COLOMBO: A road in Sri Lanka's southern Galle district is to be renamed in honour of Indian defence personnel for their assistance after the December 26, 2004, tsunami — the island-nation's worst recorded natural calamity.

The road, in Peraliya town, where most passengers of a train were washed away, is to be renamed the India-Sri Lanka Maitri Road.

A proposal had been made in this regard by the Southern Province Governor, Kingsley T. Wickramaratne.

The tsunami killed more than 30,000 people in coastal villages across northern, eastern, southern and southwestern Sri Lanka.

The exact number of passengers aboard the train is not known, but officials term it the single largest train tragedy in the island.

Mr. Wickramaratne on Monday handed over commendation certificates for the Indian service personnel deployed for tsunami relief at the official residence of the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Nirupama Rao.

Ms. Rao received the commendation certificates on behalf of the Indian defence personnel.

First country

India was the first country to rush relief assistance to tsunami-hit Sri Lanka, with the first contingent arriving the same day.

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