Chinese Rescue Team set up 446 tents for Sri Lankan disaster area

One Chinese rescue team constructed 16 settlements for Sri Lankan during their 9-day-visit here to help local people affected by serious floods and landslides, an official of Chinese Red Cross relief and rescue team said here on Friday.

After constructing 16 makeshift shelters with 446 tents in Kagalla and Dehiowita, the most serious landslide-affected by the recent flood and landslide, the rescue team flied back to China on early Friday morning, Mr. Yang Xusheng, the leader of Chinese Red Cross relief and rescue team told Xinhua.

Heavy rain followed by floods and landslides in Sri Lanka two weeks ago killed about 100 people with many more still missing. Over 500,000 people have been affected by the adverse weather.

The international community including China has offered relief supplies and money assistance to Sri Lanka. Besides 1.5 million U.S. dollars of cash donation, China further handed over 1,000 tents and 3,000 folding beds to Sri Lanka for construction of settlements.

The rescue team came with this batch of relief supplies to assist Sri Lanka in training soldiers on constructing settlements and setting up tents.

The team braved hot and humid weather and carried out the construction work during their stay, and "local people affected by disaster showed their hospitality and thanks to us and to China," Yang said.

The Sri Lankan soldiers will take over the remaining construction work, 292 of whom have been trained by the Chinese rescue team. It is reported that over 1,000 families will benefit from the batch of tents and folding bed. Enditem