Tuesday, 3 June 2014 01:58
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Met. Dept warns heavy rains and strong winds will continue President Rajapaksa tweets officials instructed to expedite relief measures
Sixteen people have been killed in landslides after heavy monsoon rains that caused severe flooding in Colombo, its suburbs and the Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Ratnapura districts, the Disaster Management Centre confirmed yesterday.
Officials said two people were still missing following the flooding. President Mahinda Rajapaksa tweeted yesterday that he had instructed his officials to “expedite relief measures to communities affected by the bad weather.” Officials said among the dead were five people who were killed in Agalawatte in the Kalutara District due to mudslides, three of them women, police said. According to police reports, two people had also perished in mudslides in Omatta, Agalawatte, while two more had died when a wall collapsed in Thalangama North in the Colombo District.
Two others were also missing in the Colombo District, police and the Disaster Management Centre said.
In some areas the Ceylon Electricity Board said it had cut off electricity in some areas of the Kalutara District including Matugama and Bulathsinhala to ensure public safety because the areas were inundated.
According to the Red Cross, over 3,000 people have been affected in the Kalutara, Colombo and Gampaha districts.
Officials at the Department of Meteorology said the Western and Southern regions had experienced more than 100 mm of rainfall on Sunday.
Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force rescue teams have been deployed to search for flood victims and missing people.
Train services on several key railway lines were also delayed yesterday, with the Ragama railway station flooded out during the rains last morning.
The Met Department has warned that heavy showers will continue to lash at the Western and Southern regions of the island, with winds of up to 70-80 kmph from Mannar to Pottuvil. The DMC said several rivers, including Kalu Ganga, Kukule Ganga, Gin Ganga, Bentara and Nilwala were close to spill level and warned people living in low lying areas close by to be vigilant.
