The death toll from floods and landslides caused by continuous rainfall in Sri Lanka has risen to 56. More than 600 houses have been damaged. As the situation continues to worsen, the government on Friday announced the closure of all public offices and educational institutions. Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera reported the information.
Adverse weather began last week in Sri Lanka. On Thursday, heavy rains submerged homes, farmlands, and roads, causing a series of landslides across the country. More than 25 people were killed on Thursday alone in the central hilly tea-producing regions of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya—both located around 300 kilometres from the capital, Colombo.
According to the country’s Disaster Management Centre, quoted by the U.S. news agency Associated Press (AP), 21 people are missing and 14 injured in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya. Several deaths have also been reported from landslides elsewhere in the country.
Daily life has been severely disrupted. Rising water levels in reservoirs and rivers have halted road transport. Rocks, mud, and fallen trees have blocked highways and rail lines, forcing authorities to suspend passenger train services and disconnect road communication in many regions.
Local television reports said that on Thursday, an air force helicopter rescued three individuals stranded on the roof of a house surrounded by floodwaters. The navy and police used boats to evacuate people from affected areas.
Another video broadcast on Thursday showed a car being swept away by strong flood currents on a roadside near Ampara. All three passengers inside the vehicle died.
