One person died and twenty-three were injured in the building that collapsed in Wellawatte yesterday.

A seven-storey building on Charlemont Road collapsed last morning at around 10. 30.

The building was partially constructed and several construction workers were in the building when it collapsed without warning.

Army troops are still engaged in rescue operations at the site. Rescue operations will be halted by evening, Army sources said. 

At least nineteen people were injured when a building under construction in Wellawatte collapsed at around 10. 35 this morning. Police said 13 were admitted to the Kalubowila Hospital while a further six were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.

The partially constructed building collapsed without warning this morning. Police and STF are evacuating people from the area in case of another collapse. There were no dead reported in the incident thus far. Police and tri-forces are conducting further rescue operations.

A building in close proximity to the Savoy Cinema in Wellawatte has collapsed.

Nine persons have been rescued from debris and rushed to the Kalubowila Hospital.

Police and the fire brigade are continuing rescue operations.

The cause for the collapse is not yet known.

President Maithripala Sirisena requested public and private sectors as well as politicians to  join hands in fulfilling their respective duties to combat the spread of dengue virus around the country.

The President also requested all the politicians to provide their proactive contribution in giving essential facilities for the programmes initiated islandwide to prevent  spread of dengue virus.

Furthermore,the President instructed to implement a joint national programme with public and private sectors from June 01 and further stated to declare three months period from June 01 for the prevention of dengue virus.

He made these instructions during a meeting with a Special Task Force on dengue prevention,held at the Presidential Secretariat,today(16).

President Sirisena summoned the Task Force on dengue prevention to discuss the steps that should be taken to prevent the rapid spread of dengue virus.He also instructed the officials to submit a written report on the issues they faced when implementing the dengue prevention programmes.

The President said that in the future a number of Gazette notifications will be issued declaring the steps that should be taken by the public sector as the Government institutions  to combat the dengue virus and he further said that the private sector too will be apprised in this regard.

The President gave instructions to enforce the law against water-filled places in mega building construction sites.

Similarly,the President said to conduct awareness programmes on dengue prevention on one hour duration in one selective day of the week at all the public and private institutions as well as in the schools.

The President directed the relevant sections to arrange required activities to re-activate the producing of bacteria for Dengue prevention through the relevant companies in Sri Lanka.

He also pointed out the importance of telecasting and broadcasting the Dengue awareness programs in media for the people by making them knowledgeable about the actions including destroying of the mosquito breeding places, needs to be taken to prevent Dengue.

The President drew his attention on deploying the environmental police more effectively in the Dengue prevention by strengthening them. He directed the officials to strengthen the program which has been carried out by tri-forces and the Ministry of Health for the prevention of Dengue.

President Sirisena focused on the congestion at hospitals due to the increase of Dengue patients. He directed officials to take actions to provide them required facilities by acquiring temporary buildings at the hospitals in Ragama and Kalubowila.

He also directed to give priority for the Dengue prevention program at the District Development Committees and Divisional Development Committees. He emphasized that everybody should consider this as an emergency.

He stated that the Ministry of Finance can take actions fulfill the requirements of physical resources and human resources for Dengue prevention.

Ministers Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Vajira Abeywardena, Faizer Mustafa, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Duminda Dissanayake, Mahinda Amaraweera, Chief Minister of Western province Isura Dewapriya, Secretary to the President P. B. Abeykoon, Commanders of Tri-forces, and the Specialist of Dengue Ananda Wijeywickrema also participated in this discussion.

 (PMD)

President Maithripala Sirisena rubbished claims the turnout at the Joint Opposition May Day rally at Galle Face was an indication of a growing opposition.

“If they think they can change the government by calculating the amount of people who turned up at the May Day rally, they are living in a dream. It is a joke,” the President said.

He was addressing an event at Aralaganwila to handout Mahaweli deeds to one hundred thousand people.

President Maithripala Sirisena also derided the opposition launched protest against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “the same people who called for black flags crept in to meet the Indian Premier in the night,” he said.

The European Union’s approval of Sri Lanka’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) application is a landmark moment; It truly shows how far Sri Lanka has come in recent years and must be seen as an endorsement of the national unity government’s reforms, UNP General Secretary Minister Kabir Hashim said. 

"GSP+ approval criteria is very strictly set to ensure those countries approved are implementing good governance and sustainable development. In effect Ranil’s UNP led government has secured international recognition of improvements in Sri Lanka in human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and good governance," he said. 

The Minister also added, "When Sri Lanka lost the GSP+ concession in 2010 those were dark times for the country. Since then UNP led reforms have embarked on an ambitious programmeof major reforms aiming for national reconciliation, respect of human rights, the rule of law and good governance principles, as well as sustainable economic development.

These progressive reforms now have a practical economic outcome in that GSP+ will offer huge opportunities for Sri Lankan business. Under GSP+ status Sri Lanka qualifies to export its products tax-free to the European market. The EU is Sri Lanka's biggest export market accounting for nearly one-third of Sri Lanka's global exports. Last year exports to the EU were worth 2.8 Billion euros.

Truly Sri Lanka is on the right track in terms of good governance, international diplomacy and economic prosperity. The UNP led government can take enormous credit for this and as a nation we can look forward to a brighter future."

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sri Lanka, the Sirisena-Wickremasinghe administration turned down a request by China to dock one of its submarines in Colombo. 

China had sought Sri Lanka's permission to dock one of its submarines in Colombo early next week. 

Although Sri Lanka's 'official' reason for the rejection is still unknown, the decision can be attributed to the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Colombo. 

Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena hosted a dinner for Modi at the former's official residence, last night. 

High-level diplomatic sources were silent on the matters discussed by the two leaders. However, it is clear that key geo-political matters involving Sri Lanka, India and China were discussed during the interaction. 

Upon his arrival in Sri Lanka, the Indian Prime Minister was greeted by his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesighe, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema.

President Maithripala Sirisena, in his message for Vesak, said equality was a key factor in ensuring social justice.

‘The key condition for the social justice is equality. The Buddhist teachings also give prominence to this universal concept of equality. The equality, which is demanded by the contemporary world, had been taken into discussion during the period of the Buddha 2561 years ago. The Buddha said, the peace which is the key factor of the existence of human beings can only be built in a healthy society where equality has been established,’ the President said.

Below is his message in full:

‘The year 2561 B.C. dawns, marking the commencement of the golden era in the Buddhist history of Sri Lanka. I believe it is an incomparable prestige that our Motherland, as a place where the Buddha visited on three occasions, receives the opportunity to hold the United Nations International Vesak Festival. This is the foremost gift bestowed on us since Sri Lanka was blessed with the greatest gift, the teachings of the Buddha.

Offering the pivotal role for us in the 14th UN International Vesak Festival certainly demonstrates the recent victories we have achieved in the international arena. All the citizens of Sri Lanka, who contributed for this accomplishment, will be added to the history as devotees, who benefitted from this meritorious deed.

This year’s theme for the International Vesak Festival is ‘Buddhist Teachings for Social Justice and Sustainable Peace’. The key condition for the social justice is equality. The Buddhist teachings also give prominence to this universal concept of equality. The equality, which is demanded by the contemporary world, had been taken into discussion during the period of the Buddha 2561 years ago. The Buddha said, the peace which is the key factor of the existence of human beings can only be built in a healthy society where equality has been established.

Our historical chronicle which starts with the Nibbana of the Buddha will enter a new path with Sri Lanka hosting the International Vesak Festival this year. With that pride let us determine to commit to rise in the global society by overcoming petty boundaries.

I wish the Buddhist population in the entire world a joyful and peaceful Vesak!’

Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday alleged the former government, headed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had taken an unspecified amount as loan from Libya – but the money was remitted to a private account.

Addressing the media at an event in his hometown Matara, the Foreign Affairs Minister said, “Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa went to Libya, and he took a loan for Sri Lanka from Libya, but that money was remitted to the private account of a relative – that is all I will say for now,” he said, referring to the former President as someone saved from the electric chair.

“Don’t be angry with me for saying this,” he told the crowd, “but Mahinda Rajapaksa whom we saved from the electric chair only has the wheel chair to look forward to.”

“I can’t save him from that,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said, “that is the fate awaiting all of us.”