Kamal Pinnawala, Commander, 111 Brigade in the area coordinated the rescue operations in association with 111 Brigade officers and other ranks who jumped into action for rescue operations despite heavy rains.
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