Floods and landslides kill at least 100 in Sri Lanka as record monsoon rain falls on the island
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
Indian medical teams and emergency relief arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday as the monsoon-related death toll reached 100 and authorities warned of more flooding in low-lying areas.
A ship carrying medical supplies docked in Colombo, sent by India to help deal with the worst flooding in the island’s western and southern regions in 14 years after record rainfall.
The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Saturday that the death toll from floods and a string of landslides had climbed to 100 while the number of missing since Friday’s deluge had been revised down to 90 from 110. Forty other people are in hospital.
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 S. R. Jayasekera said.
India is sending another ship due to arrive on Monday after Sri Lanka issued an international appeal for help.
