Pakistan’s rescue team reaches cyclone-hit Sri Lanka for flood assistance

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s urban search and rescue team has arrived in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, to take part in flood relief operations in parts of the country, where severe flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have claimed more than 400 lives.

According to the state-run Radio Pakistan, a 47-member team, along with 6.5 tons of essential equipment, has arrived in Colombo via a special C130 plane on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Major General retired Fahim ul Aziz, and Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Ports received the Pakistani team and assured all possible cooperation.

Pakistan has always stood by Sri Lanka in every difficult time and will continue to stand by it, he said.

A relief assistance of 200 tonnes for flood-affectedees people of Sri Lanka by the government of Pakistan will also reach soon via sea.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad for seeing off the aid, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said the urban search and rescue team was being sent to help the people affected by the cyclone in Sri Lanka.

He said that the urban search and rescue team being sent for assistance was a “very competent military team” that was also experienced in being a key search and rescue partner for other teams in the recent past. He said the team will remain in the field as long as required.