Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) has announced plans to carry out a comprehensive island-wide tsunami mock exercise on November 5.
DMC Director General Major General (Retd.) Sampath Kotuwegoda said the initiative comes amid a series of minor earthquakes recently detected near the Sumatra Trench, a region known for its seismic activity.
The large-scale exercise is being organized as part of a regional program coordinated by the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), involving 28 participating countries. Key drills will take place in the Kalutara, Matara, Jaffna, and Batticaloa districts, with parallel activities across other parts of the island.
Major General Kotuwegoda highlighted the importance of the exercise, noting that an earthquake exceeding 6.5 magnitude in the Sumatra region could pose a tsunami threat to Sri Lanka. He emphasized that proactive preparation is crucial to minimizing potential risks.
