Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed to rush medical teams and specialised search and rescue units to Nepal where a devastating earthquake has taken a heavy toll. Doctors and rescue workers are being rushed to help the victims in Nepal and Sri Lanka will work closely with the authorities in Nepal to provide them with any assistance they may require.
Sri Lanka has acquired expertise in dealing with major natural disasters following the December 2004 Asian tsunami which claimed over 30,000 lives and destroyed coastal infrastructure of the island.