The army contingent with two more sniffer dogs, together with the remainder of the Army rescue and relief contingent plus another large consignment of relief items is set to leave for Kathmandu aboard the second Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft, most probably by Monday (27) morning the Army said.

The relief items include medicines, dressing items, generators, wire rolls, bulbs, gloves, tissues, medical equipment, drinking water bottles, dry rations etc. The remaining stocks, now awaiting airlifting with the troops, are at the Katunayake SLAF Base along with 50 more Army personnel on standby ready for departure to Nepal, the Army said.

The first segment of the rescue and relief contingent of 48 Army personnel including four civil medical consultants, a team of Commandos, Engineer troops, four sniffer dogs, Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps personnel and other vocationally qualified Army members, left for Nepal early on Sunday (26) on a SLAF Hercules C-130 transport aircraft.

The relief teams are sent for the rescue and recovery efforts on directives of the President and the support of the Prime Minister under the supervision of Commander of Army Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva.