Sri Lanka is observing National Safety Day today (December 26) with the main national-level commemoration taking place from 8.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial in Galle.
As part of the observances, a two-minute silence will be held island-wide from 9.25 a.m. to 9.27 a.m. to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and other natural disasters.
The devastating tsunami of 2004 claimed the lives of more than 35,000 people in Sri Lanka, while over 5,000 individuals are still reported missing. The disaster also caused widespread destruction, with property losses amounting to billions of rupees.
Under Cabinet Paper No. 15/1975/715/001-1 of 2005, December 26 was officially declared National Safety Day, and it has been commemorated annually since 2005.
National Safety Day events were held continuously at national level from 2005 to 2014, with the participation of political leaders and the general public, in remembrance of those who perished in the tsunami and other disasters that have affected the country.
