Colombo9 hours ago
- copy link
People are facing floods due to heavy rains in Sri Lanka. 4 people have died due to flood. Apart from this many are missing. Two children are also included in the dead. More than 2 lakh people have been affected.
According to news agency PTI, due to heavy rain and strong wind, 6 flights landing at Colombo Airport had to be diverted. Sri Lanka is receiving heavy rains due to the system formed in the Bay of Bengal. More than 75 mm of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours.
Despite continuous rains, a high pressure area persists. Also, strong winds are blowing across the country. According to the Meteorological Department, the rain system is gradually moving towards North-West, which may turn into a cyclone in future.
Due to the system, strong winds are blowing on the beaches.
Due to strong winds, fishermen had to return from the beaches. A warning has also been issued regarding their fishing.
Army deployed for relief and rescue
The Sri Lankan government has deployed the Army and Navy to deal with the flood situation and evacuate people safely. Army personnel are providing food and other essential items to the flood affected people.
On the other hand, police have recovered the bodies of 2 out of 6 students who went missing on Tuesday in Ampara district. The missing students were aged between 12 and 16 years. The tractor-trolley in which they were traveling was washed away by the flood waters. However, the tractor driver and 5 other students were rescued from the spot.
Apart from this, due to rain, rail service has also been stopped in the hilly areas.
The water level of dams has increased due to floods. Due to this the gates have been opened.
Flood affected people sent to relief camps
According to the Disaster Management Center of Sri Lanka, due to the floods, more than 10 thousand people from 3 thousand families have been forced to leave their homes. They have been kept in 104 relief camps. The National Building Research Institute (NBRI) has issued a warning of landslides in 9 provinces of the country.
NBRI issued a statement saying that more than 75 mm of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours. If the rain continues, the risk of landslides will increase.
The government has also issued a flood warning in the areas around the Kelani River. This warning has been given till Friday.
