A group of private company hikers from Awissawella area who had climbed the Narangala Ridge in Badulla for night camping despite DMC warning against doing so, found one of them dead after falling a 700 ft precipice.

At first, the team on finding that one of their members had gone missing had dialled 119 Police emergency who afterwards turned to the 112 Brigade seeking assistance of Army rescue teams. Promptly responding to the SOS request, a team of Officers and Other Ranks of the 112 Brigade on the instructions of General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army and the Commander Security Forces - Central, Major General Ranjan Lamahewa. On ground Major General Sarada Samarakoon, General Officer Commanding of 11 Division, Brigadier Anura Dissanayake, Commander 112 Brigade and troops rushed to the scene despite fog and launched the search operation while descending along the 700 ft deep cliff braving all odds to find the dead body of the missing person.

The person who died Akalanka Perera (24) an employee of the same private company had joined the team of hikers, together with his workmates for the camping mission. Reports confirmed that the team had been refused permission for overnight camping but the team had defied it and gone there on their own.

The remains of the team member were handed over to the Police and the hospital team who were present at the location around 11.00 yesterday morning (27). (Sri Lanka Army).