Port City Colombo Deploys Full Disaster-Response Fleet to Central Province

CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. initiated a major emergency support operation on 4th of December, deploying its full fleet of disaster-response machinery to the Central Province within 24 hours of committing assistance following Cyclone Ditwah.

The company mobilised 12 heavy-duty machines and a specialised engineering team to help clear routes, stabilise slopes and restore damaged transport infrastructure. The effort is centred along the A5 corridor between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, where landslides and debris have severely restricted access, slowing the delivery of relief to some of the most affected communities.

Managing Director Xiong Hongfeng said the rapid deployment was driven by the urgency of reopening vital supply lines. He noted that the company’s focus was to ensure emergency responders could reach isolated areas as quickly as possible.

The machinery was officially handed over to the Sri Lanka Army by Mr. Hongfeng, with Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russel Aponso also present. The Colombo Port City Economic Commission facilitated the commencement of the operation.

The deployed fleet comprising excavators, loaders, backhoes, dump trucks and flatbed trucks is now operating under national disaster management authorities. CHEC Port City Colombo’s engineering teams will remain on-site to support around-the-clock operations until the A5 route is fully restored for emergency vehicles and essential supplies.

This intervention follows the company’s contribution of Rs. 10 million to the Government’s Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund. In addition, the Port City Colombo project management team, together with the regional office of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), donated a further Rs. 3 million toward immediate relief.

The company has also extended technical support for emergency bridge repairs, road reconstruction and engineering assessments as part of broader national recovery initiatives.

CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd., wholly owned by China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, stated that its support demonstrates an ongoing commitment to Sri Lanka, both in advancing national development and in responding during times of greatest need.