(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has telephoned Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tuesday expressing his sorrow over the devastation caused by the deadliest forest fires raging in the country.
Condoling the loss of lives in the bush fires President Rajapaksa said as a country that has experienced natural disasters, including the 2004 tsunami and the occasional floods, the Sri Lankan people can understand the pain the Australian people are experiencing at the moment.
Sri Lanka is making a tea donation to the people of Australia at this time, the President said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among those to call Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to express solidarity.
Although fires are a common occurrence in Australia at this time of the year, this year’s forest fires have been frightening and devastating as ever. The blazes have razed almost 2,000 homes, and killed at least 25 people and hundreds of millions of animals since they began in September, BBC reported.
Since January and February are hot months, there are fears that the fires will escalate. Although fires have plagued all Australian states, New South Wales is the most devastated.
