Japan sends medical team to disaster-stricken Sri Lanka

Japan's overseas aid agency has sent a medical team to Sri Lanka, one of the countries in South and Southeast Asia worst affected by torrential rain, floods and landslides last week.

The country's Disaster Management Center said 465 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 360 are missing.

About 30 members of the medical team took off from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka's ambassador to Japan, Pivithuru Janak Kumarasinghe, and officials from JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, came to see them off.

The ambassador said, "Words cannot explain the way that you have helped, the way that you came forward, whenever, wherever we need."

Iwase Kiichiro, the medical team leader, said, "We'd like to provide our heartfelt support to those requiring medical care."

The team is expected to spend around two weeks treating injured people in the western town of Chilaw, which suffered severe damage.

   Iwase said hospitals in the affected region have also been badly damaged.

nhk