Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday pledged a fire brigade service would be established in Mullaitivu and Puttalam within one week, following an outcry from residents who had been without any service for many years.
Ranil was responding to a statement made by the TNA MP, Charles Nirmalanthan, pointing out that the government had failed to act on the issue despite repeated requests.
"We wrote to the Prime Minister on December 27 last year addressing this complaint, " Nirmalanthan stated, pointing out the nearest fire service to both districts was in Vavuniya.
"Vavuniya is aproximately 80 kilomteres away from both these districts and it takes almost two hours for these fire trucks to arrive."