Japan has deployed a 30-member medical team to Sri Lanka to assist ongoing rescue and relief operations.

The team departed from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Pivithuru Janak Kumarasinghe and JICA officials present to see them off.

The team, led by Iwase Kiichiro, will spend about two weeks providing medical care in Chilaw, one of the worst-affected areas.

They noted that hospitals in the region have also suffered significant damage.