Apr 29, Colombo: The second flight with 97 service personnel and supplies to assist relief efforts in earthquake-hit Nepal has left Colombo today.

The Nepal-bound Sri Lankan Airlines flight UL 4195 with 97 service personnel onboard left the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport for Kathmandu Wednesday (29) around 12.30 p.m. the Army said.

The flight is also carrying a consignment of 17 tonnes of medicine, engineering, signal and ordnance equipment, supportive transport requirements, water bottles, health accessories, dry rations, and water purification tablets, etc.

The second contingent of 97 service personnel comprised 72 Army personnel including 3 officers, 14 Navy personnel including one officer, 11 Air Force personnel including a officer.

They will join the first Army contingent already engaged in Dolalghad area in Nepal.

Minister of Disaster Management A.H.M Fowzie and UNP National Organizer Daya Gamage, representing the government's interests, joined the contingent, aboard the Sri Lankan Airlines flight for Nepal.

The first segment of the emergency rescue and relief contingent of 44 Army personnel and 4 Civil Medical Consultants, aboard an Sri Lanka Air Force flight left for the earthquake-struck Nepal on Sunday (26) to assist ongoing rescue and relief operations in the densely-populated Kathmandu valley, devastated by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake which has reportedly claimed over 4000 lives by Wednesday (29).

The military contingents to aid the relief efforts were dispatched following an initiative of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva closely supervised the dispatch of the Army relief contingents organized in close coordination with the Disaster Management Centre, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.