POWERCHINA volunteers assist Chinese injured in Sri Lanka bombings

On April 21, at least eight terrorist bombings struck Sri Lanka, causing mass casualties. POWERCHINA's overseas branch in Sri Lanka has since launched an emergency response to help assist and transfer injured Chinese citizens.

At 7:30 pm on April 22, the Asia-Pacific Division of Sinohydro Bureau 14, a subsidiary of POWERCHINA, immediately set up a volunteer team to assist in the emergency work.

At 9:00 am on April 23, under the organization of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, POWERCHINA's representative office in Sri Lanka, and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, the volunteer team went to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka to visit Chinese citizens injured in the blasts and escorted several Chinese citizens to Sri Lanka's international airport who needed to return to China for further treatment.

When the explosion occurred, POWERCHINA's branch in Sri Lanka launched an emergency response for the first time. It reported the emergency to the company's head office and deployed preventive measures to ensure employees' safety. In addition, it took safety precautions in accordance with instructions and requirements from the head office.

The Asia-Pacific Division of Sinohydro Bureau 14 reminded employees of all project departments to pay attention to safety through a WeChat group and a QQ group. In cases of emergency, they reminded employees that they should call the police and contact the department for assistance.

All staff was strictly prohibited from going out. The company sent special personnel to keep up to date about the situation and any changes from the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the media, as well as keep in communication with the embassy and the head office, so they could act on any emergency measures as needed in a timely fashion.

The division also strengthened communication regarding internal safety information. All project departments were required to designate special personnel to report on the surrounding security situation every hour through the WeChat group and QQ group.

According to a notice issued by the local police department, all local employees were given arrangements to go home for holidays and all project departments were suspended from construction.

All project departments were required to check whether there were unidentified objects inside of their premises. The cafeteria at the Colombo office and the staff dormitory remained closed. The labor union of the division communicated with employees, especially new ones, to answer any of their questions and to calm their emotions.

The division has a total of 174 Chinese employees, 390 employees from collaborating organizations, and 655 local employees. No one was hurt and all employees were emotionally stable. The division will actively respond to and properly handle head office's instructions and requirements to ensure the safety of the employees.