27 December 2021 08:51 am Views - 293
Pic by D G Sugathapala
By D. G. Sugathapala
and Hemantha De Silva - Unawatuna
The state ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Tsunami disaster was held yesterday for the 17th year at the Tsunami Memorial in Peraliya in Hikkaduwa with the participation of relatives of the victims.
They paid floral tributes at the Tsunami Memorial. Thousands of passengers in the Matara bound express from Colombo were among the victims in the most serious railway accident that had ever been experienced in the world. Commemorating the tragedy, General Manager of Railways Dhammika Jayasundara and several senior officials travelled by train from Colombo to attend the ceremony.
The Maha Sangha and religious dignitaries, Minister of Plantation Industries, Ramesh Pathirana, Southern Province Governor Willie Gamage, District Parliamentarians, Sampath Atukorala, Shan Wijelal, Govt. Agent Shantha Weerasinghe, Police and the security force officials and residents of the area were present at the occasion.
Meanwhile, religious ceremony was held at the mass grave in Kuruduwatta in Akmeemana where the bodies of about 450 Tsunami victims had been buried, JMO Karapitiya Teaching Hospital Dr. U. C. P. Perera was the chief guest.
Pic by Hemantha De Silva
Tsunami victims were commemorated in various areas in Galle including the Galle main bus stand. Tsunami waves had hit the bus stand and the surrounding area claiming the lives of several people during the disaster. All vehicles passing the bus stand were halted and two minutes silence was observed in commemoration of the victims. HQI Galle Police Kapila Senapathi De Silva had organised the ceremony.