DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE
FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES
The death toll, from the floods and landslides rose to 194 as of last afternoon with 100 missing and 575,816 people from 149,678 families displaced.
Nearly 1,326 houses were destroyed and 6,979 damaged with the districts of Ratnapura, Kegalle, Matale, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Matara, Hambantota, Galle, Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Baticaloa, Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya being the most affected.
Among those affected were 36,036 families in the Kalutara district, 31,921 in the Ratnapura district and 43,333 in the Matara district with 79 deaths reported from Ratnapura, 24 from Matara and 59 from Kalutara.
Health Minister and Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said diseases such as dengue and Diarrhoea were expected to spread as often seen in the aftermath of floods.
“We have deployed medical teams to handle the health situation,” he said and added that the heavy rains, the floods and landslides were a result of climate change and global warming.
Global warming is creating havoc worldwide including Sri Lanka where nearly 336,000 households and establishments were without electricity but power has been restored to 216,000 households
“Global warming is creating havoc worldwide including Sri Lanka,” the minister said and added that nearly 336,000 households and establishments were without electricity but power had been restored to 216,000 households.
Town Planning and Water Management Minister Rauff Hakeem said some 40,000 consumers were without pipe borne water but the water supply had been restored in most of the areas. Law and Order Minister and Prime Minister’s Office Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake said the distribution of relief was functioning smoothly.
Additional reports by Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk, D.G. Sugathapala and Sanath Gamage