Sri Lanka closed schools and government offices today after the death toll from floods and landslides reached 56 and over 600 houses were damaged, the Associated Press reports, citing authorities, BTA reports.
The island nation has been battling severe weather conditions since last week, and the situation was complicated yesterday by torrential rains that flooded homes, fields and roads and triggered landslides in various regions.
The hardest hit were the central highland tea-growing regions of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, about 300 kilometers east of the capital Colombo, where more than 25 people died. The Disaster Management Center said another 21 people were missing and 14 were injured. Additional casualties were reported in landslides in other parts of the country.
The torrential rains caused many rivers and dams to overflow, blocking roads and railway lines. Authorities halted passenger trains and closed key roads after mud, rocks and fallen trees hampered transport.
Local television showed an air force helicopter rescuing three people trapped on the roof of a flooded house, while the navy and police used boats to evacuate affected residents. Other footage showed a car swept away by the waters near the eastern city of Ampara, killing three people.