COLOMBO (AFP, XINHUA) - Monsoon rains triggered floods and mudslides in Sri Lanka killing at least 16 people and leaving more than a quarter of a million homeless, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said Sunday (June 6).

Heavy downpours in 10 out of the country's 25 districts since Friday buried most of the victims alive, the DMC said.

In the central Kegalle district, a pet dog pointed rescuers to a location where four members of the same family were buried alive, officials said.

However, all four were found dead by the time they were pulled out with the help of troops.

Security forces were deployed in several districts to help evacuate marooned villagers.

The DMC said 270,000 people were driven out of flooded homes and were sheltering with friends or relatives, as well as inside state-run welfare centres.

The monsoon hits the island nation twice a year, bringing vital rain for irrigation as well as hydro-power generation, but also causing frequent loss of life and damage to property.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Navy said that following rising concerns, there was no threat of furnace oil from tanks at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery being mixed into the Kelani River in the outskirts of Colombo.

Tanks containing furnace oil at the oil refinery had overflown with rainwater following the heavy downpour on Saturday.

The navy said it had taken action together with the Sri Lanka Coast Guard to skim the furnace oil exposed to the external environment and to prevent further spread as it could have an adverse impact on the water distribution of the main Ambathale and Biyagama water treatment plants.

Navy Spokesman Captain Indika De Silva said that operations were continuing to skim the furnace oil from the flood waters using floating boom.

Due to the adverse weather, the Health Ministry said the vaccination programme on Covid-19 had also suffered a setback.

Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath told local media that while the vaccination roll-out in the districts had not been suspended, officials however could not perform their duties properly due to heavy rains.

The Meteorology Department in its latest weather report said that heavy falls of 150mm could be expected in the coming days and the public were urged to be cautious especially from heavy lightning.

The department further said that wind speeds were expected to increase up to 50-55kmh in northern, north central and north-western provinces.