Matara Seelarathana Thero Recounts Harrowing Flood Ordeal

 Matara Seelarathana Thero stated that he too was among the 69 individuals rescued by the Navy from the roof of a bus that had stopped on the Puttalam-Anuradhapura road, in front of the Kala Oya Sirivijayabodhirajarama Temple, on the morning of the 28th. Trapped between life and death amidst the floods caused by Cyclone Ditwa, they were then moved to the roof of an adjacent building due to the strong currents. The Thero also mentioned that he was on top of a coconut tree located very close by.

The Thero, who is said to have returned to Matara, where his temple is located, after the incident, mentioned this to us very emotionally on the 8th, while visiting the Kala Oya Sirivijayabodhirajarama Temple to see the site of the accident, on his way to the Rajanganaya Police for some related matter.


The Thero told us that he had visited the sacred grounds of Anuradhapura for worship on November 26th. The following day, the 27th, due to heavy rains in Anuradhapura, he went to the Anuradhapura railway station around 10 PM to take a train back to Colombo and then to Matara. However, upon learning that the train to Colombo had been cancelled due to trees falling on the railway tracks, he spent the night at the railway station with other passengers until boarding the relevant bus that arrived around 6 AM the next day.

Here, the Thero further briefly described his experience as follows:


“When the bus stopped in the water in front of the Kala Oya temple, it was around 6:43 AM. After the bus stopped, no one knew what to do. The water level was rising. Amidst the chaos inside the bus, those who could came forward and helped everyone get onto the bus roof. There was a foreign woman, two or three young Navy personnel on leave, and as we later learned, a judge among them. In the meantime, several men came forward, asked for a few sarees from the women's bags on the bus, tied them to the bus windows, and then to a nearby lamppost, fearing the bus would be swept away by the strong current.


I mentioned that the bus stopped in the water around 6:43 AM. However, almost immediately, due to the notifications made by the military personnel, the judge, myself, and a few others to all relevant authorities, amidst the chaos, a few minutes later, three Navy personnel, like gods on earth, arrived in a boat. They took us in several trips to the roof of the nearest building. We later learned that these personnel were from the Gahawadiya camp. At that time, the current was very strong, and the water was rising. It was impossible to go further. So, the most suitable and closest building available at that moment was the roof of that shop. 

The reason was that I had previously seen that even though the roof was sheeted, the beams were placed close together. We were made to sit along those beams, and no one was allowed to stand up until we were rescued the next day. However, I was not on the roof among the laypeople; after climbing onto the roof, I was on top of a coconut tree right next to the wall. This also made it easier for me to video the incident. I and others videoed the situation as much as possible and sent it to responsible individuals we knew. The Navy

personnel and the judge even informed the highest authorities. We all stood together as one at that time. Ultimately, the operation to rescue us reached the President himself. Although helicopters came to rescue us, the attempt was thwarted, fearing that the wind from the helicopter would damage the roof and endanger us. In the meantime, that evening (28th), a part of the roof broke, and four people fell into the water. However, they were pulled back up. Most of the people among the group were women. 


I remember there were about five small children too. Some biscuit packets that had floated nearby were pulled closer with a piece of wood that had also floated in the water and brought up. To describe the flood situation at that time, if you sat on the roof and dangled your legs, the water would touch them. We knew that a large number of people were trying to rescue us. But we also knew that due to the strong current, no one could come to rescue us at that moment. However, if the Navy personnel hadn't come on the very first day and taken us from the bus to the shop's roof, one cannot even imagine what would have happened to us. Because almost immediately after we were taken from the bus to the roof, the bus itself overturned. I believe those Navy personnel were truly like gods on earth.

They tied the dinghy they came in to the coconut tree. They stayed in the boat, continuously pumping air into it, and did not leave us alone until we were rescued the next day. At this moment, I gratefully remember the owner of the building where we were on the roof, and also the mason who constructed it.


I must specially mention this. We know that a large number of people were involved in this great rescue operation. I offer countless blessings and gratitude to everyone who was involved in any way, known and unknown, including personnel from the security forces such as the Navy, Police, Army, and Air Force, who came from various directions and were directed from above, the President and his staff, any other government officials, and the villagers from the surrounding areas. I also hope to meet them in the future if possible.

Jayarathna Wickramarathne