Floods, landslides kill 14 and displace over 6,000

Wednesday, 19 December 2012 01:19 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

At least 14 people have died and over 6,000 people have been displaced due to the heavy rains in most parts of the country, according to the Disaster Management Center (DMC).

Flooding and landslides hit several areas of the country as a result of the heavy rains experienced in the past two days causing havoc as hundreds of people sought accommodations in schools, temples and other public places.

Floods and landslide warnings are in effect in Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Moneragala and Batticaloa districts. Matale, Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa are the worst affected districts.

According to the DMC as of noon yesterday 6,312 people of 1,791 families have been evacuated to 29 shelters in the affected districts. Another 21,120 people are affected by the floods and landslides.

The DMC announced that the death toll of the rains has risen to 14 by last evening. Eight of the deaths occurred in Matale district.

Assistant director of the Disaster Management Center Pradeep Kodippili told media the number is likely to rise.

At least 67 local tourists visiting the Knuckles forest reserve in the Central Province of Sri Lanka were reportedly marooned in the area due to floods and roadblocks caused by landslides.

The tourists were reportedly in a village called Ilukkumbura close to the Knuckles forest reserve and the exit roads from the village are flooded by the overflowing Thelgamuwa Oya River.

Another 10 local tourists are lost in the Wasgamuwa Wildlife Park and Bakamuna police are attempting to rescue them with the support of Navy.

A large number of small and big reservoirs are spilling, Irrigation Department said. The spill gates of these reservoirs have been opened.

Kalaweva, Rajanganaya Weva, Inginimitiya, Upper Kothmale, Uda Walawe, Veheragala and Lunugamvehera are some of the big reservoirs that are spilling.

According to the DMC, in Polonnaruwa 2,901 people have been evacuated to 11 shelters. Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa main road inundated at Gallala and Polonnaruwa-Somawathiya road inundated at Sungawilla,

The DMC said it has provided relief to the affected and conducted rescue missions in coordination with the Military and Police.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the assistance of the three armed forces is being obtained for the relief operations and all necessary measures have been taken to provide cooked food to the victims. Necessary funds have been sent to the divisional secretaries in the affected areas, he added.

The Director General of health services Dr. Palitha Mahipala has convened the emergency disaster management unit of the Ministry of health to provide round the clock emergency healthcare to the affected people. The Ministry has taken measures to dispatch medicine and chlorine tablets to purify drinking water sources in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department warned of more occasional showers or thunder showers developing in the Northern, Eastern, North Central and Uva provinces and in the eastern slopes of the central hills and in the Kurunegala district.