Sri Lanka floods: Indian naval ship Shardul reaches Colombo with relief material, medical team

An Indian Naval ship carrying relief materials which left for Sri Lanka on Saturday has reached Colombo on Sunday. INS Shardul was sent to provide humanitarian assistance to the Island nation hit by floods.

INS Shardul reaches Colombo, Sri Lanka with relief materials. pic.twitter.com/WyXJE4BOuo

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2017

INS Kirch was earlier sent with relief material to Sri Lanka, it left the shores before Shardul reached.

#HADRSriLanka After disembarking relief material & stores INS Kirch leaves from Colombo. INS Shardul with relief efforts to enter in a while pic.twitter.com/ZZzERXNT06

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 28, 2017

INS Shardul sailed from Kochi on Saturday morning carrying not only relief materials such as food, water and medicines, but also has a medical team of doctors and assistants to render immediate medical aid to people, a naval spokesman said.

The ship has on board diving teams along with rubber inflatable craft to evacuate persons in flood affected areas. Equipped with a Chetak helicopter, the ship is also capable of undertaking search and rescue mission by air.

In the wake of floods, the Sri Lankan government had asked for flood relief assistance from India. The death toll from the worst floods since 2003 in Sri Lanka crossed 100 and authorities warned of more rains. 

(With PTI inputs)