Tragedy Strikes Sri Lanka: Deadly Landslides & Floods Kill Six
Tragedy Strikes Sri Lanka: Deadly Landslides & Floods Kill Six
Heavy rains unleash devastation across Sri Lanka, causing deadly landslides and flash floods. Nearly 1,900 displaced, as authorities issue urgent warnings. Stay safe!
Colombo, Sri Lanka, A relentless onslaught of heavy rain, landslides, and flash floods has ravaged parts of Sri Lanka over the past two days, claiming at least six lives and injuring three others. The adverse weather conditions have impacted five districts, forcing nearly 1,900 residents to evacuate their homes and seek shelter in relief centers.
Among the victims, three women aged 83, 58, and 47, along with a 22-year-old man, perished when a mound of earth collapsed onto their house in the Polpitiya-Morahenagama area. In a separate tragic incident, a 53-year-old man died after falling into the Mahaweli River while attempting to cross a bridge on the Watawala-Gnanandagama road. Police also confirmed the death of a 67-year-old man, killed when a landslide engulfed a roadside shop in Solangkanda Janaudana village, Nawalapitiya. Additionally, a 45-year-old man remains missing, swept away by flash floodwaters in the Ambagamuwa area of Ginigathena.
The central district of Nuwara Eliya bore the brunt of the downpour, recording approximately 100 mm of rainfall. Authorities have issued stern warnings to fishermen, advising them against venturing into the sea due to perilous rough weather and strong winds. As a precautionary measure, schools across the Central Province remained closed on Tuesday.
Evacuation warnings were issued on Monday for communities residing along the Mahaweli and Kelani river basins, anticipating the risk of further flash floods. Officials report that most major reservoirs across the island have already reached their spill levels, exacerbating the flood threat.
This latest natural disaster strikes as Sri Lanka is still grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwa in November. That devastating cyclone resulted in nearly 640 fatalities, affected approximately two million people, and caused an estimated $4.1 billion in damages, highlighting the nation's vulnerability to extreme weather events.
