IGP's Special Statement on the Disaster Situation

Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya has issued a special statement regarding the natural disaster situation that has arisen in the island. It is as follows.

"At present, the entire island is facing this weather change. Also, to provide necessary services to the displaced or those stranded in various locations, a special unit has been established at every police station today.

Furthermore, due to this emergency disaster situation, with immediate effect, all leave and day-offs for police officers of all ranks have been cancelled until the upcoming 30th. Moreover, if there are officers unable to reach their duty stations, especially due to disruptions in train or public transport services, all police officers are currently prepared to go to the police stations nearest to their residential addresses and render their service."

"I must remind you again about the emergency contact numbers you know. Specifically, 117 for the Disaster Management Centre, the very familiar 119 Police Emergency Hotline, as well as 1990 for the Suwasariya Ambulance Service, 110 for the Fire Brigade, 113 for Army Headquarters, and 116 for Air Force Headquarters.

For these special relief efforts, all institutions including the Sri Lanka Police, Disaster Management Centre, Divisional Secretariats, the Tri-Forces, and the Civil Security Department are jointly prepared to serve the public at this time.

There is a particular point we must remind the public. We have observed instances where some individuals come to observe disaster sites. Furthermore, we have noticed attempts to travel on roads that we have closed, despite them being closed, and we have taken steps to control these. Acting according to one's own will and desire in this manner creates a risk of endangering your vehicle and the other occupants. Therefore, we respectfully and attentively remind you that you must act responsibly to avoid the dangerous situations I mentioned."

"Indeed, we have made several requests on multiple occasions. At this time, the very minimal vehicle traffic on the roads is a very good situation. In such a disaster, if general vehicle traffic is low, we can easily prioritize essential services. So, we urge you to act with utmost patience and restraint until this natural disaster ends, and we want to inform you that we are with you.

Furthermore, we have another observation. It has come to light that some young women and even adults are acting very irresponsibly by engaging in activities such as water sports and fishing, and we have received instructions to caution such individuals. Therefore, you should also pay attention to this.

There may be instances where some citizens are unable to access the telephone numbers I mentioned above. The primary purpose of providing these numbers is to remind you that in such situations, your friends, relatives, or acquaintances can intervene and inform the relevant offices about the situation in the respective areas via these numbers.

Also, as you know, many accidents have been reported near landslides, so the dangerous situation is currently at a very high level. Therefore, if you clearly feel a danger in such landslide-prone areas, evacuate those places immediately, even before authorities inform you or if you perceive it as dangerous. Especially with government patronage, schools, places of worship, and relevant safe locations have been prepared.

So, when you feel a risk, evacuate quickly and act with extreme caution during these harsh two or three days. If you do so, we will be able to restart our lives positively in the coming days. All institutions, including the Sri Lanka Police, which operate responsibly, are committed to your safety and protection.

Thank you very much."