Floods leave over 200 dead and thousands homeless in Sri Lanka
THE DEATH toll from mudslides and floods in Sri Lanka has climbed past 200, with 96 others missing, the government has said.
The Disaster Management Centre said 203 people have been confirmed dead.
More than 77,000 people have been displaced and over 1,500 homes destroyed since rains began inundating the southern and western areas of the Indian Ocean island nation on Friday.
Sri Lanka’s army, navy and air force are continuing relief and rescue efforts, and are supported by divers and navy personnel who have arrived from India.
The UN office in Sri Lanka said that 16 hospitals directly affected by floods or landslides have been evacuated fully or partially.
With an increasing number of displaced people and a lack of space in temporary shelters, many are at risk of disease, the UN said.
Sri Lanka has seen a significant increase in mosquito-borne dengue fever this year, with more than 125 deaths.
Foreign minister Ravi Karunanayake met foreign envoys in Sri Lanka and appealed for assistance. He said 24 countries have already extended help.
The UN, India, Australia, Japan and Pakistan are among those to have donated supplies, including water purification tablets and tents.
The US and China also pledged relief.
Mudslides have become common during Sri Lanka’s summer monsoon season because forests across the tropical nation have been cleared for export crops such as tea and rubber.
The wettest time of the year in Sri Lanka’s south is usually from May to September.
Sri Lankan meteorology officials said that the rains were the worst since 2003 and they expected more in the coming days.
A massive landslide a year ago killed more than 100 people in central Sri Lanka.