Hundreds of Army troops have been moved to vulnerable areas to provide relief and engage in rescue operations if necessary in the wake of worsening weather conditions due to heavy rains in the past 48 hours, the Army said today.

It said that as of this afternoon, Security Force Headquarters – West (SFHQ-West) have been mobilized to the areas like Kegalle, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara, Kalutara, Kukuleganga, Bulathsinhala, Agalawatta and Kuruwita after weather reports confirmed fast increasing water levels and heavy rainfall in those areas.

Further, the Army said, 6 x WMZ and several boats have also been deployed to be used in an emergency situation.

Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army who has been in close touch with the developing inclement weather patterns and emergency relief operations has directed all Army formations across the island to prepare emergency contingencies to meet with any eventualities.  

The Commander has also instructed Director Operations of the Army Headquarters and other relevant Senior Officers to monitor the developments and implement all necessary measures in close cooperation with state agencies and respective local authorities.