Heavy rains and mudslides in Sri Lanka have killed at least 26 people and injured 42 others. The crisis has prompted the Army to step in to help tens of thousands of displaced people.

Sri lanka monsoon rains kill 26, schools in affected areas to remain shut

The death toll from Sri Lanka&rsquo;s floods and landslides climbed top 180&nbsp;on Monday, &nbsp;the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. 
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The number increased with the discovery of more bodies of people buried in landslides, the DMC said. 
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The DMC further said that 104 people were still listed as missing and that another 88 remained in hospital. 
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Half a million Sri Lankans have been displaced by the island&#39;s worst flooding in more than a decade. 
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The air force has deployed a dozen aircraft for mercy missions to evacuate marooned villagers as well as carry food and other essentials to the affected areas. 
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The government said relief operations had intensified over the weekend following a break in the monsoon rains. 
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However, the meteorological department said it expected more rain on Monday and Tuesday that could hamper relief operations. 
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Floodwaters were receding in the worst affected districts of Ratnapura and Kalutara but the authorities said cleaning up operations could take weeks. 
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Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. 
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Sri Lanka has sought international assistance, with India sending two naval ships laden with supplies over the weekend. 
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The Indian military has deployed helicopters, boats and amphibious vehicles to distribute aid pouring in from residents in areas unaffected by the floods. 
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The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

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Floods in Sri Lanka have killed more than 140 people as relief and rescue teams worked to help the half a million people affected by the worst torrential rains since 2003 (WION)
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Friday's deluge also caused the island's worst flooding in 14 years and drove nearly half a million people out of their homes

The death toll from Sri Lanka’s floods and landslides climbed top 180 on Monday, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. The number increased with the discovery of more bodies of people buried in landslides, the DMC said. The DMC further said that 104 people were still listed as missing and that another 88 remained in hospital. Half a million Sri Lankans have been displaced by the island's worst flooding in more than a decade. The air force has deployed a dozen aircraft for mercy missions to evacuate marooned villagers as well as carry food and other essentials to the affected areas. The government said relief operations had intensified over the weekend following a break in the monsoon rains. However, the meteorological department said it expected more rain on Monday and Tuesday that could hamper relief operations. Floodwaters were receding in the worst affected districts of Ratnapura and Kalutara but the authorities said cleaning up operations could take weeks. Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Sri Lanka has sought international assistance, with India sending two naval ships laden with supplies over the weekend. The Indian military has deployed helicopters, boats and amphibious vehicles to distribute aid pouring in from residents in areas unaffected by the floods. The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said. (WION with inputs from AFP) Floods in Sri Lanka have killed more than 140 people as relief and rescue teams worked to help the half a million people affected by the worst torrential rains since 2003 (WION) ×

Sri Lanka floods, landslides: Death toll climbs to 180

The death toll from flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka climbed to&nbsp;100&nbsp;while the number of missing since Friday&#39;s deluge had been revised down to 90 from 110,&nbsp;The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said Saturday.

Forty other people are in the hospital, AFP reported.

Authorities issued fresh evacuation orders for those living downstream of two major rivers, citing a risk of flooding even though the rains had subsided.

&quot;The monsoon has firmly established and we could have evening showers at a lesser intensity&quot;, meteorological department chief SR&nbsp;Jayasekera said.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful Southwest monsoon, officials said.

Nearly 500 homes were either damaged or destroyed due to flooding as well as landslides, DMC director of operations Rear Admiral A. A. P. Liyanage told AFP.&nbsp;

Most of the deaths were due to mountainsides collapsing on homes after heavy overnight rain, he said.

The DMC said the monsoon ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The rains have filled reservoirs used for hydroelectric projects after low supplies had raised fears of power shortages in June.

But officials said most reservoirs were now so full they were in danger of spilling over and flooding communities living downstream.&nbsp;

Friday&#39;s flooding was caused by rivers bursting their banks, but unusually heavy rain triggered more than a dozen landslides burying homes on mountain slopes.

By Friday evening over 60,000 people had been driven out of their homes while nearly 500 homes had been either damaged or destroyed.

Most of the deaths have occurred due to mountainsides collapsing on homes, authorities say.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The number of missing since Friday's deluge had been revised down to 90 from 110,?The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said Saturday

The death toll from flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka climbed to 100 while the number of missing since Friday's deluge had been revised down to 90 from 110, The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said Saturday. Forty other people are in the hospital, AFP reported. Authorities issued fresh evacuation orders for those living downstream of two major rivers, citing a risk of flooding even though the rains had subsided. "The monsoon has firmly established and we could have evening showers at a lesser intensity", meteorological department chief SR Jayasekera said. The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful Southwest monsoon, officials said. Nearly 500 homes were either damaged or destroyed due to flooding as well as landslides, DMC director of operations Rear Admiral A. A. P. Liyanage told AFP. Most of the deaths were due to mountainsides collapsing on homes after heavy overnight rain, he said. The DMC said the monsoon ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation. The rains have filled reservoirs used for hydroelectric projects after low supplies had raised fears of power shortages in June. But officials said most reservoirs were now so full they were in danger of spilling over and flooding communities living downstream. Friday's flooding was caused by rivers bursting their banks, but unusually heavy rain triggered more than a dozen landslides burying homes on mountain slopes. By Friday evening over 60,000 people had been driven out of their homes while nearly 500 homes had been either damaged or destroyed. Most of the deaths have occurred due to mountainsides collapsing on homes, authorities say. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Sri Lanka floods, landslides: Death toll climbs to 100

Sri Lanka stepped up its military-led relief operations Saturday as nearly half a million people were displaced after a monsoon deluge killed at least 122 people and threatened more flooding.

Rainfall on Friday triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island and although the rain eased on Saturday, low-lying areas remained under water, the authorities said.

The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said a total of 122 people were confirmed dead while 97 remained missing. Another 49 injured in landslides were hospitalised.&nbsp;

&quot;Most of the fatalities were due to landslides and only a very few drowned,&quot; said government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne who is also the health minister.

He said nearly 500,000 people were forced from their homes and most of them had moved into temporary shelters.

The military led search operations in landslide-hit areas and the airforce deployed five aircraft for rescue operations and another five to transport emergency supplies to villagers who could not be reached by road.

At the village of Bulathsinhala, relatives were seen loading coffins of 10 victims onto armoured personnel carriers to transport them across flooded streets to higher ground for burial.

The military vehicles also ferried villagers along roads converted into riverways by the rainfall, passing submerged traffic signs and flooded houses.

There were similar scenes in the adjoining Ratnapura district, the island&#39;s gem capital, which was also flooded. The authorities arranged funerals for dozens of victims.&nbsp;

The deluge caused the Nilwala river to burst its banks, threatening to submerge a large number of villages, the DMC said.

It warned thousands of villagers living near the Nilwala to evacuate to higher ground.

President Maithripala Sirisena, who returned from a state visit to Australia, travelled to Kalutara, one of the worst affected districts south of Colombo, to supervise relief operations.

&quot;The government will give new houses to those who lost their houses,&quot; he tweeted.

The authorities dropped thousands of life jackets for marooned people in a bid to protect them until they could be moved to safer ground.

International aid&nbsp;

An Indian naval ship equipped with medical supplies docked in Colombo Saturday and a second vessel was expected on Monday, Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu said.

The United Nations said it will give water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organisation will support medical teams in affected areas.

Save the Children warned of a potential increase in dengue cases in the country.

The charity&#39;s Sri Lanka country director Chris McIvo said: &quot;We&#39;re particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant water that the floods will leave in their wake.&quot;

Pakistan said it was in talks with Colombo to send relief supplies. Islamabad recently gave 10,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka to help drought victims.

The meterological&nbsp;department said the rains ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

Monsoon rains last year caused flooding and landslides, killing over 100 people.

(AFP)

Record monsoon rainfall has left 122 people dead in the island nation

Sri Lanka stepped up its military-led relief operations Saturday as nearly half a million people were displaced after a monsoon deluge killed at least 122 people and threatened more flooding. Rainfall on Friday triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island and although the rain eased on Saturday, low-lying areas remained under water, the authorities said. The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said a total of 122 people were confirmed dead while 97 remained missing. Another 49 injured in landslides were hospitalised. "Most of the fatalities were due to landslides and only a very few drowned," said government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne who is also the health minister. He said nearly 500,000 people were forced from their homes and most of them had moved into temporary shelters. The military led search operations in landslide-hit areas and the airforce deployed five aircraft for rescue operations and another five to transport emergency supplies to villagers who could not be reached by road. At the village of Bulathsinhala, relatives were seen loading coffins of 10 victims onto armoured personnel carriers to transport them across flooded streets to higher ground for burial. The military vehicles also ferried villagers along roads converted into riverways by the rainfall, passing submerged traffic signs and flooded houses. There were similar scenes in the adjoining Ratnapura district, the island's gem capital, which was also flooded. The authorities arranged funerals for dozens of victims. The deluge caused the Nilwala river to burst its banks, threatening to submerge a large number of villages, the DMC said. It warned thousands of villagers living near the Nilwala to evacuate to higher ground. President Maithripala Sirisena, who returned from a state visit to Australia, travelled to Kalutara, one of the worst affected districts south of Colombo, to supervise relief operations. "The government will give new houses to those who lost their houses," he tweeted. The authorities dropped thousands of life jackets for marooned people in a bid to protect them until they could be moved to safer ground. International aid An Indian naval ship equipped with medical supplies docked in Colombo Saturday and a second vessel was expected on Monday, Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu said. The United Nations said it will give water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organisation will support medical teams in affected areas. Save the Children warned of a potential increase in dengue cases in the country. The charity's Sri Lanka country director Chris McIvo said: "We're particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant water that the floods will leave in their wake." Pakistan said it was in talks with Colombo to send relief supplies. Islamabad recently gave 10,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka to help drought victims. The meterological department said the rains ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation. The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said. Monsoon rains last year caused flooding and landslides, killing over 100 people. (AFP)

Sri Lanka steps up rescue op as monsoon deluge death toll mounts