Troops Of Security Forces (West) Stepped Forward To Assist Flood Affected People In Western Province
Troops serving under Security Force (west) provided immediate assistance for rescue and relief efforts of District Secretariats of Ratmalana, Kolonnawa, Colombo, Seethawaka, Maharagama, Thimbirigasyaya, J-pura Kotte, Panadura, Dehiowita, Kurunegala, Galgamuwa, Mallawapitiya, Balapitiya, Habaraduwa, Kadawathsathara and Walgama areas. There are over 4000 affected families in above mentioned areas.
On the direction of Commander Security Force (West) Major General S Ranasighe RWP,RSP ndu,psc over 400 army troops provided assistance in evacuating and relocating some of the flood affected people to safer areas and providing them with cooked meals, medical assistance, sanitary and technical facilities.
Following heavy storms that swept across Nalluruwa, Panadura areas on Sunday (15), 14 Division troops, commanded by Brigadier P.J Gamage, General Officer Commanding, 14 Division of the Security Force (West), hurried to the area and began renovating damaged houses and other properties. Troops numbering about 165 were re-thatching blown off roofs of those 30 houses in the area as the dusk fell on Sunday.
In the meantime, Army troops attending rescue operations at Dennis Worth Estate, Deraniyagala where several line houses of an estate were washed away in a landslide, causing disappearance of three persons this morning (16), recovered the remains of a civilian, buried alive in the landslide. Civilians also recovered one more dead body from the location.
More than 60 troops of the 583 Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Randula Hathnagoda RWP RSP, Brigade Commander, 583 Brigade are still engaged in those rescue and relief operations with the assistance of residents in the area.
Meanwhile, members of the 14 Division have been sent to Diyawanna Oya area around the Parliament complex to be alert to the swelling water levels in the Diyawanna Oya. A total of 25 Army personnel of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps were busy stacking sand bags along the vulnerable points that could spill water over the Oya banks. A patch of the main road near the Parliament complex was under water at the time the troops reached the location.
A mass lump of soil that has fallen in the general area of Dehiowita, Kohilagedara in Eheliyagoda had to be removed by Engineer troops this morning (16) since it has affected the movement in the area. More than 55 troops are still engaged in the clearance work with the help of heavy machinery as the report was compiled. Commander Security Force (West) Major General S Ranasinghe RWP RSP ndu psc visited that area with the Commander 583 Brigade Brigadier Randula Hathnagoda and given on the spot directions to under command troops. Two dead bodies of civilians were found whilst clearing debris.
Few selected photographs taken during the mission is submitted herewith to publish in Army Web please.
