NEW DELHI: India is sending three Navy ships with supplies and other aid to Sri Lanka, which has appealed for international assistance after floods and landslides killed at least 113 people since last week.
The first of the three ships - INS Kirch - reached Colombo on Saturday and the other two, INS Shardul and INS Jalashwa are expected to reach later today. On board, along with food, water and medicines, is a team of doctors to help provide immediate medical aid to those in need, a Naval spokesperson said.
The ship also has diving teams on board along with rubber inflatable craft to evacuate those in flood affected areas. Equipped with a Chetak helicopter, the ship is also capable of undertaking search and rescue mission by air.
91 people are still said to be missing after the worst torrential rains the island nation has seen since 2003.
The Sri Lankan government says an appeal has been made to the United Nations and neighbouring countries for assistance "especially in the areas of search and rescue operations".
Deaths have been reported from the western coastal district of Kalutara, the central southern district of Ratnapura and the southern district of Matara.
Some 2,000 military personnel has been deployed by Sri Lanka to help the police and civilian agencies in search and rescue operations. Even though boats and helicopters are being used, access to some areas is very difficult, officials have said.
Nearly 3 lakh people across the nation have been affected by the torrential rains and many families have had to displace from their homes.
Sri Lanka receives maximum rainfall between May and September.
With inputs from Reuters, NDTV and PTI
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