Sri Lanka floods, landslides kill at least 33; over dozens missing as heavy rains pound island — What next?

Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides across Sri Lanka this week, claiming the lives of at least 33 people with 14 others missing, officials said on Thursday. In a statement released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) of Sri Lanka confirmed that most of the deaths took place in the central tea-growing district of Badulla, where 16 people were buried alive after mountain slopes crashed onto their homes overnight.

Additionally, four others died similarly in the adjoining Nuwara Eliya district, and the remaining deaths were discovered somewhere else. Meanwhile, around 400 homes were damaged in mudslides, and more than 1,100 families moved to temporary shelters, according to a report by the news agency AFP.

Rising water level in Sri Lanka

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said river levels were rising across Sri Lanka and urged people in low-lying regions to move to safer ground. It noted that while the country is in its northeast monsoon period, the rainfall has intensified because of a depression to the island’s east. In response to the severe weather, the government of Sri Lanka halted final-year school exams nationwide for two days.

Rainfall of more than 100 millimetres is expected across Sri Lanka, with northeastern areas likely to receive up to 250 millimetres on Thursday. The weather-related toll this week is the worst since June last year, when 26 people died in heavy rains. Another 17 people were killed in flooding and landslides in December.

Sri Lanka relies on monsoon rains for irrigation and hydropower, but experts warn that climate change is making extreme flooding more frequent.

Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Centre and other regional authorities have been directed to take all required precautions, including early evacuations. Officials also requested the public to secure property, avoid flooded roads, and remain inside their houses for possible landslides, falling trees, and sudden surges in water levels.