Ranil pledges fire service within 1 week after outcry in Mullaitivu, Puttalam

<p>Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday pledged a fire brigade service would be established in Mullaitivu and Puttalam within one week, following an outcry from residents who had been without any service for many years.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ranil was responding to a statement made by the TNA MP, Charles Nirmalanthan, pointing out that the government had failed to act on the issue despite repeated requests.&nbsp;</p> <p>"We wrote to the Prime Minister on December 27 last year addressing this complaint, " Nirmalanthan stated, pointing out the nearest fire service to both districts was in Vavuniya.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Vavuniya is aproximately 80 kilomteres away from both these districts and it takes almost two hours for these fire trucks to arrive."</p>