In Sri Lanka, at least 56 people have died and 21 are missing due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rains. The country is preparing for Cyclone Ditwa, which increases risks for low-lying areas, including the capital Colombo.
At least 56 people have died and 21 are missing in Sri Lanka after floods and landslides caused by heavy rains this week. This is one of the most devastating natural disasters the country has faced in recent years, writes UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
21 people died in the central tea-growing district of Badulla when a landslide struck their homes overnight, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said in a statement.
Videos posted on social media show houses being swept away by torrents of water crashing into towns, while most train services across the country have been cancelled.
Sri Lanka is preparing for even more severe weather conditions on Friday due to the movement of Cyclone Ditwa along the country's eastern coast.
Ditwa began as a deep depression off the east coast but then intensified into a cyclone. It is expected to hit India.
In Sri Lanka, river levels continue to rise, and the DMC has warned residents of low-lying areas to move to higher ground. The department has issued a red flood warning for low-lying areas of the Kelani River valley for the next 48 hours. The capital, Colombo, is in the risk zone.
More than 200 mm of rainfall is expected in some central and northern parts of the island on Friday, the Sri Lanka Meteorological Department said.
Key roads connecting provinces are closed, and the Department of Railways has announced the cancellation of all trains, except for a few major ones, from 06:00 local time on Friday.
The DMC reported that nearly 44,000 people have been affected by the extreme weather conditions. About 20,500 military personnel have been deployed to provide assistance and conduct rescue operations across the country.
In connection with this, exams for students taking advanced level exams, also known as A-level exams, have also been postponed.
Addition
Sri Lanka is currently in the monsoon season, but the island rarely experiences extreme weather events of such intensity. The worst flood in this century in Sri Lanka occurred in June 2003, when 254 people died and hundreds of thousands were forced to leave their homes.
