Heavy rain leaves at least 22 dead, thousands displaced
COLOMBO – At least 22 people have died in floods and mudslides in various parts of the country following more than a week of heavy rain, officials said on Wednesday (10).
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said more than 5,000 people have been displaced from their homes and have taken shelter in relatives’ homes or government-run relief centres, while overall 62,200 people belonging to 17,481 families have been affected.
Most deaths have occurred due to drowning and lightning strikes, the DMC said, noting that deaths had been reported from the Badulla, Matala, Mullaitivu, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kegalle and Galle districts.
The DMC, attributing the inclement weather conditions to the development of a low-pressure area in the southeast Bay of Bengal, said 126 Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions in 17 districts have been hard hit by heavy rains, floods and landslides. Officials also said 18 houses had been completely destroyed which 960 dwellings had sustained partial damages.
Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) extended the landslide early warnings alert issued to several areas in the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura, and upped the level of alert to ‘red’ to Harispattuwa, Doluwa Yatinuwara, Udapalatha, Pasbage Koral, Gangawata Korale, Udunuwara and Ganga Ihala Korale DS divisions in the Kandy district; Yatiyanthota, Ruwanwella, Rambukkana, Aranayake, Kegalle, Mawanella, Bulathkohupitiya, Warakapola, Dehiowita, Galigamuwa and Deraniyagala DS divisions in the Kegalle district and Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Mawathagama, Polgahawela, Rideegama and Narammala DS divisions in the Kurunegala district.
October and November are usually the northeastern monsoon season in Sri Lanka. However, higher than usual rainfalls have been reported in most parts of the country this year.
-ENCL