Floods and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 92 people in Sri Lanka since Thursday night. One hundred and ten others are missing, according to authorities in the island state in southern India. About 60,000 people have also been evacuated in the south and several western parts of the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. “The Southwest monsoon started with very heavy rain,” said Dunesh Gankanda, assistant minister for disaster management. “There are areas that we have not been able to access, but rescue operations are underway.” Authorities said a soldier also died after falling from a helicopter while trying to rescue a villager.
The heaviest toll has so far been recorded in Ratnapura, the city of gemstones, where the Kalu River has come out of its bed, about 100 kilometers east of the capital, Colombo. Most of the victims were killed by landslides on the side of the coast, the DMC’s director of operations told AFP.
On the other hand, many material losses are to be regretted. The rains destroyed hundreds of homes and cut off many roads. Thousands of soldiers have been deployed to reach the still-stranded villagers. The Air Force has carried out several operations to rescue people stranded on the roof of their homes.
Appeal to the international community
After the disaster, which is expected to worsen further in the coming hours, Sri Lanka called on the international community, including its neighbours and the United Nations, for help. “The first Indian ship will dock in Colombo on Saturday,” the Sri Lankan government said. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to monitor the situation and provide the necessary assistance, in consultation with the Ministry of Natural Disaster Management,” the government said in a statement. Evacuation notices have been issued for thousands of people, with authorities fearing flooding.
The monsoon, expected on Thursday evening, ended a prolonged drought that threatened agriculture and hydroelectric power generation. These rains are the most destructive since May 2003. At the time, 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed as a result of a monsoon of similar intensity, according to the authorities.
