Monsoon rains kill at least 25 in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: Landslides and floods killed at least 25 people and left another 42 missing in Sri Lanka following heavy monsoon rains yesterday, the Disaster Management Centre said.
Nearly 8,000 people were driven out of their homes in the southwestern region of Kalutara, one of the worst affected, according to the DMC.
“Twenty five deaths reported and 42 missing as of noon,” the DMC said in a statement.
The rains were the most destructive this year.
In May 2016, more than a hundred people were killed when rivers burst their banks and flooded low-lying areas of the capital Colombo.
The government has warned residents along the banks of the Kelani, which flows to the Indian Ocean through Colombo, to remain vigilant as water levels continue to rise.
Aside from the destruction, this week’s rains also filled the reservoirs used for hydro power.
These had hit rock bottom, raising concerns of power shortage in June.
Officials said most reservoirs had reached spill level. — AFP