At least 40 killed in Sri Lanka floods and landslides
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
People walking along a street in Colombo amid heavy rain on Nov 27. Sri Lanka is currently experiencing the north-east monsoon season.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
COLOMBO – Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain killed at least 40 people and injured 10 across Sri Lanka this week, with 21 others missing, the authorities said on Nov 27.
Most of the deaths occurred in the central tea-growing district of Badulla, where 21 people were buried alive when mountain slopes crashed onto their homes overnight, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said in a statement.
Another four were killed in a similar manner in the adjoining Nuwara Eliya district. The remaining fatalities were reported elsewhere.
More than 425 homes were damaged in mudslides, with nearly 1,800 families moved to temporary shelters.
The DMC said river levels were rising across Sri Lanka and warned residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.
Sri Lanka is currently experiencing the north-east monsoon season, but rain has intensified owing to a depression east of the island, the centre added.
The government suspended final-year school examinations nationwide for two days because of the weather.
More than 100mm of rainfall was expected across Sri Lanka, with some areas in the north-east forecast to be deluged with 250mm of rain on Nov 27.
This week’s weather-related toll is the highest since June 2024, when 26 people were killed following heavy rains. Last December, 17 people were killed by flooding and landslides.
Sri Lanka depends on seasonal monsoon rain for irrigation and hydroelectricity, but experts have warned that the country faces more frequent floods due to climate change. AFP
