India today handed over relief goods worth Rs 5 million to Sri Lanka for victims of the devastating landslide on October 29 that killed 13 people.

India had made a commitment to provide emergency humanitarian assistance worth Sri Lankan Rupees 5 million within days after the landslide struck a tea estate in Koslanda, Haldummula Division of Badulla district in Uva Province.

Media reports said that A. Natarajan, Assistant High Commissioner of India in Kandy, handed over relief goods to Governor of Uva Province C Nanda Mathew in Badulla.

The relief goods have been identified in coordination with the Sri Lankan government and procured locally.

The items include large and small generators, water pumps, tractor, chainsaws, concrete power saws, canvas water hose and aluminum cookware, among others.

The Indian government has also committed, as part of its housing project in the estates, to construct houses in some landslide prone estates from where people have been evacuated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed deep condolence over the loss of lives in the calamity that mostly destroyed homes of Indian-origin people and wished speedy recovery to those injured.

The landslide was triggered by heavy rains and wiped out 120 workers' homes at the Meeriabedda tea estate in the central Badulla district.
(with inputs from The New Indian Express)