Sri Lanka is to remember the victims of the deadly 2004 tsunami on Tuesday, 26th December.
The public have been requested to observe 2-minutes silence between 9.25am and 9.27am in remembrance of the tsunami victims.
Over 35,000 people were killed and at least 5000 others were reported missing following the Asian tsunami on 26th December 2004 which affected multiple countries.
The main remembrance event will be held in Peraliya where the tsunami swept a passenger train off the tracks killing over 1700 people.
Sri Lanka recently announced the launch of a state-of-the-art disaster early warning system.
This is a collaborative effort involving the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and major telephone service providers including SLT Mobitel, Hutch, Dialog and Airtel, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.
The primary objective of this state-of-the-art disaster early warning system is to fortify the existing mechanism, ensuring the safety and well-being of Sri Lankan citizens amidst various disasters, including those caused by weather and climate changes. The system leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver more effective early warnings through telephone communication networks.
Specifically focusing on tsunami disasters, the system targets nearly sixty thousand (60,000) mobile and landline numbers in 14 districts identified as high-risk areas. It is designed to promptly issue an immediate early warning in the form of a distinctive “Ring Tone” notification accompanied by a siren sound.
This will establish a more robust early warning mechanism for the public, utilizing phone notifications featuring a siren sound, particularly effective during night-time hours.
Scheduled for a public rollout on “National Security Day” on December 26, 2023, the system’s scope is anticipated to expand in the future, evolving into a comprehensive multi-disaster early warning mechanism. This expansion aims to include landslides and floods, further enhancing its utility and impact. (Colombo Gazette)
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