Colombo : A Sri Lankan team left for Nepal from Colombo on Sunday to assist in rescue and relief operations, following the earthquake on Saturday that left over 2,000 people dead and 5,000 others injured.
The Sri Lanka army said the first contingent included 44 military personnel and four civil medical consultants, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Four sniffer dogs and a large stock of rescue equipment, urgent sanitary-ware, tools, tents, generators, medicine and dry rations also saw their passage in the first flight,” the army said.
The Sri Lankan government said it was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and extensive damage to property caused by the earthquake in Nepal on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan ambassador W.M. Senevirathna said 120 students from the country at the Manipal University in Pokhara and around 20 citizens from the country in Kathmandu were safe.
The Sri Lankan citizens will be brought back home by the planes taking relief supplies to Nepal.